Diamonds and Spades
by Xenome
Summary: With young Samuel Oak as the Hero of DQM:J, the Incarnus-King of Monsters in the Human Realm-embarks to defeat the Demon King before Dialga and Palkia create a deadly Lord Monster. Sealing gates to Alefgard and trying to prevent the discovery of Dr. Snap's journals are only a few of the challenges faced, for on they way they meet a beautiful Kimono Girl who changes their lives.
1. The Chase and the Dancing Girl

_Author's Note: This story is a collaborative work by myself and Angel of Music. All rights to pokemon go to nintendo and game freak. All rights to dragon quest go to square enix. Hoshiko's character belongs exclusively to Angel of Music. The rights to the term "Metavasi" are exclusively mine.  
_

**Diamonds and Spades**

_**"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." ~Peter Marshall**_

_**"You win some, lose some, it's **_**all**_** the same to me. The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say. I don't share your greed, the only card I need is The Ace Of Spades." ~ Motorhead**_

**Chapter 1: The Chase and the Dancing Girl**

Footfalls hammered the slick cobblestone one right after another. The thudding of his heart in his ears made his eardrums feel as though they'd fly right out. Breaths came in short, desperate gulps. Samuel looked down at his own shadow racing over the street and then over his shoulder. The figures were gone. Almost slipping over his shoes, the boy caught himself suddenly and teetered over the edge of the city fountain. He should have been watching where he was running, he realized all too late.

Before he had time to steady himself, gravity overcame his already precarious position and sent him tumbling forward into the water. His eyes shut against outpouring streams that cascaded over him and the up-rushing pool below, and all he could hear was the roar of the water and his own pulse as the fountain swallowed him whole. He broke out of its chilling, suffocating hold and gasped for air, opening his eyes just in time to peer through his wet hair and see the black-clothed men suddenly running towards him.

"No-" He choked as he tried to get up and face them down, fumbling with the awkward little metal spheres that he was still getting used to hanging on his chain.

The darned pokéballs were a big hit with all of the monster trainers, but ironically, the co-creator of the tools was still very used to doing things the old way. And he hadn't battled in awhile. That didn't help.

Then, just as the men were within range to grab him, a blur of white flew out from the corner of Samuel's eye and slammed right into one of the men. His breath caught in his throat, the young scientist didn't have time to even think of gasping in relief. Instead he turned and jumped out of the fountain, taking off across the courtyard and rushing around the corner to get away.

_ If it's not one thing..._ He swung around a bench, ducked to the ground, and wrapped his hands around the sewer grate, jerking it hard enough to pull it loose. He slipped in through the dark, wet hole, and quickly replaced the bars before crawling out into the main part of the waterway below the surface of the city.

He didn't stop to talk to any of the poor folk residing there. No, the only thing on his mind was getting to the lab, grabbing the most important log books and the key, and locking it before the men found out where he'd gone. He was glad they didn't know where the lab was, but if he didn't hurry, they could find out. Scrambling across the narrow cement catwalks as quickly as he could manage without falling into the waste water below, he soon found himself at the heavy metal door. He shoved it open, and ran inside. Straight across the lab to the bookshelves, he went right to where he knew his father's old research and Snap's journal lay. He grabbed the binders, and then rushed back the way he had come, swiping the key and his latest work off of the table by the door. He slammed the metal barrier behind him and locked it tight.

Once outside, he ran past the usual folk who hung around the waterway entrance by the docks. He scanned the faces in the crowd for a familiar face, and soon spotted Jacques. Running over to the old guard, he stopped in front of him, sparing only a moment to look over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed.

"Jacques, listen to me. I need you to cut off the passage to the lab and find a way to hide the door."

"Monsieur Samuel-"

"Just do it!" He pushed past the old man.

"Vere are you going?!" He called out in surprise.

"Nowhere!" Was the only reply Samuel left him with, as he sprinted away.

Ahead of him stretched the piers. Boats were docked, bringing and taking tourists. With the invention of the pokéball, Domus Isle had gotten a lot more attention than it had in the past. Now the mainland was interested. But it was this very interest that was the problem. Samuel started running harder, past the local watering hole and towards the outbound docks. He would have made it without incident if he didn't suddenly feel hot breath on his neck and a heavy, deep voice in his ear.

"Boy, you're going to be killed-"

Startled out of his mind, Samuel whirled around and tripped over his own feet, finding himself flat out on his back and looking up at the bright blue sky. That only lasted for a split second. Before he had time to register what had just happened, strong jaws gripped his collar and pulled him to his feet, practically dragging him along at a pace twice as fast as he'd been running before.

"Ace, you idiot, if anything will be the death of me it's you!" He shouted over the wind and reached out his hands to grip the white wolf-like beast's fur. He pulled himself up onto the monster's back and held on tight. "That one!" He shouted out, pointing to the nearest outbound ship.

"Do you even know where it's going?!"

"Of course not! What do I look like, a travel agent?!"

"I should capitalize on that! I'd make a fortune off of you alone!" Ace panted.

"Like I'd hire you." He flashed his scout pass that he'd won in the last Scouting Challenge as they ran by the ticket collector too fast for the poor man to even catch a glimpse. "Jump!"

The fleet-footed canine kicked off of the dock and sailed right up and over the side of the boat, bypassing the boarding ramp altogether. When his paws hit the ground, Ace slid to an abrupt stop, and Samuel tumbled off over his head, again landing on his back looking at the sky.

This time, he had a moment to catch his breath. The moment was just long enough to spot sea birds flying by before a big, white, furry head and lolling pink tongue appeared and blocked out his view of the sky.

"Thanks Ace." Samuel grunted, lying there until the sounds of other passengers were drowned out by calls from the captain. They'd made it just in time, and the ship was pushing away the loading ramp and hoisting anchor. There was no going back, and nobody else could follow. Samuel heaved a huge sigh of relief and drove his hand into his pocket, feeling for the assurance that the key was still there.

* * *

The water was beautiful and calming. The sky was much the same. The way they moved together, so slowly and gracefully, it was perfectly reminiscent of a dance and all of the movements, slow arm extensions and sways that felt like the breeze. It was so much like the soft material of a kimono against the skin and the stability of dancing shoes on the feet. It seemed like every thought, every movement that was made, every sight that was seen and sound that was heard became a memory.

Back home. Where the leaves rustled on the ground and the two ancient towers rose above all-the towers where she could wander and play with her friends and her sisters, and her mother and aunts. But...they didn't want to do any of those things. They didn't want to look for pokémon or search for hidden secrets. They only wanted to dance. And so did she. Dancing was her favorite thing, but it became hard. Every time she danced, her chest felt tight and she couldn't breathe anymore. Here it was different. Even though it was lonely with only memories as her companion, Hoshiko didn't mind. She just tried to forget all of the fighting and the arguments, the fainting and the pain. Everything that had happened before she left, all the things that made her leave her home. That's why she was on this boat, maybe part of her wanted adventure...but maybe part of her didn't want to be forced to choose between two loves.

Hoshiko's short and silken black hair brushed up against her face, sweeping away a few of the spare tears in her beautiful almond-shaped eyes. Although small, her eyes used to be bright and lively, eyes that caught people's attention. Now, however, they were usually just red in her misery, their color dulled by waning interest.

Most of the time she spent traveling around, seeing sights and catching pokémon, carrying around her bag and struggling to hide her identity—as not only her status as a missing person in Johto, but also her profession made openness a risk. Hoshiko had cut her own once flowing curtain of hair and wore normal, everyday clothes—a short skirt and comfortable top with a simple hiking bag. It was not elaborate, but it would do.

As the boat started to lurch forward to yet another new destination, Hoshiko was taken by surprise. Two loud thumps shook the boat's deck near where she stood watching the waves, and she turned to see a pokémon land on the deck a few feet away, with a young man who less then gracefully arrived with him and rolled forward in what looked like a very uncomfortable position.

Usually Hoshiko wouldn't get involved in a situation like this, but mingled curiosity and concern—with a smidge of added humor, hidden by her hand gently concealing the smile on her face—made her approach the stranger. Leaning over him, she spoke gently and with a faintly oriental accent.

"Um...Pardon me...But I was wondering if you are alright? You seem to have taken quite a...well, um." She paused sharply, trying to hide her amusement as the large wolf monster went on to lick the young man's face. She'd been taught excessive politeness by tradition, but some things she just couldn't help but giggle at. "A fall. You had quite a fall..." She finally finished, lowering her hand to reveal her tiny smile. She offered her little pale hand to the strange boy to raise him back to his feet, but wasn't sure if the stranger would accept. After all some people were too proud for things like that.

The young and rough-looking boy sat up abruptly the moment the young and strikingly pretty yet very unfamiliar face appeared at the edge of his vision. He shoved the large white wolf beast away with an elbow and wiped his own mug with the back of his hand. Being a naturally quiet and reserved young man, Samuel's first inclination was to pull away. He wasn't much of a conversationalist with strangers. Yet, he wasn't really shy. He just liked to keep to himself and observe.

Nonetheless, the kindness in the girl's eyes was too innocent and gentle to simply look away and mutter a simple response. At odds with himself, he struggled to think of something to say, until he felt Ace's big head tuck under his arm and the dog's nose nudge him—an urgent but silent insistence that the boy say something before he made a fool of himself by staring.

"Don't worry about me," Samuel quickly looked away when he started speaking, his voice tinged with a forced roughness that matched the forced scowl now crunching up his face, "I've had worse."

He glanced at the girl again from the corner of his eye, still keeping his head turned away from her. Then he noticed a wet lock of his own hair dangling right between his eyes. How utterly ridiculous he must have looked, he imagined. He was soaking wet from head to toe, his medium-length platinum blonde hair tousled from the wind and stuck in awkward positions. His clothes—over-used for scouting—were torn in a lot of places. And despite the chains hanging off of his belt loops and the piercings in his ears, he didn't look half as tough as he intended to.

The large and very unique monster at his side sat down like an obedient and patient family pet, tilting his head at the girl and then breaking a toothy open-mouthed smile while his tongue flopped out and he panted heavily.

Taken aback at first by the young man's attitude, Hoshiko shifted back ever so quietly without even raising her feet. Even so, inside the young woman felt compassion for the poor boy, and her heart softened at the pitiful sight of him, soaked head to toe and seeming irritated. She found herself pitying him more then anything.

"Oh...well if you don't need any help then...I guess I'll be over there if you do happen to need any help."

She pointed over her shoulder, to where she was standing before. But when she took a second glance at that young man, Hoshiko couldn't help herself, and she smiled yet again. Here was this guy—soaked, annoyed and accompanied by a large, cute and obviously very happy creature. It was enough to make anyone smile, but the way he tried to present himself made Hoshiko want to laugh. Despite her proper upbringing, the girl started to giggle.

"Hehehe...oh...hehehehe...I'm...hehe...I'm so sorry…." She tried to control herself, she really did, but the laughter grew as she stared down at her feet and started to play with one of the longer strands of hair she had wrapped around her fingers. "Hehehehehehehehehehehehe."

Glancing up from her own feet and observing the young man for a second, Hoshiko still couldn't settle herself so she stuttered out one last sentence before she shuffled back over to where she was before with red cheeks from embarrassment.

"I'll...hehehehehe, I'll be...hehehe, over there...hahahahahehehe. I'm sorry!"

Samuel slumped and rolled his eyes, more at himself and the situation than at the girl. He happened to notice Ace panting in happy amusement and shoved the dog's head away again to avoid getting drool on his shoulder.

"Attractive." He muttered. "I thought you were supposed to be dignified."

Ace raised an eyebrow, closed his mouth, gulped, and replied in a whisper,

"You're lucky you have me or that girl might have been frightened away by the look on your ugly mug." He chuckled and stood up, moving to walk towards the doors leading below deck. His long, flowing tail swished behind him smoothly. Samuel started to follow him, but Ace stopped and looked back, nodding towards the girl as if to say 'now's a good chance.'

Samuel didn't take the bait. He stalled, looked over at her, sighed, and then kept walking. "You're insane." He muttered quietly to the wolf-beast. "I don't want to talk to her."

"Suit yourself." Ace murmured, turning again and leading the way below deck.

Hoshiko watched from a distance as the young man and his creature walked off. He obviously wasn't very social, but she didn't care all that much. After all, the girl wasn't here to make friends but to, in a way, find herself. Or else she meant to find whatever was getting in the way of people understanding her. The whole situation was confusing, and adding more people into the mix just seemed to complicate the equation. So without much more thought about the odd young man, Hoshiko settled back into her spot at the rail. Quietly fingering a pokéball in her hands, she watched the clouds and the ocean for a long, sleepy while.

Eventually too entranced by the calming sea to keep her eyes open, Hoshiko released the pokémon from inside its the ball so that it could stand beside her, and hopefully keep her awake. The ball popped open to reveal a tiny foxlike monster, which automatically came close up beside its owner and started to rub against her leg.

"Hey girl." Hoshiko smiled and bent down beside the eevee, doting and giving the creature little kisses on its forehead. The eevee returned the favor by licking her owner's hand with a tiny pink tongue. After the small, touching moment they shared, the girl noticed a low growl coming from her pokémon's stomach.

"Aw, you're hungry. Aren't you?" She asked the eevee, scooping her up into her arms and holding her close. "Let's get you some food." Hoshiko smiled down at her pokémon and started down to the galley.

After getting some food for both herself and her eevee, Hoshiko found a table with some girls her age, and she sat down with them to share a meal and good conversation. With any luck, it would take the edge off of her loneliness. Her new companions sat across from her. A set of twins, they were both a few years younger then Hoshiko herself, and they had a cute and quiet innocence about them. They spent most of the time talking to each other, but it was hard for Hoshiko not to listen in.

"Playing music is so much fun, but I wish there was something that we could do differently, Amy..." The twin on the right started, placing her chin in her hands and looking glumly at her sister.

"I know what you mean, Sissy...There isn't much we can play together, with both of us using flutes..." The second of the two looked back at her sister, equally disappointed.

Hoshiko looked at the two thoughtfully for a moment. She herself played a wind flute, and the conversation between the sisters pulled her mind back to her hometown, where either she or her own sisters would play music while the others danced.

"Hm..." Quietly pondering for a moment before interjecting her thoughts, Hoshiko put forth an idea. "Hey girls...why doesn't one of you dance while the other plays music?" She wasn't sure what their response would be to the suggestion, but was pleasantly surprised when the two turned and smiled at her.

"Great idea!" Both Amy and Sissy yipped out at the same time.

"But...we can't dance..." The girl known as Sissy whimpered after their momentary happiness.

Hoshiko hesitated at this but her heart strings got the better of her as the two watched her with wide and hopeful eyes. She looked at Amy and nodded to her first.

"You play something traditional." And then, nodding to Sissy, Hoshiko stood up and set her eevee down on her chair. "Come here, I will help you learn."

It didn't take too long before the trio had set up their little corner in the galley, with Hoshiko well on the way to teaching Sissy how to dance. Though not in the traditional manner of the Kimono Girls—that was forbidden—she displayed and walked Sissy through the basic moves that all little girls were taught at the dance academy back in her hometown. It was simple enough for the young girl to pick up, and after awhile she and Hoshiko were dancing side by side. Of the two, Hoshiko was obviously more skilled with her gentle mannerisms and her graceful ways, and as they started getting deeper into the dance, it was as though the young woman fell into a trance and didn't even notice that there was a small group of young kids hanging around them. There was even a little tune coming from the young woman's lips as she danced and let the boat and even the world around her melt away until she felt the gentle breeze of home.

* * *

The door to the personal quarters opened with a soft click, giving way to a small space. Made of wood like the rest of the ship, it had a warm enough atmosphere. Light from the porthole on the back wall spilled in and bathed the floor with a soft golden glow. The space was cramped—a bed, a dresser with drawers, a single table and a chair. But it was good enough. Samuel was used to traveling and sleeping on the floor in the lab at times, so this was fairly luxurious. He opened the drawer and slid his belongings inside, keeping only his three pokéballs at his waist.

He then sat on the bunk and glanced out at the sky beyond his tiny round window.

"How did you get yourself into this one, Samuel?" Ace's voice was slightly reprimanding, but concerned.

Samuel ignored the tone. "I'm just lucky, I guess." He sighed. "Those guys wanted to know where the lab was...they must have heard about Dr. Folds' passing..."

"What would that have to do with it?" Ace asked, leaning his big white head on the bed while letting his legs collapse from under him.

"Dunno... Maybe they wanted his research, his lab, who knows? They came up to me outside the commissioner's office asking about the lab. When I didn't answer them and tried to leave, they came after me...it happened too fast for me to figure out what was going on..."

"You're lucky I happened to be in the neighborhood."

"You always show up at the right time, Mutt." Samuel smirked.

After a very short nap and a quick shower in the bathhouse, Samuel felt a little better. His clothes were somewhat drier, and now his appetite was up. He found himself again out with the crowd, wandering the ship with Ace at his side. It didn't take long before the smell of food lured the pair to the galley and dining hall. The chamber was on deck, situated just under the Captain's Quarters. It was reasonably well decorated, though not elaborate. It was just appealing enough that scouts and trainers would find it suitable. Tourists would have enjoyed it, but anyone of wealth would have scoffed at the simplicity.

Samuel picked up some food from the buffet line and soon found himself sitting down and eating while flipping through the pages of his own journal. He had a lab notebook out as well, with the pokéball schematics carefully laid out before him. Finding it easy to ignore the sounds of fellow trainers comparing monsters and sharing stories, he was too into his work to notice much as he jotted down notes. He unclipped one of his own pokéballs from his chain and set it on the table, nudging at it with his pen. It wobbled back and forth, its silvery metal exterior shining in the low lights.

"The only thing that would make this better—" He commented, "—Is if we could somehow strengthen it, making it harder for more powerful monsters to escape. Maybe then I could capture YOU, huh Buddy?"

He looked up, and noticed that Ace was looking at something else. Just behind him, there seemed to be a crowd of people, clamoring around to see what must have been quite a worthy sight to catch the attention of so many young boys.

Samuel's curiosity got the better of him, and he set his pen down, scooping up the pokéball from the table and re-attaching it to the chain as he moved past Ace and towards the crowd. At first he couldn't see through all the heads and shoulders, but he was strong, and when determined was a formidable enough force to muscle his way through. Surprise overcame him once he moved far enough into the crowd to see what was going on. He'd expected a battle, but what he found was a pair of young girls dancing to soft flute music.

Instantly, he recognized one of the young women. She was, quite clearly, the giggling girl from earlier. And she seemed to be leading the dance steps, directing the younger one with graceful moves Samuel himself would have admitted rivaled the sway of reeds in the wind. A little annoyed at seeing her again though, he meant to turn back and leave her to the gawking crowd. He found, however, that getting out was harder than getting in. And his eyes kept falling on the dancing girl, holding his attention for longer each time. Before he knew it, he was watching with the rest of them, and had forgotten about escaping back to his work.

He lost track of the time, and of the other trainers. Some left after awhile, leaving more than enough room for him to get away. Yet all he discovered was the extra space gave him room to sit on the floor. A few other trainers remained nearby, watching as well, but it didn't take long before nearly all of them had left. The soft flute music and the slow, smooth dances began to lull him into a drowsy, almost dreamlike state. He yawned, and watched longer, finding himself imagining cherry blossom gardens and a warm summer breeze. He could almost picture himself watching this girl dancing by a pond where water lilies sat with dew drops sparking in the sun.

Hoshiko didn't notice the large group of passengers that gathered to watch, and at some point, she even forgot that she was helping the young girl beside her. It was just her and the music. The wafting and the graceful movements felt good and nostalgic, and even so they stung bittersweet. As the melody came to an end, she started to notice the walls of people filtering away from them.

"There must have been quite a crowd.." Hoshiko breathlessly whispered to herself, casting a glance down at Sissy beside her and then towards her sister on the other side, playing. "See? It's not hard at all, in no time you'll be able to dance perfectly."

She smiled, finished coaching the two girls. As the flute trailed off to silence, her eevee quickly ran up to her, and Hoshiko scooped the little monster up in her arms. She sent the twin girls off smiling and thanking their teacher.

Then the girl started to look around, noticing that the young man from before was sitting there and watching.

"Huh?" Hoshiko blinked a few times and approached him, bending down slightly to see him closer. "So...you're here too? You're the one from earlier... You look, much...dryer..." She smiled to herself but then quickly resigned to bowing ever so slightly. "I'm sorry that I laughed earlier. I didn't mean it...honestly. I did come over to help you, I just...I didn't mean to laugh." And quickly Hoshiko turned on her heel and went back over to her table which was not deserted. She was obviously embarrassed that she had laughed earlier and didn't know how to handle it.

Samuel suddenly came to attention, as if he had been in a daze. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, frowned slightly, and rubbed the back of his neck, watching the girl as she moved to her chair.

"Hey, it's not a problem." He called, somewhat gruffly. "I was actually grateful you didn't throw me overboard or something."

He pushed himself to his feet, almost falling over when he bumped into Ace, who had been sitting behind him unnoticed the whole time. A little frustrated by the large amount of clumsiness he seemed to continue displaying to this girl, he wanted to set the record straight and prove he wasn't a klutz and that he was actually reasonably cool.

As Samuel made his way to the table, hands behind his head, Hoshiko looked up at him.

"So you're a scout too?" He asked, nodding to the eevee and using the Domus Isle terminology he'd grown up with, "Funny monster you got there. I haven't seen one of those before. Looks like it would be a good pet for a girl." He straightened his back and stretched his arms, casually attempting to display both his chain of pokéballs and the badges he wore on the collar of his shirt.

The young woman looked away and shook her head, not understanding what he meant by 'scout.'

"I'm a pokémon trainer..." She simply replied and started to stroke her eevee. That's when it clicked in her mind, "Wait...a good pet for a girl?!" Hoshiko's head snapped back up, and she glared at the boy, her thin eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. "You should be grateful I don't throw you overboard right _now_..." She didn't take her scrutinizing eyes off of him for a couple of minutes.

Then she turned back to the table, pretending for a moment she was ignoring him, but was in fact carefully reaching her hand into her pocket to reclaim her eevee's empty pokéball. She lifted the object and threw it at the young man's head, not forcefully but enough to let him know she was annoyed at him.

It bounced off of his skull with a dull _thunk_.

"Don't assume that just because I'm a girl you've got more training talent then I do." She muttered angrily. Her eevee's attention was now trained on Samuel also. After all, she was attached to her trainer and it was obvious that this boy was bothering her.

"Hey, don't get your panties in a bunch." Samuel grunted and rubbed his head, miffed by the sudden assault. He crossed his arms. "You're a girl, so it was supposed to be a compliment. Wouldn't have been so great if I said she was a great pet for a boy now would it?" He snorted. "And yeah, I can tell you're a pokémon trainer. You wouldn't be lugging the little fur ball around if you weren't." He reached behind himself and grabbed Ace by the scruff, pulling on the big dog to bring him forward. Surprisingly, the large monster didn't protest with more than an annoyed glance. "I'd challenge you, but I don't want to hurt your little critter pal or anything."

Rolling her eyes, Hoshiko shook her head at the boy. "You shouldn't stereotype trainers, you know. Just because my eevee is well kept doesn't mean a male trainer couldn't keep her. I've known plenty of other people who use eevee, both guys and girls." Now it was Hoshiko's turn to fold her arms. Meanwhile her eevee glared at Samuel with its teeth bared. "Calm down, Eevee, he's not worth it."

She sighed when she noticed the creature's continued distress. Reaching down and stroking the eevee once again, her attachment to the pokémon was obvious. She hated to see the little animal stressed. But she herself was another story. She was practically fuming at Samuel by now. Nudging her eevee gently aside when it was calm, she stood up and without any preamble poked the young man hard in the chest.

"Now let's get this straight: I'm not lugging anyone around! This eevee is my friend. We train side by side. There's no lugging involved in a true relationship between pokémon and trainer!" Poking him again she continued. "On top of that, you wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone. I can _well_ handle myself in a pokémon battle. It should be you that you worry about with your foolish presumptions. Those badges you flashed at me mean nothing!"

Samuel let his hands fall, rolling the couple of pokéballs that hung from his chain between his fingers. He was genuinely shocked by the girl's insult, and at last seemed to realize he'd made her angry. Clearly he had said something wrong somewhere. Having been entirely oblivious before, he wasn't sure now how he might even begin to retrace his steps and repair the damage done. Nevertheless, he decided that this girl wasn't going to bother him. Throwing his arms out to his sides, despite her angry jabbing, he practically shrugged his shoulders.

"How are those working for you?" He asked suddenly, gesturing to the round object that had recently been bounced off of his own cranium and now lay resting on the floor. "By the way, they weren't meant for use on humans."

Hoshiko bent down and picked up her eevee's pokéball, looking at it thoughtfully, her frown still apparent. "Oh? These? The pokéballs work fine for me...and trust me. I know they don't work on people..." Tucking the pokéball back into her pocket, Hoshiko smiled almost pleasantly, but it was laced with obvious biting sarcasm. "Even if they did, I wouldn't waste one on _you_."

"Hey, that's fine by me." The boy pointed to himself. "See me; I'm untamable anyway, just like Ace here." He put his arm around the big creature's shoulders and slowly waved his free hand wide across the room. "We don't let anyone tell us what to do. We're travelers, me and him, conquerors of the wilderness and hunters of the riches of life." He stood up straight and tall and adjusted his vest as he glanced down at the pokéballs at Hoshiko's side. More positive feedback on the tools was always a good thing.

Samuel sighed to himself and turned away from her, but paused just before he started walking back to his table.

Hoshiko watched the young man so casually brush her off and almost completely ignore her frustration. She wasn't pleased with the fact that he didn't understand her, but something about a personality that didn't care of what others thought intrigued her. Being from a small town with people that mostly shared the same ideals about life, pokémon, and everything in general, this new personality was almost refreshing.

"If you think of improvements you want to see in them," Samuel's voice cut into her thoughts as he turned at his waist and gestured back at her belt, "let me know. But just so you know—I just took spikes and exploding casings off of the list of possibilities."

Although she felt a twinge of annoyance for the part of her that believed this young man was ignorant to the true blessing and friendship of pokémon, Hoshiko, despite her qualms, began following behind him.

"Well…" She ventured to converse. "I'm a traveler also...but I suppose not all people share the same ideals." Hoshiko thoughtfully observed both the boy and his creature from behind. There appeared to be no real malice in either of them, it showed in the eyes. Eyes always showed the truth, even if the mouth lied. Maybe it was just that she and the boy were too similar in that they both wanted to be right. Perspective was a scary thing when two people's didn't match.

Her thoughts drifted to his mentioning of the pokéballs. Hoshiko's interest was piqued and she slowed to a stop as she reached back into her pocket and pulled out the pokéball she had thrown at him before.

"Hm. Improvements..." She rolled the ball around in her hand, and then after a second looked up and scanned the crowd for the boy. He'd already vanished amid the other passengers. Hoshiko's heart sank a little, but as her eyes made a second pass around the room, she noticed the large white wolf-beast that traveled with him. "C'mon, Eevee." Hoshiko nodded at the pokémon, letting it hop up onto her shoulder.

Hoshiko made her way through the crowd, following the huge tuft of white until she found the young man. Seizing him by the shoulder, she held the pokéball in front of him.

"There should be pokéballs for different types of pokémon. It would make it easier for them to be caught, which makes it less stressful for the trainer and easier on the pokémon also. It means less battling before catching. For instance if I wanted to catch a fire type pokémon, I would use the pokéball to accommodate that pokémon."

The platinum-haired boy only half glanced at the girl over his shoulder, even upon being grabbed. He was leaning over a table, on which some half eaten food, a well-worn journal, and interesting images of the intricate mechanics of the pokéball itself were strewn. The boy had taken up his pen again and was writing something down when Hoshiko came up. His brow furrowed and he tapped his chin with the cap of the pen.

"Type specific, huh?" He sucked in air through his teeth and then exhaled loudly. "That's something to consider." He jotted it down quickly. "I don't know how that will work, but time and plenty of research along with some trial and error solve everything." He set the pen down, grabbed a dinner roll from his plate, and bit it hungrily. Somewhat lacking in etiquette the boy quickly resumed talking before having finished chewing. "Man, this won't be easy." He gulped and grabbed his glass, taking a long, heavy drink from it and then sighing. "With so many things to consider, perhaps making type specific balls will be something to take on after the mechanics of this thing are a bit better mastered."

He looked up. "But, technology advances. Good thing too. I'd hate to live back in the days when the monsters decided whether or not to follow you, or in the days when tossing them a slab of meat to win 'em over was the preferred method. When I started training I thought scout rings were a big deal, but it's amazing that now even _they_ are outdated."

He looked down at the back of his hand, where the silvery ring with its bright green stone still wrapped itself around his middle finger.

Disregarding the fact that the young man only briefly acknowledged her idea, Hoshiko stared down at the picture in his notepad with interest.

"If you know this much about pokéballs already, then it should be simple to figure out how to change them." Hoshiko shook her head and sat down on the bench beside him and picked up his pen, starting to scratch things down.

"The pokéballs transfer the pokémon into energy once they've entered the ball. So, if whatever causes that energy to be created through the pokémon was to be modified to match the affinity of the target, then it should become simpler to catch them." And handing the pen back to him, Hoshiko shrugged. "That's just what I think though. Here, this might help you." She reached in her bag and pulled out a strange looking pokéball, much different from the modern metal ones with twisting locks.

"Where I come from these were the first pokéballs. Some trainers still use them. They're made from apricorns...I'm not sure if it would be useful to you to examine...but you can borrow it. I need it back for sure though! And you can't use it."

Samuel took the odd object, but he looked rather startled to see it. Scrutinizing it carefully, he turned it over and over in his hands. The rough shell felt strange underneath his fingertips.

"I don't get it…... How would…" He frowned. "Nevermind. Makes me wonder if someone stole Folds' plans or just reverse engineered them because it was cheaper to make their own. It's a wonder they could do it, pokéballs are so complex." Then again, he'd reverse engineered his too. But he couldn't hope to explain _that_. He pocketed the apricorn ball and shook his head.

"I know all about how pokéballs work." He neglected to mention that he was the one who helped Folds create the first prototypes. "And your idea is great in theory." He tapped his own head with his finger, "But a little trickier to adjust. After all, you can say to build a time machine all you have to do is make a machine that goes back in time, but the mechanics of something, of every intricate part, need to be considered. Even slight changes to the pokéball schematic will need to be thought through carefully. But, I'll look into it."

He turned the page, revealing some more drawings that were much messier-simple concepts on paper. They were sketches of pokéballs, like the others, but they looked different somehow. They were smoother, and didn't have the same rivets or even a lock. He eyed them for a moment and then closed the book. Folds would roll over in his grave if he knew these apricorn balls existed. He'd spent years designing the pokéballs, with Samuel's sketches as a guide, and to have them reproduced without his knowledge was a big worry. The concerns brought back memories of earlier in the day, and a nervous musing on what the men who had been chasing him might have wanted.

Samuel's conscience suddenly cringed at keeping the apricorn-shelled pokéball, and at last he finally pulled it from his pocket and handed it back. "I can't take it. It's the principle of the thing."

He tucked his notebook and journal under his arm, and then attached his loose pokéball back onto his chain.

Hoshiko looked at the apricorn ball in her hand and stared at it carefully, rubbing the ball gently. "The principle?" She questioned the young man. "I don't understand what you mean." She watched him carefully. "This ball is an heirloom. It's older then both of us..." She shook her head. "But if you don't want to take a look at it...that's okay." She shrugged. "I can't part with it for too long anyways. I really couldn't leave it unattended. I would feel terrible, after all it was given to me to keep."

Hoshiko considered what he said about the concept of the pokéballs. "I don't know too much about science," She said at last, trying to put confusion out of her mind, "but it seems like type-affinity is an interesting idea. Science isn't really my thing..." Then she paused, pensive for awhile. "Um...I haven't even introduced myself." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, that's so incredibly rude of me." She bowed slightly. "My name is Hoshiko."

The boy's brow furrowed slightly.

"Samuel." He nodded. "Nice to meet you." He shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't believe that such advanced technology could be an heirloom, especially considering that until recently scout rings had been one of the most advanced methods to subdue monsters. In fact, his own prototypes came from the future. When he'd met that future boy as a child of ten, he'd sketched the tools he'd seen the kid use. Or was his mind fuzzy? It was a bit of a haze, all the stuff dealing with Celebi's time travel and Ace's dimensional portals. He knew that he'd left himself a sample of the technology from the future so that he could improve upon it in the present, but now he wasn't so sure where he'd gotten the original idea from in the first place.

Even so, he figured the heirloom thing was just the story they'd told the villagers of wherever she lived to cover up their thievery. But a debate wasn't what he wanted right now. He couldn't prove anything unless he went there for himself, and that wasn't what he intended to do.

Then he realized... He had no idea what his intentions now were. He needed to protect the data he'd taken from the lab and dodge whoever it was that was after him, but aside from that, he was pretty much directionless.

"Look, I uh, I'll see you around, kid. I've got some work to do." He turned around, nodded at Ace, and walked off.

"Don't call me kid." Was the only response Samuel was going to get from Hoshiko before he left. She herself didn't seem interested in him anymore either. He wasn't exactly polite and it made him difficult to talk to. So, she simply walked away and went to find the twins who she had spoken with before.

* * *

The next day, the sun was hot and shining down hard on the deck of the ship. Samuel sat with his back up against Ace and his face to the sky, watching the fluffy white clouds and musing to himself about what he was going to do next. He was careful to avoid eye contact with passing trainers, because he didn't want company right now.

Other people, however, were very interested in seeking company. A tall, skinny man with long, tied-back hair walked across the deck slowly, through the walls of trainers and towards a young woman that he easily picked out of the crowd. He couldn't tell what she was doing, but it didn't matter much. Calmly, he approached her, and lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hello there." The man said, grinning broadly. "I couldn't help but notice that you're a trainer." He pulled his jacket aside to reveal the pokéballs clipped onto his belt. "So am I. Hoshiko, was it?" His silver-gray eyes sparkled in the sunlight, matching his jovial smile. "I'm Kaiser Hart."

Hoshiko looked up from examining the artistry of her wind flute in the bright morning sunlight. Her eevee was sitting beside her and looked up at her owner, paying close attention to what was happening as though it was of great importance. Raising her face and hair to the wind, it came against her face in cool, refreshing waves.

But the pleasure of that small delight was suppressed by her wariness of this strange man. Being tall and thin, those types of people always seemed slightly shady, so Hoshiko was on her guard the moment he spoke to her. The strangest part was that he knew her name. Trying to avoid his eyes, Hoshiko leaned against decks bars and tried to focus on the pokéballs he had in his jacket.

"Um, Mr. Hart...A pleasure, I'm sure." Hoshiko bowed slightly as was tradition and then looked straight at him, figuring it better to see his face. Again, eyes always revealed the truth. "How did you know my name?" She questioned softly.

"Ah yes, my apologies." The man chuckled. "I heard you speaking with my dear friend Samuel last night. I would have come to talk to you sooner, but well... Couldn't very well just go in and interrupt now, could I?"

Hoshiko blinked a couple of times, watching Kaiser carefully. "So...you're friends with Samuel then? It's strange; I didn't see him get on the boat with anyone..." She spoke, out loud but mostly to herself.

He leaned against the rail too. "You're a very smart girl, it would seem. I didn't catch much of what you said to Sam, but I did hear your idea about the pokéball remediation. A fantastic idea a bit too complicated for someone like Samuel to take on all by himself. I'd be surprised if he managed."

Shaking her head, the girl remained modest despite Kaiser's praise. "It's quite simple actually, nothing complicated at all. At least from what I can see, but then again, as I said before I am no scientist..."

Hart scratched his chin. "Well, Samuel is a smart young man, being the one to help create the pokéball in the first place after all. He'll probably figure something out." He tugged on his jacket proudly. "In fact, I'm sure he had quite a bit of fascinating things to show you. He's quite the scientist."

Hoshiko perked up, surprised. "He helped create pokéballs?..." She looked away, her hand in her bag, fingering the apricorn ball. Maybe that was why he was so bothered by it? She wondered to herself, but didn't say anything to Kaiser. "Actually, he didn't mention anything about that...or being a scientist either..." She shook her head, feeling annoyed that Samuel hadn't mentioned that to her, but at the same time not wanting to show it.

"Then again...we didn't talk for that long." Hoshiko seemed to brush it off and then looked back at Kaiser. "It was nice meeting you Mr. Hart..." and slowly she went to try and step away from his general area.

Mr. Hart moved to follow the girl, not too quickly, but fast enough so as to be sure he could keep pace with her. The man tilted his head. "He mentioned nothing, did he?" He laughed. "That Samuel. So very modest all the time. He was a co-creator of pokéballs and an aide to the famous scientist, Igor Folds. Perhaps you'd know Folds if you saw his picture, but anyway, I digress. Samuel inherited the lab." The man shook his head. "Poor Dr. Folds passed away only weeks ago. Tragic really. But at least he got to see success in his invention before he left us."

He looked down at Hoshiko and nodded. "Anyway, we're going to Johto for a pokémon tourney. Samuel is also a champion trainer, you know. I'm not quite up to scratch, but I like to think I'm good."

Hoshiko wasn't concerned with this Master Trainer stuff, but she didn't like hearing the name Johto. "I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves there. I've heard it's a very nice place." She replied, and quite curtly at that.

Hart grinned somewhat slyly. "How would you like a battle? You must be dying to get that lovely eevee into shape, and she probably desperately needs to stretch her legs. I'm practically crazy with cabin fever, and I know a great place where we can have a good match."

He gestured with his hand to the viewing platform just over the Captain's Cabin. There were telescopes for the passengers to use and benches, but the platform was empty at the moment, and just wide enough for a good fight.

Just as Hoshiko had had enough of Mr. Hart's insistence, a voice of a memory echoed in her mind.

_ "Never deny a trainer their honor by refusing a battle." _

She mulled over whether or not the battle was a good idea, but her conscience won out over her misgivings. "Alright. A battle will be fine." She agreed, and didn't wait for Kaiser to follow her. Instead headed up to the platform on her own, her eevee quick beside her.

On the platform Hoshiko waited with her eevee ready in position for battle, Hoshiko standing behind her looking very focused.

"Come Mr. Hart. Let us battle." And, as was custom for her, Hoshiko bowed to her opponent before the battle ensued.

Mr. Hart nodded his head politely and took up his position opposite of the girl, pulling aside his jacket and detaching a silvery pokéball from his belt. He unlocked it and tossed it forward, to the center of the platform. The ball burst to life, revealing a rather unassuming little creature. A paras, really not much bigger than the eevee, opened its little black eyes and spread apart its claws. It seemed to be a timid creature by the very expression on its face, and yet it seemed determined enough to overcome its own fears for the sake of the man who commanded it.

"Looks can be deceiving, can't they?" The man chuckled.

"Deception has no face, so it can assume any form it likes. With pokemon, there's no room for one to let deception take advantage of them. That's why I never hold back in battle." Hoshiko replied, and then, since it seemed Kaiser was waiting for to make the first move, the girl called out to her eevee.

"Eevee, use tackle!" She shouted, thrusting her finger forward towards the center of their battle area.

The eevee didn't take a moment before it charged at the paras and made a well aimed slam toward the bug, hoping to send it skidding across the ground, hard.

Paras braced itself and dug the clawed tips of its legs into the ground as Eevee's rough tackle met it at the shoulder. It started to slide backwards, digging scratches into the deck, but he held his own well enough not to flip over. Still, the move was powerful enough to drive him back several feet. Wincing, the paras held on, listening for his master's orders.

"Alright, great job, Eevee! Keep it up!" Hoshiko encouraged her monster after it's attack, but she didn't have much room for any celebration.

"Smart girl. That's a good philosophy to have." Kaiser turned his attention to his pokémon. "Paras, get her while she's in close range! Use slash!"

Suddenly, the Paras' defensive demeanor changed entirely. The look in its eyes turned from struggle to sheer determination and will. He quickly raised his claw and swiped it downward so quickly that you could hear it cutting through even the air with a harsh _swish._

As soon as she saw the timid look in the Paras' eyes shift, Hoshiko quickly started to shout more commands.

"Try to defend yourself Eevee!" She shouted out, just as the paras attacked. Eevee tried to hold her ground, staring the bug down as its claw came down on her. At the last minute, the gleam of the sharp point intimidated Eevee, and the small fox changed tactics, kicking off of the ground and trying to leap out of the way. She wasn't quite quick enough, and the claw clipped her haunches, sending her tumbling backwards in a somersault. She screeched out in pain and bounced across the deck, but managed to get back onto her feet, glaring at the paras.

"Don't touch the mushrooms on its back, Eevee." Hoshiko called out to her pokémon, trying to plan out a good strategy. She knew that grass and bug type pokémon were tricky, and although letting Eevee sink her teeth into the insect would cause significantly more damage than throwing her fairly insignificant weight around, such recklessness could expose the little fox to dangerous toxins in the opposing creature's skin and pollen.

"Use tackle again!"

And as soon as she received the command, Eevee dove at the paras with even more force than before.

"Catch her with your spore, Paras!" The man leaned forward, clenching his fists. As Eevee powerfully contacted the little bug pokémon with the full weight of her body, the two tiny mushroom caps on Paras' back puffed up and out of them exploded a shimmering cloud of sleep-inducing dust.

The cloud glistened a purple and blue sheen in the sunlight of the morning, twinkling like strangely colored glitter kicked up by a breeze. It was just the sort of problem that Hoshiko had wanted to avoid, but now there was no getting around it as the dusty puff enveloped her monster entirely.

"The beauty of natural chemical warfare." Mr. Hart grinned mischievously. "One excellent ability that this remarkable little critter is born with."

Though Eevee attempted to avoid the mushrooms, the spores that exploded out of them wrapped their wispy fingers around her delicate little body. A gasp for breath as she slammed into Paras sucked in enough of the spore to make her sputter and cough. Then the toxic powder began taking its effect. While Eevee tumbled across the battlefield towards Kaiser's end of the arena, she felt consciousness slipping from her and her limbs growing tired and heavy. When both monsters came to a rest at Hart's feet, Eevee lay sprawled out on the ground, passed out.

"Ah! Eevee!" Hoshiko cried out as her pokémon, now deeply asleep, barely twitched an ear. "Grrrrr." Teeth gritted, Hoshiko's fists clenched at the sight. "Eevee! WAKE UP!" She yelled out, trying to rouse the sleeping pokémon. "WAKE UP EEVEE!"

The strange man looked down at the tiny creature laying helpless at his feet. Paras hopped up, splaying its claws wide, ready to attack again. It clicked its little mandibles, and its little eyes flashed. Mr. Hart only regarded the insect with a ponderous glance, then scratched at his chin.

"That's enough, Paras." He said after a pause of an eternity-long second. Kneeling down, he touched the small fox creature's fur with one hand, and the other hand slid up underneath his jacket. When it emerged again, he'd produced an empty pokéball.

"Ah, child, you will probably hate me for this. But such is life." He tapped the eevee's head with the ball, breaking it open and drawing her inside.

"EEVEE! WAKE U-uh...NO!"

Hoshiko shrieked as everything unfolded too quickly for her to really even fully comprehend what had just happened. Never in her life had she ever imagined anyone would ever actually do something like that, especially not to her. The girl dashed across the deck as quickly as she could, a look of horror streaked across her face.

"Stop! Stop this instant!" The young woman cried out just as she was about to reach Mr. Hart.

The man's paras became an obstacle that Hoshiko tripped over and went stumbling forward just as the man claimed her pokémon from her. Hoshiko skidded to a stop, and laying flat at his feet, she gritted her teeth and clenched her hand onto his ankle. Furiously, Hoshiko tried to pull him to the ground.

"That's illegal! Give her back, you jerk! Give me my eevee back!" Despite not wanting to show her incredible sense of hurt and betrayal, the young woman could do little more than lay there crying at Mr. Hart's feet, begging him for her eevee and squeezing his ankles "Give her back!"

Hoshiko's crying caught the attention of Samuel, who was still sunbathing on the deck below. Her shrieks seemed to go unheard by other trainers, who were thoroughly engaged in conversation or battles, but Samuel, trying to enjoy his little world of quiet, took notice immediately. He stood up abruptly and strained to see the viewing platform.

Up above, Mr. Hart shook his head. "I know the implications of this, child, but I'm just not that concerned about it."

He bent down to try and pull the girl's fingers from his ankles, when the sound of footsteps hitting the platform at an alarming rate caught his attention. When he looked up, Samuel was just reaching the top of the stairs.

"Hey! What are you doing?" The platinum haired boy stood with his hands at is sides, ready for action. Behind him, the large white wolf monster stood, eyes narrowed in a glare.

"Ah, Samuel! Nice to see you, Friend. I'd love to chat, but you know how it is. So much to be done, so little time."

Suddenly, the big white creature lunged forward and ran at the man. Mr. Hart skirted to the side and held up his hand. Suddenly, a ring he had on his finger flashed brightly, and from the sky there came a loud screech. The shadow of a large winged beast loomed overhead, casting a dark shadow across the deck.

"Don't be stupid, boy!" Hart called after Samuel. "Call off the Incarnus!"

"First give back the pokémon you stole!" Samuel demanded.

"What, this?" He lifted up the eevee's ball and gently shook it. "But I didn't steal it. I simply gave it a new home. Don't worry, the girl and the eevee will be seeing a lot of each other, still."

There was a lot happening at once around her, but Hoshiko only had one concern and that was to get her hand on the pokéball that was in Kaiser's hand. She had just gone to get up, whilst still holding onto Mr. Hart, when Ace went to attack, and when the man shifted away from the wolf, Hoshiko fell back down to the ground, still holding on desperately.

"I'm not letting go until you give me back my eevee!" She shouted loudly over the sound of the monstrous wing beats slamming down from above, and despite being dragged across the wooden platform by every step Hart took, she kept her word.

Hoshiko had no real use for Samuel right now, aside from being angry at him under the knowledge that he and Kaiser were supposed to be friends. But a doubt was growing about that after all the demands Samuel made to get her pokémon back.

"Give her back!" Hoshiko yanked harder than ever on Mr. Hart as he was focused on Samuel, hoping this time to at least make him stumble over her if nothing else and drop the pokéball he had her eevee in.

Hoshiko's hope seemed strong enough to cause a physical action. Hart tripped and half fell, catching himself with one hand. Sure enough, the ball dropped and rolled a short distance across the ground. All eyes followed it in a time frozen by the tension.

Samuel broke the silence.

"Ace!"

Without even another word from his master, the wolf monster sprang into action, leaping at the ball and grabbing it in his mouth. Hoshiko screamed and was already on her knees, scuttling towards the ball, but it was already well out of her reach.

"No!" Kaiser Hart shouted in fury as he jumped to his feet. His gaze snapped to Samuel. "You want to play that way, then, hm? Fair enough. Paras!"

The little bug looked up. "Get the girl. Stun spore!" The little pokémon nodded and its mushrooms swelled, releasing a yellowish plume of spores so fine they appeared as saffron smoke. They swirled about and exploded out in a cloud all around Hoshiko.

She didn't even know what was happening. She'd only barely heard Hart bark his orders, and now a strange sensation seeped through the girl's body. It was like everything inside of her was starting to seize and she couldn't move her limbs at all. Hoshiko fell stiffly onto the platform of the boat, only able to watch as the rest of the scene unfolded. Worried for the wolf and his owner, scared for her own pokémon and now even for her own safety, all that could be seen of her emotion was the horrified look in her eyes as the strange shadow overhead came close enough for her to realize it was no ordinary bird.

No screaming, no fighting, nothing at all. Just laying limp on the cold platform. But all the movement going on inside Hoshiko's heart was insane. She could feel her most vital organ pounding out of her chest, waiting for what might happen next.

Ace, who had returned to Samuel and dropped the eevee's pokéball back into his hand, suddenly realized the direness of the situation, and again tried to race to Hoshiko's aid, but as he skidded into the cloud of still lightly drifting spores, he could feel his body tingling almost immediately. Still, he fought against it and plowed through, lowering his head as he ran and grabbed the girl by the arm with a gentle mouth.

An ear-splitting screech caught him off guard, coming as a precursor to an explosively sharp pain in the back of his neck. He yelped, dropping Hoshiko and whirling around to snap his jaws at his attacker. His teeth met hard talons, and his eyes met the gleaming fury of a piercingly sinister gaze.

Realizing that his teeth would never penetrate the razor-like claws, Ace began to call upon his inner power. The air around him began charging with static electricity. Small sparks glinted around him, and at that moment, Hart new that he was outmatched.

"Well played, Samuel, but the Incarnus won't be your saving grace this time. Jamirus, the girl!" He pointed his finger down at the prone form of Hoshiko, now barely appearing through the clearing clouds of dust.

The obstructed shadow of the bird..._thing_...released Ace, saving itself from a thunderous shock of electricity. It dove to grab the poor girl.

Ace snarled and leaped to try and stop it, but another explosion of stun spores from the paras right at his feet suddenly flooded him with sharp, tingling numbness. This time, he couldn't stave it off, and he felt his muscles go rigid. The wolf dog could only watch as the bizarre shadow of a flying monster grabbed Hoshiko, and Hart recalled the paras in a flash of light.

"Keep the eevee, boy! Let it play on your conscience for awhile." Hart chuckled and jumped onto the back of his flying pet as it flew towards him and then carried him up into the air too fast for Samuel to see more than a blurred streak of brown and red. By now, other trainers were starting to come up onto the deck to see what was going on, so Kaiser decided not to stick around any longer. Now safely in the air, he leaned into his monster. "Let's go!"

The creature screeched and took off, riding with the wind far out of reach before Samuel could even get to Ace. Furiously, the boy reached into his bag and pulled out a small moonwort bulb, slipping it into Ace's mouth and being sure to squeeze it against his cheek to get the juice out of it.

"That's just great." Samuel huffed as Ace finally began to regain feeling in his limbs. The big canine stood up and shook himself, looking over his shoulder at the sky.

"I planned on leaving you here to fend for yourself, but I see now that I can't do that just yet." Ace shook his head dismally.

"You can go if you need to." Samuel grunted, looking down at the eevee's pokéball and sighing.

"My search for the Chosen will continue, of course, but I have made you a promise that I will not leave you in your time of need." He looked back down at Samuel. "Besides, that girl needs your help... And heaven knows you need me to handle things up front. You never have fared very well without me." Ace winked.

"Oh shut up." Samuel grunted, quickly mounting the beast and tucking the eevee's pokéball away for safe keeping. Despite his outward annoyance, in truth he would not have had it any other way. Ace was, without a doubt, the strongest monster he had ever encountered, and was the only one he had enough faith in to carry him through till the end.

"Alright then... Hang on, Eevee, and don't worry... We'll get your master back."


	2. Escape From Hart's Lair

**Chapter 2: Rescue from Hart's Lair**

A dim light hung lazily above Hoshiko. Awakening in a strange place, the girl only just noticed it, and from the cold, hard feeling underneath her, she easily deduced that her bed was something very similar to concrete. The last thing the young woman remembered was being snatched by the claws of a gigantic birdlike pokémon, and then with that evil man commanding it, it had stolen her away from the ship, separating her from her beloved Eevee.

Cursing in her mind at Kaiser and Samuel, Hoshiko disdainfully recalled one more thing from the past event—her paralysis-stricken body. Even now, it felt like every nerve was unconscious. Her mind was more alert, but not by much. Everything felt hazy and disoriented, and that made Hoshiko wonder what exactly happened in that blank her memory kept drawing between her capture and where she was now. Had a pokémon been used to confuse her? Hoshiko wasn't sure, but as her bleary eyes lifted, she recognized a familiar frame looming above her.

Trying hard to focus her eyes, Hoshiko did her best to make out it out. Positive that it was her attacker, the girl felt frustration and anger filling every vein in her body, and without an outlet Hoshiko felt driven to madness. Aside from the fire in her eyes there as nothing she could do or say.

"Welcome back to the realm of consciousness."

The man's voice was pensive as he went about some chore that Hoshiko could not quite witness fully. His eyes remained on his tasks, but his attention was on her.

"Samuel will be here any moment to rescue you, I'm sure. But before he gets here, I'd like some answers." He turned around and started moving closer to her, leaning down as the sound of claws scraping stone shuffled towards them. "And this time, don't leave out any details about what you saw in Samuel's notebooks."

Trying to figure out exactly what Kaiser was doing, Hoshiko's eyes squinted slightly, surprising herself. It must have meant that the paralysis was wearing off somewhat, at least on her face, but even with the squinting, there was nothing she could see clearly. That gradually began to change while Mr. Hart started to speak and question her. However, the man's questions came as a distraction. Hoshiko's real attention went to the scuffling noises that approached from somewhere beyond the dark chamber—frightening sounds that made Hoshiko wonder what lay in wait for them...or rather her.

"The...notebook?" She barely managed to cough out the slurred words, trying to get used to speaking again. She had a mouth. She knew she did. Somewhere. "I...hardly...glanced…at it. I was just...trying…to give him…advice." She tried to sound earnest. But the noise coming from behind Hart scared her too much to actually try remembering what little she saw in Samuel's notes. "But...what I did see." She started, still fighting with her own mouth and trying to think up a believable lie at the same time,

"It was just sketches of the inside of a pokéball. I...I don't understand why you want to know this..." She stared up at Kaiser's hand. "I...I'm not even knowledgeable of pokéballs. I only know what everyone else does..." So much for lying.

"Pokéballs...surely there must have been more than that." The scuffing sound got louder, and in the doorway behind the man, there appeared another shadowy form. A monster of some sort, presumably, definitely large and standing up on two hind feet. "Wasn't there." It was a statement, not a question, as if Kaiser Hart was certain she was keeping something from him.

Hearing the creature shifting and Hart's insistence, Hoshiko was petrified enough to try and make up a real lie. The shadows closed in around her as she took a few seconds to try and imagine what she could possibly say to satisfy Hart. The shape in the darkness leaned over her, revealing sharp eyes and a curved, jagged beak. Clawed fingers reached for her arms and made Hoshiko blurt out the first thing she could think of.

"He had sketches of strange pokémon that I've never seen before." She said weakly. "There was...some stuff written about the pokémon too and how to catch them more effectively…." She fought the urge to close her eyes and hide from the reality that she was in. "But I don't know what any of it meant! I'm not involved in any of this...I...I was just traveling!"

Hart's eyes opened wider and he suddenly jumped up to his feet, clenching his fist. "That must be it! So Samuel DOES have Snap's journal! Hah! I knew it." He tried to steady his voice and leaned down again.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of you. I might even be willing to let you be rescued." He grinned a strange grin and the monster behind him stepped more into the light, leaning over his shoulder and revealing a distinctive raptor head and wings of an eagle, but the body of some sort of lion-like beast able to stand tall like a human.

"But," Hart continued, you have to do me a favor.

* * *

A soft bump shook Samuel in his seat, and he leaned forward farther to balance himself. The Incarnus' paws had hit ground at last, and the large monster looked back at him with a casual glance. Samuel slowly sat up as they came to a stop, and he looked around, trying to figure out where they were. They were on a rocky shore somewhere, at the base of a mountainside that gleamed green with lush forest.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Samuel asked as he scratched his head in confusion. "We lost sight of them some time ago..."

"This is it." Ace's smooth, deep voice rolled like oil down a slick surface. The big wolf lay down to let Samuel off easier, and once the boy was on his feet, the dog stood up again. "The only trouble I notice is that I have no idea where this is."

"I'm glad you're so confident." Samuel rolled his eyes. "Oh well, I have an idea." He reached into his bag and pulled out Eevee's pokéball. "If this really is the right place, this little one should probably be able to sniff her owner out."

In a flash of red and white light, the eevee emerged from the ball on the ground in front of them, released to freedom. As soon as Hoshiko's little friend was free, she stared up at Samuel, frightened and nervous to see the stranger and the strange land. Her ears folded back fearfully, and she began looking around for her owner frantically. With no sign of the dancing girl to be seen, the little animal began crying out, her tiny voice a mere squeak of panic. When she didn't hear a response to her cries, she stood up and cried louder, leaping this way to perch on a nearby rock, and that way to get a vantage point from a fallen tree.

Samuel noticed, though he didn't know why, that the little fox monster had a little silver earring in her right her. Just a tiny identifying gem that the young man assumed would be helpful in Hoshiko recognizing her pet.

As the eevee began roaming around in her fright, the small pokémon stopped suddenly with her head raised and her nose twitching. She stood that way for a long time, and then let out a shrill little shriek. In the middle of it, she started bounding towards hillside thickly inhabited with trees.

"Hey wait!" Samuel shouted, trying to run after her, his hand up in a desperate plea for her to stop.

"Calm down, Boy." Ace snorted, taking off as well.

Frustrated, Samuel tried to keep up, but found it unnecessarily difficult keeping pace with the much faster creatures. Ace was yards and yards ahead of him in just a few leaps, running alongside the eevee.

As the white monster came up behind the much smaller creature, he looked down. "Don't panic." Ace soothed, even while he was panting. "We'll get Hoshiko back, but you have to trust us." He put a big paw in front of her and maneuvered himself with a skidding half-twist in her path to make her stop. In an instant, the eevee was brought to a halt by Ace's large wall of a foot, panting hard once she finally stopped. The massive white wolf looked down at her calmly.

Eevee stared up at him with wide eyes, and paid close attention to what he said. Though unable to respond in the same language that Ace was communicating to her with, she understood him as clearly as she understood her own trainer and responded with a hesitant squeak.

"Do not be afraid of Samuel." The monster king sat down. "He is a strong and intelligent human, and very trustworthy. Believe me; I would not associate with him if he was not."

The crunch of Samuel's shoes on the ocean-beaten rocks grew louder as the boy caught up. "Wait for me next time, will you, Idiot?" The man called, choking on his own breaths.

"Mm. Run faster." Ace stood up and swished his tail as he glanced back down at the eevee. "You see? He's a nice boy."

Hoshiko's eevee stared up at Samuel with her innocent eyes. She mewed a questioning but hopeful vocalization, and looked at Samuel, nodding decisively. Running at him, she grabbed onto his pant leg with her mouth and started trying to run with him, tugging and hoping to pull him along into the woods.

"One moment." Ace insisted, stopping Eevee once again. The big white wolf lay down and Samuel hopped onto his back once more.

"With how much you shuttle me around, you may as well be my personal vehicle." Samuel said as he shaded his eyes and tried to look up the forested mountain.

"I could charge you. Then it would be more like it."

"Nevermind. I'll just try to think of myself as a freeloading parasite."

"Certainly more accurate." Ace agreed. "Alright, Eevee." Ace looked down at the small creature. Being a monster himself, he easily understood her communication methods, though it was not difficult to know what was on her mind in the first place. "Lead the way, but try to be careful. We don't know what we might run across."

Eevee only watched as Samuel mounted Ace, and then waited on a second before she started to run again, not particularly paying attention to Ace's advice, letting her emotions rule the moment. In the distance, Eevee could see through the trees a wide pathway set between a two large rocks and leading upwards to the mountain. The side of the mountain, half hidden by trees, seemed all too wild, except for the oddly broken and discontinuous footpath that crawled up its side. At once, the little fox cried out, and she started bounding towards it.

Time slipped by slowly with the changing songs of the forest. The birds began to cease their chorus, replaced by the chirps and buzzes of bug pokémon and the echoing calls of amphibious monsters. The light began to fade, leaving fewer dapples of yellow and white on the forest floor.

The steady roll of Ace's shoulders was starting to lull Samuel into a near-sleeplike state, and he almost slipped off when suddenly the Incarnus leaped from gentle sloping ground onto a rocky outcropping on a sheer cliff in the mountainside. Startled, Samuel gasped and clung to the monster for his life.

"Easy." Ace commented, jumping up onto another ledge, following the small eevee as she scrambled up the rocks as best she could. "Stay with us, Buddy."

"I gotcha." Samuel grunted sleepily, straining his neck to try and see where they were headed. The cliff was too steep and the evening too dark for him to see more than a short distance. "How you doing up there, Eevee?" Samuel called, relying on Ace to be the translator.

The tiny pokémon called back to Samuel and Ace with an urgent chirrup as they scaled the mountain side. Her shrill voice was starting to sound discouraged by how long the trek upward was turning out to be. After losing her trainer and now having to brave the wilderness to find her, little Eevee's strength and optimism began to wane. After all, unlike most pokémon, this little one had been hand raised by Hoshiko from the egg up, meaning that she had no real experience of the outside world on her own. The struggles she faced now were so foreign that she didn't have much hope. Nonetheless, she still forced herself on.

A long, whining wail climbed from her little throat, and she started to communicate with Ace, as the beast came up on the ledge under her. Lifting one of her paws, she pointed out niche in the mountainside high above them, where a dark metal door sat in ominous wait. That was their destination. They all knew it at once. Going to jump from one rock to another, trying to get considerably closer, Eevee found herself on unstable footing and went sliding down backwards, unable to stop herself. Her blood curling yelp of surprise echoed all around as she tumbled and fell.

A pair of strong jaws snatched Eevee out of the air before she could fall too far, and upon looking up, she could see the large form of the Incarnus standing with his paws planted precariously in difficult positions to balance himself as he craned his neck down to hold her.

With his teeth clenched to hold her tight, he spoke as best he could.  
"The nountains al'ays look like a s'aller cline fron a distance." He struggled, turning around slowly to face up the rock again. "Don't 'orry, I 'on't dro' you."

He curled his back legs up underneath himself, and made a careful leap, bringing him higher. He did the same again and again, locating footholds very carefully as he moved, now that he was carrying not only Samuel and himself but the eevee as well. It was not as easy trick to pull off, but as the grade of the cliff face began to ease, footing became easier to find, and tree roots breaking through the surface were great to grip with clawed feet.

Securely in the Ace's gentle jaws, Eevee lost her concern with falling and the pain in her feet. Even the mountain seemed less formidable. That was until they actually reached their destination.

With the sharpest vertical climb at last behind them, Ace carefully lowered Eevee to the ground and swallowed after releasing her. "There's your door." He nodded to the heavy metal blockade sealing off a passage in the mountain face. "Let's see if we can open it."

"Right."

Samuel hopped off of Ace's back and ran forward, using his hands to help him climb the slope at the steeper parts. The shadows of night seemed to seep in around him, darker and darker the higher he climbed. And, just when he felt close enough to stand and reach for the door handle, several loud screeches from the trees caught his attention, and the flutter of sudden, rapid wingbeats encircled his head.

"Augh!" Samuel tried to cover his head and shoulders with his arms as the little black things swarmed him. "Drackies!" Or zubats. They were essentially the same thing, and at the moment, Samuel didn't care what the local dialect called them. He just didn't appreciate being dive-bombed by creatures of the night.

"I've got them, don't worry. Just try to open the door!" Ace shouted, preparing to strike the flying monsters down with bolts of lightning.

Samuel saw the sparks begin to fly, and he cried out in a panic. "Hey, watch out for me!"

He dove behind the nearest rock and braced himself as the white-hot bolts cracked through the air and struck the fluttering bat creatures, sending some of them falling to the ground and others frantically fleeing into the expansive night sky.

When the air cleared, Samuel got up and glared irritably. "More proof that if I die anytime soon, it will be your fault."

He started walking back towards the door, and was about to reach for it again when a pair of eyes cut through the darkness and looked back at him ferociously. Suddenly, he realized that a monster had emerged, drawn over by the commotion.

The beast's growl was low, dangerous, and angry. Samuel took a step back. Its shadow was visible enough in the darkness that he could tell it was shorter than he was, but very muscular with a heavily armored body. A sharp horn jutted from its head, and large spiny ears fanned out, catching every sound that penetrated the darkness. Samuel froze in place, not wanting to move a hair either way lest he set it off. He knew that he was no match for a pokémon, especially not on a hillside where he could just be thrown to his death.

"Ace..." He barely managed to murmur.

"I've got it." Ace came forward. Another explosion of lightning came down on the nidoking, but to Ace's dismay, when the light faded, the creature was still standing there, completely unfazed.

"I don't believe it..." Ace grunted.

"Just. Do. Something." Samuel hissed under his breath, watching as the nidoking now looked over at Ace. "At least you have its attention."

Ace responded by letting out a low growl. The nidoking accepted his challenge, turning away from Samuel and beginning to walk towards Ace with its wide, heavy gait. It braced itself with sturdy legs, and roared, suddenly charging.

Eevee might have wanted to thank Ace for the ride, but chances of that diminished with the two successive monster attacks, and things only seemed to get worse. Though Ace successfully chased off the droves of nocturnal monsters, he—who was much larger then she—had failed to dent the large almost dinosaur-like creature now barring their path. Despite that, and even though she was thoroughly intimidated, when the nidoking charged, Eevee`s first instinct drove her to become protective. She dashed quite nimbly between the nidoking and its target.

It quickly became apparent that this eevee was different from others. Hoshiko had trained it differently, and trained it well. Her diminutive size meant nothing, and she stared down the massive attacker, fiercely holding her ground. She cried out loudly as it approached, and at the last second, she launched herself into the face of the opponent. Nidoking struck her at full force, but it was a strange sight to see, for when the dust cleared, the truth revealed that on impact the nidoking had fainted along with Hoshiko's eevee. The pokémon had forced its Last Resort.

Ace stared, stunned, at the two collapsed pokémon. "Mm...The little thing is definitely a lot tougher than it looks." His large shoulders relaxed, and he carefully stepped over the fallen nidoking to nudge at the eevee with his nose.

"Come on...try to get up... Your master is waiting for us." He murmured to the tiny fox monster. Worriedly, he looked up at Samuel. "Do you have any Yggdrasil leaves left?"

Samuel reached into his pack and shuffled some items around. "Damn... I sure don't."

"Did you mix together any revive potions before we left?"

"Yeah, I figured that while the guys were chasing me and all it would be a great idea to take a break and do that. I just told them to wait outside." Samuel rolled his eyes.

"Well...she'll be alright, but she's not going to be able to fight again until we do something...she may not wake up for awhile if I can't get her to stir, and we're going to have to carry her either way...she's too weak..."

Ace looked down at the eevee again and nudged her with his muzzle. "You just worry about opening the door; I'll wake her up if I can..." Ace said softly.

It took quite some time before Eevee's eyes started to open, just slightly, feeling Ace's warm muzzle nudging at her head and letting out a painful whimper and staring up at the large white wolf. She squeaked helplessly, so pitiful that Ace couldn't help but wish she hadn't thrown herself so recklessly into the battle. He knew he could have fought the nidoking in her stead, given time and a chance to find its weakness. But this bold little creature hadn't given it a thought. Even now, there was a determined look in her eyes as the little creature tried to stand on shaky feet. She promptly fell back down onto the ground, whimpering in defeated and shame.

Ace's ears went forward in relief and interest as the eevee began to awaken, but he insisted she not strain too hard to get up.

"You are quite brave." Ace looked down at her in surprise. "For one so small to take on one so large...it takes a great deal of heart. You are a reminder to me of the bond between human and monster..." He closed his eyes.

It was obvious by his tone that he was proud, but there was a sadness there as well. One that was slightly suppressed, but despite his efforts still emerged.

Eevee murmured a soft agreement. It seemed obvious from her high regard of the relationship that she and Hoshiko shared a strong and timeless bond. Resting her head onto the ground she was laying on, the eevee sighed deeply and closed her eyes upon releasing the breath. She didn't seem comfortable responding to Ace's praise aside from his acknowledgement of he love for Hoshiko, so she said nothing in hopes of remaining modest. She just wanted Hoshiko back safely, and nothing was too much to achieve that goal.

She did wonder, however. Sensing Ace's sadness, she looked up at him and tilted her head ever so slightly as if to question the beast why he was seemed so somber.

Ace's ears flicked slightly when Eevee's little voice broke through his deep thoughts. He half opened his eyes and looked at her quietly, then looked away.

"It's nothing for you to worry about at the moment, Little One. I hope it will never be a concern."

The eevee looked curiously at Ace, regarding his silence, but being far too caring to forget his words any time soon, even despite his insistence. A sudden and very loud tumult became her only distraction from her worry.

Ace turned his head to look at Samuel, who, tired of battling the door, had released one of his pokémon to bash it in. The loud metal clang of the door breaking off of its hinges made Ace wince and fold his ears back, but he managed a slight grin when the sound faded.

"Ah, Samuel, our hosts will never know we're here if you don't knock a little louder."

"It's a real shame too. I kinda hoped we could all have a barbecue in the backyard." Samuel smirked slightly, but then straightened his back and came over quickly to bend down and scoop Eevee up into his arms. "Come on, we have to go save Hoshiko."

Seeing the door smashed open, Eevee went to stand up. Fortunately, before she could fall back down again, Samuel had picked her up and she let herself rest in his arms gently. Despite all of their traveling the critter's fur was still quite soft. Safe in her bearer's hands, she looked up at the young man with a soft mew, grateful beyond language barriers.

Samuel held the little eevee close, where he could easily protect her with his own body if he needed to. His pokémon - a large feline like creature judging from its shadow, had already slipped inside ahead of them to make sure the way was clear.

Samuel went in next, and Ace covered them from behind. The yawning doorway swallowed them up in its dark throat, and all signs of light vanished for a long time as they hugged the walls for guidance down the dark corridor. When light did reappear, it was a faint glow of a gaslight, coming from another room just off the hall. They crept forward, and Samuel peered around the corner.

The room was wide open, and inside were what appeared to be cages of all sorts. But all of the cages were empty. There was an old wooden desk against the far wall, where the gaslight was hanging, and on it was an old looking computer and a cup with pens in it. There were some papers in a neat stack, right next to the computer monitor.

Samuel moved into the light and cautiously crossed the floor to have a look at the papers. Upon closer inspection, Samuel realized they were hand drawn maps of the Green Bays islands, and each map had big black X's and bright red question marks in various difficult to explore locations.

"Huh..."

"Samuel!" Ace's voice whispered harshly, "Someone is coming!"

Footsteps that Ace's perceptive hearing picked up fell on the damp rock floor. They were light and staggering footsteps that didn't sound entirely natural. But as the sound got closer, a shadow appeared in the doorway along with them, revealing the frame of a girl bent over herself as she walked. Hoshiko, as it was, was finding it hard to get her legs back to themselves after the prolonged paralysis. Stopping for a second in the door way with her hands on her knees, the girl turned her head to the side with rather exaggerated effort to see Samuel, Ace and most importantly—resting in Samuel's arms, her eevee. With a newfound strength, the girl stood up straight and stumbled quickly across the room.

"Eevee!" She called out to the pokémon.

The little monster's ears raised up, and she called back to her owner, unable to leave Samuel's arms to get to Hoshiko, only encouraging her master to fight harder to get to her.

Going a little too fast for herself to handle, Hoshiko ended up tripping and having to grab onto the table behind Samuel as she approached the three. When she managed to get herself standing again, she smiled at her furry little friend.

"Eevee." She sighed in relief. Then her eyes met Samuel's, gentle as he was in supporting her beloved pokémon. Her stomach started to feel sick, but she quickly greeted the young man.

"Samuel...you...brought her to me?...T-Thank you..." And then looking back up the hall, she looked alerted, trying to act nervous. "We'd better get out of here..."

Samuel raised an eyebrow, but firmly shushed her.

"You're awfully loud, you're gonna get us caught." He looked towards the doorway where Ace was still standing, and then quickly but carefully passed the eevee into Hoshiko's arms. "Here, you'd better take her."

"Thank you, Samuel." Taking her eevee into her arms Hoshiko started to stroke her gently and smiled down at the pokémon, who responded with gentle coos.

Samuel pondered taking the maps on the table with him, but he knew if he did, there could be even more trouble. Still, he decided against his initial hesitation and scooped them up, shoving them into his bag before walking quickly back across the room and hopping up onto Ace's back. He pulled out a pokéball and aimed it into the darkness, whispering.

"Come on back, Rawr. We have to get going." A beam of light shot out and into the darkness, collecting the pokémon that was hiding just out of sight. He tucked the ball away and looked down at Hoshiko. "Here, give me your free hand." He reached down to her, offering to pull her up. "I don't know how you managed to escape, but kudos."

Hoshiko had ignored him stealing the paper off the desk by looking back at her eevee, and now that he was done, she went back to looking at him. She smiled at the young man, but a certain awkwardness lingered about her. That only lasted a moment, though, as Samuel offered her his hand to help her up. She nodded to him gratefully.

It was strange, she mused as she climbed with help onto the creature's back. Not the first time by any means that Hoshiko had mounted a creature, she'd traveled water often using her own pokémon. She'd even flown the skies on the backs of beasts, but actually riding one while she was on the ground seemed like a strange concept.

"Um yes...I suppose escaping was alright..." Hoshiko just stared at the ground. "It was nothing. I'm just pleased to be safe." She said quietly, trying to gather her thoughts before she went back to speaking.

"Let's go." She resumed, looking away and starting to walk back towards the door where she had come from. "How did you get in here, Samuel? We should probably go back the same way..."

Not answering, Samuel leaned forward far enough that he could whisper in Ace's ear. The canine monster's ears turned back towards his master, obviously listening intently.

"You heard the lady. Let's go back, and make it quick but quiet."

Ace's head bowed in a half nod, and Samuel silenced himself, sitting up straight and holding on as the Incarnus turned around and began backtracking at a steady pace, head low and tail fairly level with his back. Samuel felt the need to remain as silent as possible, so he didn't speak anymore for the rest of the way. All that could be heard was the very faint and controlled clicking of Ace's claws on the hard floor.

Back into the darkness they crept, through the narrow hall, until at last the broken door that hung loosely from its hinges came into view. A faint blue haze of moonlight seeped in from outside. Ace's gait began to quicken, and once they were back in the open, with silver moonlight on their faces and the shadows of the windblown trees waving across their bodies, the canine broke into a full-out run.

Hoshiko was shielded from the wind by Samuel's body, and the boy didn't mind the speed—he was used to it, and actually enjoyed the rush. Leaning forward, he encouraged Ace to keep going. Behind him, the rescued maiden was left free to hold her eevee with one hand and cling to her rescuer's large white pet with the other. Aside from that, all she could really do was sit and survey the surroundings, which in and of itself was rather a lot. On seeing the landscape rise around them as they emerged from her short prison, Hoshiko only marveled awestruck at what little she could see in the night.

"Wow..." She murmured, observing just how high up they were and the steep slope of the mountain. Of course, the darkness shrouded just how sharp the grade really was. "Thank you very much for the ride." She shared her gratitude with Ace over the whistling of the wind in her ears. "How far up are we?" She questioned Samuel, fully unaware of how her curiosity would be answered.

The slope rapidly cut to an unreasonable angle, and soon Ace's feet began to find maintaining traction on the rocky hillside difficult. Yet he kept running. In fact, he seemed to be going faster, putting greater effort into each precarious stride and forcing his passengers to hold tighter to him. Then, through the deepness of the night, a black abyss seemed to open up before the small group, growing wider and larger as they approached at an ever more alarming rate. Even Hoshiko would be able to see it, and as they got closer, it became very evident that it was the drop-off of the rock face, plummeting down deep into the forest below.

Hoshiko screamed, clutching a fistful of Ace's fur so tightly that she almost felt bad for the creature. It took tremendous effort, but trying to calm herself, Hoshiko held her eyes tightly and bit the bottom of her lip hard, not wanting to sound too weak or nervous.

"We're pretty high up!" Samuel shouted over the wind, suddenly laughing out loud as Hoshiko muffled her own scream. He half expected her to punch him in the arm good and hard finding amusement in her suffering, but he couldn't help himself. "Hang on, we're gonna crash!" He screamed himself now, suddenly sounding panicked and cutting off his laughter abruptly, just as they reached the edge of the cliff and the ground below them dropped away, leaving them leaping high out over the trees.

"Close your eyes! We're going down!" Samuel shouted.

And yet, in stark contrast to his freaked out cries, the trees below them stayed below them. Moments passed, and the warm winds seemed to wrap around them more softly. It was then that it became clear—there was no way they were going to fall. Ace took them soaring over the canopy, trailing across the midnight sky.

Samuel started laughing again, and shook his head, breathing the warm evening air in deeply.

"Man, Hoshiko, you're a riot. Almost makes me think I could make money off of Ace as a one-monster theme park." He laughed harder.

Ace rolled his eyes, out of Hoshiko's sight, but Samuel noticed the gesture and cuffed him on the back of his head.

Hoshiko had tried to remain calm and silent during the whole ordeal, thinking that screaming along would cause more fright between the two of them. She had meant for the only one who would know just how nervous she was, to be Eevee, because of just how tight Hoshiko was holding onto her. Of course, when Samuel made the suggestion that they were going to crash, the young woman hadn't been able to hide her fear and found herself muttering under her breath with desperate whimpers of "I don't wanna die."

But the hard crash she was expecting didn't come, and with the gentle breeze surrounded them, Hoshiko found courage enough to start opening her eyes slowly to see the sky around them still and calm.

"Wait...a...minute..." It dawned on her suddenly, and the embarrassment of her own fear seeped in unpleasantly. "You knew about this all along!?" She yelled, not sparing his ears at their close range. "I can't believe you took advantage of me like that!"

With all the frustration she felt toward the young man, she went against her moral code and everything she had been taught and balled her hand into a fist, taking a good, hard punch at Samuel's arm.

"Never do that again!" She growled at him. "Or I'll punch you more!"

Samuel flinched only slightly. He'd expected it, and he supposed he deserved it, but he couldn't help but find it funny still.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'd be lying." He commented honestly as he reached up to rub his sore arm with one hand. "But I won't do it again."

"Lying?!" Once again, the girl rose her hand again and punched Samuel in the same place on his arm, but this time with much less force. "That's so mean!" She muttered something under her breath but it didn't make much sense due to the fact that it wasn't in English.

Samuel reached up to rub the tender spot, wondering why anyone ever said honesty was the best policy. With his arm feeling only somewhat better after his brief massage, he brought his hand down and firmly patted Ace's shoulder, offering to explain himself.

"Ace is one amazing monster. Nobody would have known he can fly. Heck, I didn't know it until I saw it for myself. But there are a lot of things that Ace can do that make him unique."

Hoshiko sighed at that, inclined to agree whether she wanted to or not. "Ace is a wonderful creature." She let go of her tight grip on the monster. "He does things I have never heard of a pokémon doing before. He is a treasure to be held in very high regard. The two of you are very lucky to have each other."

Samuel was about to speak up again, but he noticed a glint of blue, looking down and meeting the Incarnus' gaze as the dog cast a slightly annoyed glance over his shoulder. It was a completely silent command for Samuel to shut up. Samuel sighed and obliged.

"Anyways instead of punching me, you should be a little more grateful. I came and found you, and brought your eevee back. I think I'm entitled to a little fun, am I right? It's completely harmless." He glanced back at Hoshiko casually, and then returned his gaze forward, eyes falling upon the sea beyond the forested mountain and the rocky shore far below.

"Um...I am grateful. I just don't find it funny that you tried to make me think we were in serious trouble." Hoshiko shook her head. "I am sorry for getting angry at you, just please don't do it again." And patting Samuel on the shoulder, she sounded surprisingly more mild mannered. Samuel couldn't even detect any sarcasm. "I thank you earnestly, I don't know what I would have done without my eevee..."

He considered offering her welcome, but refrained. He didn't want her to get the impression that he was some sort of gentleman. Besides, after looking around at the scenery below and all around them, Hoshiko cut off his opportunity for response with a question.

"Where are we going anyways?"

"Well, I didn't have a plan on where to go next, but I'm thinking camping out would be a good call. Judging from the fact I can't see any city lights on the horizon, it's quite a ways to civilization." He glanced back at her. "Hope you don't mind."

Hoshiko hadn't camped out in the forest before, but had spent many nights in the old towers that lorded over her hometown. She figured it shouldn't be terribly different.

"Oh yeah, camping would be fine. Once we hit the ground, maybe we can figure out where we are and find the nearest town or city. That way we could get back onto the main roads. That seems logical to me."

The girl shrugged and watched below them, noting that the tress dotted against green land made everything look like one great big fuzzy green puzzle bathed in moonlight.

Samuel patted Ace on the shoulder, knowing that the monster was exercising great restraint to keep from joining the conversation. He was normally a very outgoing and outspoken creature, but both of them figured it was best that as little about him be known as possible. Samuel knew that Ace was already upset that the girl had seen so much, but it couldn't be helped.

"How about down there?" Samuel pointed to a sheltered grotto near the shore.

To Hoshiko, the palm-encircled grove seemed to make a lot more sense than finding a spot randomly in the forest.

"Yes, the beach would be beautiful!" There was an obvious smile on her face as she gazed dreamily at the water lapping up against the sand. "This place is lovely. I really wonder where we are... Once we get down there I'm going to have to check my map!"

"That'd be a good idea." Samuel agreed. "Hang on."

The young man leaned forward a bit, signaling for Ace to descend to the ground. The monster took the signal in stride, and simply glided them down slowly and easily.

"Ah! Wow!" Hoshiko stared up at the sky as they were landing, drinking in the stars above them. The sheer numbers lit up the sky brightly, without any help from man-made lights or fire, and it was so clear that she was able to pick out the constellations easily. Hoshiko hadn't been able to do that since she had started traveling. "There's so many stars…." The young woman breathed out the words, feeling completely wrapped in the night and its beauty.

The ground rose up before them, and when they touched down, Ace's feet seemed to grace it as light as a feather before completely settling in.

The wolf walked forward, balancing carefully on passages between tide pools and finally bringing the group into the coolness of the grotto, where a soft mist seemed to linger in the air and the sound of the ocean matched the song of the wind in the trees almost perfectly, but on a much grander scale.

Samuel was the first to hop off, stones crunching and rattling under his feet as he found his balance. He reached up to help Hoshiko off, and then stretched and looked around.

Safe on the ground, Hoshiko was pulled back into the present, leaving the stars to themselves for the moment. She smiled as Samuel helped her off of Ace.

"Thank you Samuel." She took a few steps back from both Ace and Samuel, viewing the area they were to stay the night in. "It's perfect. The breeze from the ocean can keep us cool and the cave can keep us safe and dry! How providential." Smiling mostly to herself Hoshiko was about to speak again when Samuel interjected practicality.

"Best lay out some sleeping bags. I have my own, but I don't have a spare so..." Ace nudged him roughly with a huge paw, and Samuel flinched. Instinctively, he knew what Ace was saying.

"...Er...but I guess you can use mine if you don't have your own... I mean... As long as you don't ruin it or anything." Ace batted him again, this time harder. Samuel scowled, but said nothing.

"Oh," Hoshiko giggled, "Don't worry about it. Thank you so much though! I carry a blanket around with me. When you travel around all the time it's best to keep as prepared as possible."

Hoshiko reached into her bag and pulled out a wide blanket that looked homemade and spread it on the ground where she could sleep. Reaching to the very bottom of the bag she pulled out an article of clothing that looked soft and shiny. Intricately designed even though it was folded, Hoshiko laid it down to be used as a pillow, and then tossed her map onto the middle of the blanket. She dropped her bag, set down her eevee gently, and sat down beside her. Eevee, still tired but feeling a bit better, went over to the makeshift pillow Hoshiko had put down and started to snuggle up into it.

"Thank you again Samuel, really." Hoshiko stared up at the young man, looking grateful. "And to you too Ace!"

In a rather surprising gesture of chivalry, especially for a monster, Ace took a low sweeping bow in humble welcome of Hoshiko's gratitude.

Hoshiko smiled and nodded her head respectfully to Ace. "You're so polite too, it's incredible!"

"Oi." Samuel rolled his eyes at the beast. "Always trying to be a charmer." He shook his head. "Well anyways, you're welcome, Hoshiko."

Samuel's eyeroll went entirely unappreciated.

"Humph. You could learn something from your friend, Samuel. He's very kind." Shaking her head in a bit of a huff at Samuel she started to lay down on her blanket and pulled the other half of it over her with one hand, holding her map in the other. Shifting over a bit, Eevee made room for Hoshiko's head on the pillow and the two shared it quite well.

Samuel rolled his eyes at Hoshiko's comment about Ace being remarkably polite, and although he knew Ace would disapprove, he replied with a rather unamused, "Well, he thinks he's a king, so go figure."

Ace bared his teeth and growled slightly.

"Well maybe you could use some lessons from Ace." Came Hoshiko's criticism, muffled from behind the map she was trying to read. "Sometimes we can learn a lot from our travel companions." She smiled to herself. "Isn't that right Eevee?"

Her tiny pokémon cooed in response, and Hoshiko found a smile as she patted the little monster's head gently.

Ignoring his monster's discontent, and Hoshiko's advice, Samuel tossed his sleeping bag down after shaking it out, and then he crawled into it. Ace laid down right next to him, stretching out his long, furry body in a very relaxed pose. Samuel yawned and gave a ponderous scratch to Ace's shoulder, relieving an unannounced itch that was quickly given away by the sudden beating of a hind paw against the ground.

Hoshiko had to suppress her laughter, watching with delight as the massive wolf behaved just like an ordinary house pet.

"So, you'd better not forget to whip out that map of yours in the morning." Samuel commented to Hoshiko once Ace flopped his head down between his paws with a deeply relieved sigh. "If we're ever going to get anywhere where there's decent food, we'll need it."

Hoshiko reached into her bag and pulled out something wrapped in a piece of thin cloth.

"Here." She reached her arm over to Samuel in his sleeping bag. "It's food. You may not have had something like this before because it's very traditional, but it's delicious!" She smiled and then turned onto her side, leaving Samuel to the meal.

She didn't fall asleep though, she simply unfolded the map and started to look at it and calculating where they were.

"Yeah, and don't worry, I'll find us a town as close as possible. With good food too." And after a small giggle, the girl fell silent, reading her map.

Samuel shut up as soon as he was offered food, and he reached back to take it. With the bundle in his hands, he sat up and gently unwrapped it, squinting to get a good look at it in the dim moonlight. He couldn't make out many details, so he took a whiff of it. His stomach growled in response, and he winced as if that would shush it. Deciding that the food was probably as good as it smelled, he bit into it hungrily, and finished it in all of four bites.

Hoshiko listened the whole brief time it took for Samuel to devour the food she'd given him, and found herself slightly annoyed at how quickly he tore into it without even a breath of thanks upon taking the meal from her. He was rude, and that was all there was to it. Hoshiko resolved that perhaps she shouldn't bother with asking for gratitude from a guy like him.

Feeling a bit more satisfied now, Samuel slid down into his sleeping bag again and decided that he might as well be polite, even if Hoshiko _did_ owe him.

"Thanks for the food. It was pretty tasty." He offered.

It surprised Hoshiko, but not so much that she forgot her own manners.

"No problem. I'm just glad you liked it."

A little more pleased with her rescuer now, the girl relaxed and snuggled deeper into the clothing she used as a pillow, sleepily laying her map down beside her. She might as well get some rest, if she could manage with everything on her mind.

"Good night, Samuel. Good night, Ace. Sleep well." Her eevee now even closer to her, Hoshiko closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

But it didn't work all that well.


	3. Battles, Towers, and the Sea

**Chapter 3: Battles, Towers, and the Sea**

The night crawled by in steady silence, with little but the roar of the ocean and the incessant calls of amphibious and insectoid nocturnal pokémon to bestow life upon the dead stillness. Samuel, used to running on very little sleep, couldn't even manage to close his eyes. Too many things ran through his mind, especially regarding where he was going to go next. He wished he had a clue, but ever since he'd fled Domus Isle, he'd been letting fate drag him where it would. And, in his humble opinion, it was trudging through a landfill at the moment.

Not that he didn't like Hoshiko or anything. He just felt awkward being someone's rescuer, and miserable being lost somewhere in a wilderness that he did not know.

When he felt certain that enough time had passed for Hoshiko to fall asleep, he sat up and very quietly slipped out of his sleeping bag. Tiredly, he made his way towards the edge of the grotto, parting some palm fronds and moving past them into the moonlight that cast its silver hue on the beach and upon the crashing waters. A cool gust of breeze from the sea blew past and ruffled his hair. He closed his eyes and breathed it deeply.

"It really is all about the journey, you know?"

A deep, warm voice poured over him with richer depth than even the black night sky. He was startled at first, but when he recognized the voice as the Incarnus, he closed his eyes again and relaxed, leaning back. The large white beast positioned himself behind Samuel and sat down, catching his fall like a very suitable sort of furry armchair.

"That's what they say, isn't it?" Samuel breathed the salty air deeply.

"Mm, believe me, Boy, if it was only about the destination and I missed out on every little attraction along the way, my existence would be very bleak indeed."

"You're living to die, Ace, that's why." Samuel sighed. "But I'm not. I'm living to _live_."

"We're all living to die, Samuel." Ace corrected. "But how we meet our end is more important than the end itself. And, that aside, long before the end comes I hope there will be many more times such as this where I can just gaze across the roaring sea, snared in moonlit lace."

"You're quite the poet." Samuel smirked.

"I don't try to be, but sometimes only the finest words will do."

Samuel opened his eyes and looked across the rocky beach that rolled on down into the splashing waves. White crests of foam lapped frothily at the shoreline, reminding him of soda water and soap bubbles.

"I guess it is pretty nice." Samuel admitted grudgingly. Then a pause. "Hey um... How long until you...you know...head back out and resume your preparations for the Chosen?"

"I cannot let it sit for too long." Ace replied, "And I mustn't forget my duty of guarding the gates."

"No, of course not..." Samuel sighed.

"You were hoping I could help you get to the nearest city?"

Samuel snorted in response to that, trying to cover up his hopefulness. "Well I mean if you _wanted_ to, sure, it would be great, but it's not like we'll die or anything."

"Are you sure?" Ace laughed. "Seems to me like you get into more trouble when I'm not around."

"Yeah, whatever." Samuel rolled his eyes, and then looked up at the bottom of Ace's chin. "You're not leaving right away are you?"

Ace laughed again and slowly began to lie down, so that his large front paws rested beside Samuel's legs and his big heavy muzzle could sit comfortably on Samuel's head.

"I do have much to do, but there is time enough to deliver you to the nearest city, my friend."

* * *

Despite her best efforts, Hoshiko didn't find herself falling asleep. This was quite sad for the girl because her body was one that required proper sleep, but something in her mind wouldn't let her. Conscience, maybe? Hoshiko wouldn't dwell on it for very long.

After a little white of waiting to fall asleep, she heard the rustling of Samuel's sleeping bag and his footsteps out of the grotto. Once she was sure that he was gone, Hoshiko turned around in her blanket to face where her companion had been resting before, and she eyed his bag for a couple of minutes. Her nerves wildly active but her mind sharply focused, she slowly reached her arm out towards it. However, just as her fingers grazed the material, Hoshiko redirected her hand to her own bag lying close to Samuel's. Reaching inside, she pulled something out—a stuffed doll, obviously something Hoshiko didn't want Samuel to see.

It was shaped like the pokémon vaporeon, and as she brought it close to herself, the young woman stared at the well-loved toy.

While studying the vaporeon carefully, a set of voices hit Hoshiko's ears out of the relative silence. She instantly identified one as Samuel. The other one was different, and she wasn't sure who it would be. After all, Samuel never mentioned the person's name during the conversation, and as far as Hoshiko knew, there was only herself, Samuel, her eevee and Ace to be accounted for. Eevee was with her but Ace was no where to be found in the grotto.

That must mean...

No, that had to be impossible. Monsters didn't speak the language of humans. But then again Samuel had mentioned something about a "chosen", which seemed out of the ordinary also. That and Samuel was very unusual in general, and if everything that Hart said was true, he'd been keeping a lot of things from her. Maybe there was more truth to what Hart wanted than Hoshiko wanted to believe.

Sighing heavily, she refocused on her doll.

"What should I do...?" She asked softly, watching the face of the doll so intently that she might have expected an answer quite quickly and truthfully.

Instead, the head of the stuffed pokémon flopped down. Sighing in defeat as she looked at the doll,

"I guess I shouldn't ask you anyways…." Hoshiko smiled pathetically at the object and pulled it close to herself as she turned back away from Samuel's sleeping spot and closed her eyes.

This time she might actually be able to fall asleep with the comfort of home close to her chest.

"I think I'd better listen to your advice..." She murmured quietly as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Ace's ears flicked slightly, and he lifted his head, sniffing the air and listening intently.

"What is it?" Samuel's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper of worry.

"Mm..." Ace said after a moment. He looked around, and then let his head rest again. "Nothing. I thought I heard something in the grotto, but it seems silent now. Perhaps I was only hearing things."

"Maybe." Samuel stretched and yawned.

He went silent for a moment, his gaze glassing over as his thoughts pushed their way into his focus. Suddenly, all he could think about was the ordeal with Hoshiko and the strange men who had been after him.

"Hey, Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think they were after?"

"The men?" Ace heaved a slow, ponderous sigh. "I don't know."

"Maybe the man who kidnapped Hoshiko was one of them... It almost seems like it could be... But why would he risk such trouble, not knowing if I would just call the police instead of following him?"

"It's possible he knew that you are a man of action, and wouldn't wait to report the girl missing."

"I suppose you're right. But, if he's one of the men…. Maybe he's after the lab too."

"It's silly to make assumptions, and best to make notes to just avoid men like him at all costs." Ace decided aloud.

"It almost makes me wonder if anyone's out there watching us right now..."

Sadly, Samuel and what Hoshiko now figured—against normal reason—to be Ace's voice were persisting on talking, which made it increasingly harder for her to fall asleep. Just as she would drift off, one of them would talk again.

Surrendering to the fate of waiting for the two to stop, Hoshiko resolved herself to listen to what they were saying. After all...it might be of some importance.

And it turned out that in a way it was. Samuel had clarified some of the questions clouding the girl's mind. It was strange that all of the questions she had asked herself it seemed like Samuel was asking now. It was almost scary to realize how in the dark both of them were.

Well...used to be.

And at Samuel's last comment, Hoshiko shivered deeply. Now she was positive that there wouldn't be any sleeping tonight. Holding closely to her doll, blanket and even herself, Hoshiko found the grotto slightly smaller and darker.

Everything felt like it was closing in.

Humming insects in the trees began to fall silent as the night passed, and soon much of the remaining noise came from the sea. Samuel started to doze off, but caught himself and grunted to keep himself awake. A long silence passed, and then he mumbled,

"Thanks for bringing me out here. I mean I could have rescued Hoshiko by myself and all-"

Ace chuckled aloud.

"Of course, Samuel." The big white dog stood up slowly, stretched his back and limbs, and turned back towards the grotto after shaking out his fur. "I have no doubt you could have."

He grinned and slipped back through the trees to lay down beside Samuel's pack and sleep. Samuel remained outside the grotto, watching the sea as the dark waves rolled in and out, in and out under the moonshine.

* * *

For Hoshiko, it was a long, long night, but in a way one that was beautiful amidst the turmoil that she was feeling. The sound of the waves hitting the shore was a great solace to her troubled mind, and helped distract Hoshiko from her thoughts. She sighed deeply many times through the night and wished to be back home with her mother and sisters. Sadly, the closest she could get was her little doll.

Eventually, evening turned to morning and Hoshiko waited for everyone else to get up before she stirred.

The screeching calls of seabirds woke Samuel up. He stirred slowly, feeling cold mist above him and wet, grainy sand below. Cracking his eyes open, the golden sunrise awaited, spilling over the sea, rocks, and sand in rich warm color. Samuel sat up slowly, feeling a little numb from tiredness and the chill. He brushed the sand off of his arm and the side of his face, and then realized he must have fallen asleep while watching the tides.

Stumbling to his feet, he avoided tripping over rocks and empty tide pools to make his way back to the camp in the grotto, knowing they'd have to get moving sooner or later. He pushed his way through the palms and into the shade. In there, the air was even cooler but not quite as damp. He shivered and nudged Ace with his toe.

"Come on man, get up."

The dog opened one eye, looked at Samuel and yawned casually.

"What, no breakfast?" Ace laughed.

"Unless you want magikarp, most likely not." Samuel reached for his pack and started digging through it. "Wake up, Hoshiko."

It was like the best invitation in the world. Turning over groggily, not from sleeping but from lack thereof, Hoshiko looked at both Samuel and Ace with a small smile. She left her doll tucked in the blankets, so Hoshiko was confident that neither of them could see it,

"Good morning to you too! Did you sleep well?"

Samuel glanced over his shoulder at the young lady and raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes catching the sparse light coming in through the palm trees. He zipped his pack closed and quickly strapped it around his waist.

"Yeah I guess so." He decided. "It's hard to tell when you don't even realize you're asleep." He stood up slowly and looked down at the girl. "What about you?" He leaned backwards, using Ace's shoulder as a wall of support when the dog got up.

"Oh yeah, I slept fine!"

She replied on impulse, although inside her head she wondered just how she came up with the answer as quickly as she had and if it was actually believable. She assumed it depended on just how tired she looked.

Hurrying to get off of the topic, Hoshiko grabbed for the map at her side, not actually fully getting out of her blanket yet.

"I was looking at this map and I found out that we're somewhere on the edge of Johto." Shaking her head she held out the map for both Ace and Samuel to see. "It could be one of two places. We're either close to Olivine or Goldenrod...I can't tell which one it is though."

No matter what the answer was it was too close to Ecruteak for comfort, and Hoshiko hoped that neither of her traveling partners would even mention the town's name.

Leaving the map for the two to look at Hoshiko stood and started to put her night things together, forgetting for a moment that as she stood her doll would be exposed. She started putting away the clothes that made up her pillow first, making the small toy all the more obvious.

Ironically it was the clothes in her hands that might have given away more information about her history and heritage than the doll would ever embarrass her.

Samuel studied the map with Ace leaning down, looking over his shoulder.

"Goldenrod or Olivine huh?" Samuel had never been to the mainland but once or twice, and it was always with a guide. He'd never visited either of those cities and certainly wasn't familiar with anything about Johto.

"Let's see..." He looked up and around, and tried to compare the shoreline in reality to the shoreline on the map. "You know what..." He said after awhile, studying the map very hard. "I don't think its Goldenrod that we're close to."

He put his finger on the map and pointed to a tall mountain and thick forests just west of Olivine. "There aren't any mountains like this one with forests down the side near Goldenrod." He looked up and pointed off through an opening between the palm fronds. "We need to head east across the shoreline until we get to ..." He looked at the map again. "What looks like a tall tower."

He glanced at Hoshiko again, and then noticed the doll. Staring at it for a moment, his first thought was to make some kind of teasing comment, but somehow he stopped himself and just stared. He didn't feel quite right mocking her on this account. "Soo...you know Jhoto pretty well?"

"Um...yeah..." Hoshiko muttered quietly and reached down to scoop up her doll quickly after she noticed that Samuel had seen it. After placing it into her bag and closing it, she looked back to Samuel and peeked at the map over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

She hoped against hope that he was pointing to any of the _other_ towers in Johto. Then again there weren't that many towers in Johto to begin with. Even so, to Hoshiko's great relief, the tower the boy pointed to rested too far south to be anywhere near Ecruteak's towers.

"Oh. Yeah, well I guess that could be right. And maybe we can head from there to Goldenrod. There's a big department store there, and a radio tower and plenty of good places to eat!" She tried to smile, wanting to make the big city sound much more attractive than Ecruteak, where most roads from Olivine led.

Finishing putting her bag onto her shoulder, blanket inside and all she nodded and headed towards the exit of the Grotto.

"Let's go! You guys must be hungry!"

Samuel stretched his arms and got up slowly. "Come to think of it, a good meal would be pretty appealing. And I've never seen a radio tower before. This could be interesting." He patted Ace on the side, and then climbed onto the big monster's back. He looked down, as he had the night before, and reached a hand down to help Hoshiko up.

"I hope you don't mind being our tour guide when we get there." Samuel grunted. "See, me and Ace haven't ever been to Olivine before."

He nudged Ace with his heels when Hoshiko got into position, and the dog moved off at a slow and steady walk, so as not to throw them off right away. They moved on out of the grotto, through the trees and out into the open, unaware that a pair of eyes in the bushes watched them go.

Laughing as she sat behind Samuel on Ace, Hoshiko graciously corrected the young man. "No, no. Not Olivine, we're going to Goldenrod. You can keep that map, it looks like you'll need it more then I do!" She patted him on the shoulder and braced herself for traveling with Ace.

"So we're just gonna pass right through Olivine and go straight to Goldenrod? Well I hope I can at least get a radio. I'd love to have one, and I can't pick one up in Green Bays, where I'm from. We don't even have radio stations yet. It's kind of frustrating because I hear they're a big hit on the mainland from travelers going through Domus Isle."

Hoshiko started to laugh again as Samuel kept talking about Olivine City.

"No! You've got it all wrong Samuel. There isn't any radio tower in Olivine, that's a_ lighthouse _you see on the map!" and reaching over his shoulder the girl pointed out the radio tower on the map where Goldenrod was. "We could always go back to Olivine to see the lighthouse later. It's powered by electric pokémon, and it's a really amazing place too. And in Goldenrod, we'll go to the department store and get some items you might need for travel. It's very convenient actually."

Samuel glanced back, his body swaying with the rhythm of Ace's step. The big monster kept quiet, naturally, but by now Samuel was very confused, and he felt that Hoshiko must deliberately be trying to throw him off, perhaps as payback for the times that he'd pestered her. He groaned.

"Oh really? Wow... A lighthouse. That would be cool to visit too." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's funny, but I've never seen a lighthouse either. At least not a real one. Domus Isle has a watchtower with a bell, and we have a light up there to guide the ships into port, but other than that...nothin' doin'. Anyways, going back and forth between two cities seems like a waste of time. We should just enjoy Olivine when we pass through, and get to Goldenrod when we get to it. You can show us around." He didn't add, _If you can avoid making things more complicated than they already are. _Samuel chuckled, trying to hide the sheepish expression on his face.

"Oh I don't mind being your guide. There are a lot of interesting things to see, and I'm sure you'll really enjoy the Radio Tower. It's the first one in any of the regions, and just like you wanted, you can probably pick up a radio there so you can hear it during your travels in Johto." Hoshiko patted her eevee as she sat in place with the little monster comfortably centered in front of her.

Hoshiko was about to ask Samuel where he was from, but she caught herself quickly and avoided the question because she herself wouldn't want to answer it. So instead she tried to ask something more lighthearted.

"Samuel, what is your favorite food?"

He paused and scratched his chin. "I'll eat anything come to think of it, but I love dumplings. And sushi too. But like I say, I never met a meal I didn't like."

Hoshiko smiled, "Dumplings! What I wouldn't give for a good dumpling! And sushi...oh wow. There's a great place for food like that in Goldenrod, so we'll have no problem. If we get there for lunch there's an all you can eat!" And the girl laughed more.

Samuel was a bit surprised by Hoshiko's cheerfulness. Now that they were seemingly safe, it was easier to see her as a more lighthearted, outgoing person. He actually sort of appreciated it, in some ways, but he also found it so different from his own experiences that it baffled him.

He looked out across the ocean and leaned forward a little as Ace began to pick up his speed to a nice, steady run. The blue sky met the blue ocean out in the distance, blending together perfectly. Samuel watched them melt into one, and admired the golden glow on the water.

Ace was right. Sometimes it was nice just to take the time to notice the things on the way.

"Alright then, to Goldenrod it is, I guess. We gotta get us some food." He looked down at the back of Ace's head. "Hear that, punk, move it!" Samuel laughed. Ace rolled his eyes, but began running even faster along the rocky shoreline.

Enjoying the scenery herself, Hoshiko smiled until she heard Samuel tell Ace to hurry up. The young woman gave him a gentle _thunk_ in the back with her hand.

"Be nice!" She told him irritably. "He's being nice enough to take us to our destination!" She then patted Ace on the back. "Thank you very much Ace!"

Eevee squealed delightfully, chirping her own happy input.

A low chuckle of amusement spilled involuntarily from Ace, but it was mostly drowned out by the roar of the sea and the rush of the wind. He threw himself into a full run, despite Samuel's demanding rudeness, and carried his passengers swiftly off into the distance. Seabird pokémon soared over their heads, looking down on the different sight far below with strings of fascinated caws that echoed like hysterical laughter on the wind.

* * *

On the outskirts of Olivine City, trainers from many different cities across the world gathered in the streets and on the boardwalk of Olivine Port. Ace came to the edge of the city streets at a slow walk, swishing his long white tail. Samuel could hear the shouts of young trainers challenging each other or simply enjoying the sights. He himself couldn't help sitting tall to look around.

"Wow, this place is so much like Domus Isle it's scary." He laughed and looked back at Hoshiko and grinned. "Just like home."

Watching the scenes unfolding, Hoshiko smiled, comforted by the surroundings that, although they weren't home, felt more familiar then all of the traveling she had been doing. Raising her arms up and throwing her head back, Hoshiko let the breeze blow in her hair and laughed out of sheer happiness. Although that wouldn't last long as the carefree days of her youth in Ecruteak came back to mind...and how it had all changed.

But still, she would savor this moment and how nice it really did feel. Escaping from harsh reality for even a few minutes.

"See!?" She cried out suddenly, grabbing Samuel's shoulder. Hoshiko quite enthusiastically pointed at a towering structure rising up over the entire town. "There's Olivine's lighthouse! Isn't it great!?"

Meanwhile, Eevee chattered to itself out loud, every bit as pleased as Hoshiko seemed to be.

Samuel glanced in the direction of the lighthouse and caught sight of the grand tower, reaching into the sky. It cast a long shadow along the ground and gleamed brightly, even in the daylight.

"Whoa, that is something else... Come on Ace, let's go on over and check it out."

He pointed at the lighthouse and Ace gave a soft nod of his head, casually taking the trip in stride and leading them closer to the port. As they got nearer, they could see the ships coming in and all the people unloading from the docks. Many went about their own business, re-orienting themselves as they set foot on dry land, but some people caught notice of the grand white beast striding in amongst them and stopped to point and stare.

Samuel hadn't thought about all the attention Ace would get heading into a city, and he began to regret it a little.

The faces of the multitude pleased Hoshiko as strangers gathered in clusters around the group. It seemed to give her some sort of comfort to see fellow trainers.

"Hey," A young man's voice called out to him. "What kind of pokémon is that you have there?"

Samuel flinched and looked down at Ace. "Oh, him?" Samuel laughed heartily, almost mockingly. "I wouldn't exactly call him a pokémon."

"Oh really?" Said the other trainer. "And why not?"

"Well," Samuel slid off of Ace and stood beside the huge white dog with his hand on the beast's shoulder, "First of all, he won't be caught in a pokéball. Can't very well have a pocket monster who doesn't fit in your pocket, can you?"

"Any monster can be caught in a pokéball." The trainer retorted. "You just have to wear 'em down a bit."

Hoshiko slid off of Ace, holding her eevee securely in her arms and staring at the strange trainer with distaste. She was annoyed automatically by him. And going up to the young man quite boldly, Hoshiko's face was straight and serious.

"That's not true! That's so disrespectful. It's not a matter of wearing a pokémon down. It's about having them as your friend! And you'll never gain the respect and comradeship of your pokémon if you keep thinking that way. Being a trainer isn't about just catching whatever you see, it's about taking a journey with your pokémon as your friends. That statement makes you sounds like a collector, not a trainer!"

It was not, however, the boy that reacted to Hoshiko's snappiness. Rather, a young woman emerged from the nearby crowd and snorted in laughter.

"Listen to that girl. She's a bleeding heart." And placing a hand on the shoulder of the boy whom Hoshiko had scolded, she smirked wryly. "If people listened to trainers like you, we'd all be weak." She laughed at Hoshiko quite blatantly.

That only redirected Hoshiko's anger, and now she found herself rather offended by both strangers. "How dare you! You're so disrespectful!"

"Boo hoo." The boy pretended to rub one eye. "Did you hear that? We're disrespectful. Look kid," He walked up to Hoshiko and stared down at her snidely. "To each his own. You go ahead and be all lovey dovey with your pokémon, but me, I'm gonna be a real trainer, and catch as many kinds as I can. Only the good trainers will discover everything there is to know about the monsters, and little kids like you will just be stuck playing dollies in your sandbox with your pets."

He started laughing.

"Hey!" Samuel growled, stepping forward with a scowl. "First of all, nobody gave you the right to talk to her that way, and second of all, you don't know the first _thing_ about catching pokémon."

"Oh really?" The boy laughed. "And you do?" He jerked his thumb at Samuel. "Get a load of him, Marian. Jewelry Model Boy thinks he knows how to catch pokémon, even though the one he's riding on hasn't even been caught yet!"

"Hehehehehehe." Marian started to laugh at Samuel's confidence. "You're right Fredrik." She smiled and playfully nudged her friend in the arm. "I can't believe these two. It's crazy!"

Pursing her lips irritably Hoshiko fumed. Placing her eevee so that she was sitting comfortably on her shoulder, she got even closer to the two.

"Well then, if you're both so sure about yourselves then why don't you prove it!" She replied, staring up at the young man as he looked down upon her. Putting a hand to her side and taking out one of her pokéballs, Hoshiko held it in her palm for a moment and then let it expand. "Honestly." She shook her head at Fredrik. "If you think I'm playing the sandbox, then you've never played games like mine before." And she held the pokéball up to his face.

"Wait!" Marian poked her head in between the two. "How about we make this a little more...interesting." She tapped her finger on Hoshiko's pokéball and then pointed at Samuel. "Let's make this a doubles battle. Fredrik and I against you and your little model friend." She then twisted a lock of her golden hair around her finger and grinned slightly. "Winning team takes the other team's pokémon."

"I'm in." Hoshiko replied seriously, clenching her fingers around the pokéball she had chosen.

"This should be fun!" The girl laughed, shoving Hoshiko a little more than playfully.

Hoshiko didn't respond, but looked to Samuel to see his response.

Samuel's eyes widened a little at the stakes. He hadn't expected such serious wagers to be made. He looked down at the three pokéballs hanging at his waist and hoped they would be sufficient. He glanced at Ace, and held up his hand to the big monster.

"Sorry Buddy, you'll have to sit this one out..." Samuel commented. "Seeing as I can't claim you as mine."

A smirking glint twinkled in the corner of Ace's eye, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he stepped back, and decided to allow his usual battle companions to handle the match. He knew they were all good, and Samuel was a fine trainer. He wasn't worried about Samuel losing. He just hoped that Samuel's monsters would be able to work as well with Eevee as they did with one another.

"So...Two on two, I take it?" He pulled one of the balls off of his chain and twisted the frontal lock. "I guess this will be fun." He looked at the ball he'd chosen, and hoped he was making the right decision. He didn't know anything about Eevee's fighting style, but he hoped that his choice of monster would be the perfect balance for the small pokemon.

"Come on out, Petra." He opened the ball and the red beam shot out instantly, slowly revealing a massive creature with a long, dragonesque body and a fishlike tale. It had fins around its head, and a large mouth full of sharp teeth. It coiled up on the ground like a snake, its shining body as slick as a salamence.

"What the..." Fredrik stared up at the lengthy beast and couldn't believe his eyes. "What is that thing?"

"A product of careful breeding." Samuel rolled his eyes. "You can't catch one of these in the wild. You can only get them if you cross the right monsters." He turned to Hoshiko and whispered, shading his mouth with his hand so that the opponents couldn't see his lips moving.

"Petra is mainly a support monster. She has high stamina and defense, but her attack power isn't the best of the best. She knows a lot of good supporting and healing moves, but offensively she only has a few tricks up her sleeve. The good news is she can keep Eevee in the battle for as long as she's up and kicking herself."

Hoshiko grinned, pleased that Samuel wasn't going to back down from the challenge. With the personalities of the other two trainers, she figured it shouldn't be hard to beat them. Of course, Marian and Fredrik didn't see it that way.

"Haha, this'll be great, we're going to get new pokémon." Marian laughed, nudging Fredrik in the arm playfully and reaching into a pack at her side to pull out her own pokéball.

"Alright!" She held the ball up, just as Samuel unleashed Petra. Gawking at the strange creature on the opposing side for a second, Marian watched in shock but then scoffed at the monster. "A Pokemon like that doesn't hold its salt, it just looks stupid." The young woman rolled her eyes and then released her own pokéball while Hoshiko started talking to Samuel. "Go Smoochum!"

Leaning closer to her battle partner, Hoshiko laughed slightly. "I like your battle plan, it should work out great." She whispered back. "Eevee's going to sit this one out though." And at the news the pokémon cooed happily, not wanting to battle.

"Time to get some exercise!" And opening her choice ball, it released a pokémon that looked enraged and ready to attack. "Hanu! Let's play!"

"Whoa..." Samuel stared in surprise. He hadn't expected the young lady to whip out such a massive and difficult-to-raise monster. "A gyarados? You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Hehehehe." Hoshiko smiled at Samuel, laughing slightly. "I try not to get too boring." And with that she turned to her pokémon, patting him on the side. "It's been awhile since you've had a good battle, hasn't it?" The gyarados responded surprisingly peacefully for the perpetually frustrated look on its face.

Samuel cleared his throat and waved at Fredrik. "Go. Unless you're scared now." He grinned mischievously.

"Hah!" Fredrick snorted. "I'm not scared of a couple of over-grown garden hoses! Come and get 'em, Exeggcute!" The obnoxious young man opened his pokéball, rapidly unveiling a cluster of pink eggs. The tightly bound cluster began uttering threatening mutters and growls that sounded eerily like the name of their species.

"Humph. So you've got a great big pet. Doesn't matter if you treat it like a softy." Shaking her head, Marian folder arms in front of her, annoyed and rolling her eyes. "This'll just prove how stupid your ideals are."

Samuel leaned towards Hoshiko and mumbled. "Still got it?" He asked, testing her confidence to be sure she wasn't going to back out now.

Shaking her head, Hoshiko didn't waste time responding to Marian, but instead turned to Samuel. "Of course, I'd never give in, I trust Hanu with my life."

On the field, Hanu realized that he was in a battle and reared his head, roaring at the two opposing pokémon that were much smaller then he was. Marian's smoochum stared up at the gyarados, looking a little intimidated, but she heard her trainer shouting at her, so the tiny pokémon straightened herself up.

Bowing to her two opponents, Hoshiko spoke. "Alright, who wants to go first?" She asked. "I asked for the battle, so in my tradition the opposing team goes first."

"Suits me fine." Fredrik didn't waste any time. "But in my experience, the fastest rule." He pointed his finger at Gyarados. "Exeggcute, get that brute down with Hypnosis!"

Hoshiko shrugged, feeling that Fredrik's rule of fastest first was too primitive, but she was fine with how things worked out. She hadn't thought they wouldn't go first. After all, who didn't want to be first in a pokémon battle?

The cluster of pinkish eggs moved forward, and their eyes began to glow as they sent steady, sleep inducing brainwaves to the giant water pokémon. Samuel grunted, and not wanting the opposing pokémon to put Hanu to sleep, he sent Petra to attack it.

The whiplike dragon slipped forward through the sky, almost as if swimming through the air towards her target. She opened her huge jaws, ready to snap at the exeggcute and break its concentration.

"Smoochum, get that boy's creature with your double slap!" The small pokémon ran up to Samuel's monster and leapt into the air to keep Petra from chomping down on Exeggcute.

Pointing her finger out at the fray dramatically, Hoshiko shouted at her gyarados. "Stop that smoochum, Hanu!" And upon her command the gargantuan pokémon opened its mouth wide, letting out a violently fast stream of water at Smoochum before it could actually attack Petra.

"Great job! Now don't let your guard down!" Hoshiko coached her pokémon.

Marian wouldn't have any of it. Her teeth gritted as her pokémon was sent flying. "YOU CREEP!" She yelled at Hoshiko. "With your stupid pokémon, just because it's big doesn't make you good. SMOOCHUM! Get that gyarados!"

Upon the command, Marian's Smoochum struggled to get back into the battle and ran at Hanu, bombarding the creature in a shower of glinting ice shards. Hanu was forced to brace against the storm, and it was lucky for him that his thick scales protected him against the brunt of the assault.

Meanwhile, Fredrik's eyes went wide with surprise and fury when Smoochum failed to strike Petra...that could only mean that Exeggcute was fully exposed...

"Exeggcute, look out!" He shouted as Petra came down on the cluster of eggs. The pokémon tried to dodge the swooping sea serpent-like beast, but wasn't fast enough to hop out of the way. Sharp teeth met the tough outsides of the shells, and the Exeggcute cried out in pain as it was chomped down upon and then tossed to the side.

However, despite their rough treatment, the egg cluster bounced back up fairly quickly.

"Good job, Exeggcute! Keep it up, you hear me?!" Fredrik clenched his fists. "Use confusion on Jewelry Boy's beastie!"

Exeggcute grunted in agreement, and suddenly, Petra's mind was bombarded with painful, damaging mind waves. She fought against them though, and even though she came out in pain, she resisted confusion.

"Hang in there, Petra. Looks like we're gonna have to get serious. Let's turn the tide of this battle our way. Prevent the opponent from using anything but physical attacks. Kafizzle!"

Petra grunted and roared, rearing her huge head back. Suddenly, a strange aura of spinning orange spheres began to circle both Smoochum and Exeggcute individually, closing in on them until the ethereal spheres hit them and encased them both in a soft orange aura.

Samuel crossed his fingers, hoping that neither pokémon wouldn't be able to resist the move, and he watched and waited for the effects to take place. Nudging Samuel's arm slightly, Hoshiko smiled at him.

"We're going great." She whispered to him happily and then turned her face back to the battle.

Smoochum, much to the distress of the team fell under the status effect that Petra was trying to cause. Gritting her teeth, Marian glared at Samuel's monster.

"My trump card…." She muttered, annoyed. "Smoochum! Tackle that creature, show them what you've got!" She cried out, angrily. Smoochum obeyed automatically and ran at the opponent without protest.

"Not so fast! Body Slam that smoochum, Hanu!" Hoshiko yelled out, her gyarados throwing its body at the smoochum to intercept the attack. The massive dragon let out a tremendous, earth shaking roar as he plowed into the much smaller creature.

Smoochum was sent flying across the battlefield with the force of Hanu's body slamming into her and upheaving parts of the ground. She struggled to get back up, and even her trainer's yelling did help much with getting her back into the battle.

Hoshiko smirked to herself, fully aware that Hanu had a rather bad temper in long battles. And to him, a long battle was anything that he did not win by instantly squishing the enemy.

"Next move is outrage, Hanu!" Hoshiko called.

The gyarados turned on Exeggcute, ready to attack. The Exeggcute had managed to shake off the status effect, but now that he was looking up at both Petra and Hanu, it was obvious that he didn't stand much of a chance. Fredrik knew it just as well as his monster did, and he gritted his teeth furiously.

"Gah...don't let it stop you. Exeggcute, you can handle this! Catch them with psychic! We'll take 'em down!"

The exeggcute complied, and concentrated hard, its eyes glowing again as it attempted to capture both dragons in its mental onslaught.

"We've got 'em now, Petra!" Samuel chuckled and pointed at Hanu. "Give Hanu a helping hand! Increase his attack power."

Petra reared back and roared, gathering energy that she concentrated and sent into the Gyarados' body.

"We make a good team Samuel." Hoshiko smiled widely. "Alright Hanu, let's keep up the good work, don't put Petra's help to waste...now OUTRAGE!" On her tippy toes, Hoshiko leaned forward in the excitement of the battle. Even Hoshiko's eevee was getting excited to watch her battle ally fighting so well. She shrieked out in encouragement to Hanu, desperate to see him overcome.

With energy glowing around him, Hanu looked back at Petra roaring in what could seem in an amiable way. But when he turned back to the exeggcute, his eyes flashed with ferocity, and he swung his massive tail at the small pokémon with all of the power he contained within himself and that which was threaded through him by Petra.

"AGH!" Beyond angered at the way the battle had gone, Marian screamed out in fury, clenching her smoochum's empty pokéball as she witnessed Exeggcute crushed under the huge tail of the furious sea monster. Sand billowed into the air, obscuring the field, and everyone leaned in eagerly, trying to see the shadows through the thick haze.

When the dust cleared, Exeggcute was still up, staring defiantly at the gyarados through flinching eyes, but as it tried to move forward, it shook, trembled, and at last all of the eggs in the cluster gave in and toppled over, too exhausted to try any longer.

"No!" Fredrik cried out, running towards the exeggcute and dropping down next to it. "How could you...how could we..." He sighed in defeat and held up his pokéball, recalling the monster with a sad shake of his head. "I just don't believe it..." He grunted.

Breathing out a sigh of relief as Exeggcute fell, Hoshiko whooped and jumped up, delighting in victory. She ran over to her gyarados and practically tackled him with a flying hug, which wouldn't even feel like a poke to the large monster. Coming out of his rage, the gyarados replied to the girl's hug happily and swayed his whole body in response. Even Eevee was pleased and nuzzled her head against Hanu's side with surprising affection.

"You did so great, thank you. I knew you could do it!" Hoshiko praised the monster in her command.

Samuel recalled Petra and smirked at Hoshiko. "Nice job."

He started moving towards Fredrik. The defeated man didn't look up as he held the pokéball containing exeggcute over his head.

"Here, take it." He grumbled.

Samuel reached out and took the pokéball from Fredrik's hand, rolled it over and over in his fingers, and then...

He replaced it.

"Naw, Dude, you keep it."

Fredrik looked up, astonished. "What?!"

"It's yours man." Samuel smirked.

Marian approached the happy Hoshiko, carrying Smoochum in her arms along with its pokéball. "Here. I guess...she's yours now."

"I never wanted that. It was your idea." Hoshiko smiled widely at Marian. "Just be friends with her now, that's what your pokémon really wants." And placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, she smiled.

Marian looked at Hoshiko with surprise, and had to turn her face away quickly to hide a tear of gratitude. Surprisingly enough, Marian looked down at her smoochum and stroked her head before giving the pokémon a hug.

"You did your best...thank you..." She whispered lovingly to the smoochum.

Hoshiko pretended not to notice, but with a smile she couldn't help wearing, she hurried back to Samuel.

"You did great! We did great!"

Samuel grinned proudly, and for once he actually looked rather pleased. Perhaps he didn't normally smile and the usual substitute was a smirk, but this time, the smile was for real. He put his hand behind his head and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Heheh, yeah you're right. We _did_ do great, didn't we?"

A big white muzzle suddenly pushed its way into the crook of Samuel's neck, and bumped him with a cold wetness that made him jump. He looked over to see Ace wagging his tail, and he laughed.

"You dork." He put his arm around Ace's neck and gave the big monster a good noogie on the top of his head. "You knew we'd win."

Ace only smirked, but Samuel could tell that there was much praise that Ace wanted to dole out, even though he couldn't. Ace licked his face, and he shoved the white wolf's muzzle away, wiping away the wetness.

"Ew, gross, Man!" Samuel laughed. "Keep your nasty ol' tongue to yourself. That's hardly dignified."

"Hehehehehehe. He's really happy for you!" Hoshiko sang out, turning to her gyarados, who was now beside her. She gave the Pokemon one last hug and a nice rub on the head before she held her pokéball out for him. "Once we get to Goldenrod, I promise you'll get some time in the water." And with that said, a flash of light and the massive pokémon vanished back into its pokéball.

"Hanu is just the best. He's so tough but on the inside he's a real softie." Stroking the gyarados' pokéball affectionately, Hoshiko placed it back into her bag. "I'm so glad that we won, I really hope those two learned something about pokémon training."

Stretching her arms way over her head, Hoshiko took in a deep breath of the sea air and looked up at the sky.

"So, did you want to keep exploring Olivine, or head for Goldenrod still?" She asked Samuel without looking back down, just taking in the clouds and hues of blue that covered the sky above them.

Samuel looked up at the sky as well and thought for a moment.

"This place is pretty cool. Maybe it would be fun to check out the lighthouse." He straightened up. "We could continue on after that, but it's kind of cool being here."

"Yeah, you're right Olivine is a really awesome place to visit and I'm sure we can get something to eat here, before we go to the lighthouse even." Hoshiko smiled and started to pet Eevee on her shoulder.

Samuel wouldn't admit it, but he was a sucker for traveling. Ace knew it though, and suppressed a chuckle so that it wouldn't slip out.

"Hey..." Fredrik's voice suddenly interrupted Samuel's thoughts. Samuel turned to the young man and looked at him as he went on, "I just wanted to say uh...good match. And thanks...for letting me keep my monster."

Samuel smirked. "No problem. You weren't so bad yourself."

Hoshiko sighed with contentment at how the results of the battle had humbled the other two trainers, and she glanced from Fredrik to Marian, who had already, in her own way, thanked Hoshiko. But the thanks wasn't really what she wanted. No, it felt even better just to see the girl holding caringly onto her pokémon. Finally looking back to Fredrik, Hoshiko had to say her own little piece to the young man. After all, he did start this whole thing.

"Thank you for the battle." She smiled at him. "It was a good fight, not one I'll soon forget."

Fredrik and Marian had no sooner wandered off then Samuel turned back to Hoshiko. He pointed towards the port.

"Are there any places to eat by the water? It could be sorta cool to check it out if there are. There's nothing like eating while looking out over the sea." He paused. "But I'm sure you know that. Maybe they have a seafood restaurant."

As Samuel spoke, Ace licked his chops at the very idea of food. He hadn't eaten in awhile, and was quite hungry from all of the exertions he'd been putting forth.

In her mind, Hoshiko started thinking of places they could go in Olivine to eat. "Hmmmm."

She turned towards the port and faced it with eyes watching thoughtfully, more or less just taking in the peaceful wanderings of people going about their own business. She didn't have to think long at all to recall a perfect place down by the port. When Hoshiko turned back to Samuel, she was smiling.

"Oh yeah, there's a great little place down there with a beautiful view, right off the water!" Waving for Samuel and Ace to follow her, Hoshiko took off running down towards the boardwalk.

* * *

As the three approached the Port, they caught sight of a quaint little cafe sitting right on the wharf. The weathered siding and tangled masses of ropes hanging from the outside walls did nothing to detract from the elegant little tables set with candles on the patio. Hoshiko led everyone to the shaded entrance and opened the door, letting the group in.

Upon entering, Hoshiko got a few curious looks from the regulars, but with her hair cut and her clothing style greatly changed since the last time she was in Olivine, Hoshiko tried to shrug it off, hoping they would assume mistaken identity.

Asking for a table for three, Hoshiko nodded towards the window where there was a beautiful view of the ocean.

"So, do you like it?" Hoshiko asked expectantly.

Samuel slid into his seat with the guidance of a waitress, and looked out the window at the water.

"The ocean is always pretty." He decided. "It's too bad we couldn't get a table outside. I still like this, though." He gave Hoshiko a thumbs up and reached for one of the menus sitting on the table. Flipping it open, he began to study the pictures of food made to look even better than it probably did in person.

"Mm, they have some good choices."

Ace leaned over Samuel's shoulder to look, and he licked his lips.

"What?" Samuel raised an eyebrow. "You see something you like?"  
Ace didn't answer of course, but Samuel knew that the big monster would happily accept any good meal.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you wanted to sit outside..." Hoshiko picked up her menu and looked at it discouraged. "I really wanted you to enjoy the meal too." Sighing at the thought, she scanned the menu, trying to look busy. She already knew all of the items and what she liked to order.

When Ace popped in though, Hoshiko perked up at bit, feeling better about the situation now that everyone was able to smile about it. "Hehehe, you have a wonderful companion in Ace." The girl laughed slightly.

"So, have you two decided what you want yet?" An approaching waitress politely cut in, smiling widely down at the two. Hoshiko handed her her own menu graciously and nodded.

"Thanks! Yeah, I'll have the house salad with a large order of those breaded veggie things and some iced tea to drink."

After scratching down the order on her notepad the woman looked to Samuel expectantly. "Did you need some more time?"

Samuel looked up in surprise. He hadn't even noticed that the waitress was there until she spoke to him directly. It took him a second to gather his thoughts, and at last he folded the menu closed. Handing it to the lady, he reflected on what Hoshiko had ordered. A lot of vegetables were healthy, but not substantial enough to fill him and Ace up.

"I'd like an iced tea as well, and some surf n' turf." The very thought made his mouth water. Something about eating seafood by the sea was a treat in and of itself. "Sound good to you, Buddy?"

Ace nodded and sat down beside the table, behaving very proper and patient.

"Great, I'll go put your orders in now." The woman smiled, tucking her notepad away and turning back to the kitchen of the cafe.

When the waitress left, Samuel leaned forward to talk to Hoshiko across the table. "Hey. Don't worry, I like sitting here. Having a view of the water is nice, and being inside is a lot quieter without the screaming birds."

Hoshiko turned to Samuel leaning over the table, and she smiled in relief.

"Oh thank goodness! I really wanted you to be able to enjoy your first meal in Johto. After all, Olivine is a beautiful place, but I think you'll find Johto to be a really rewarding region altogether. There's a lot of different pokémon here and the atmosphere is just so...I dunno, but I really liked it when I was here before."

Turning to see the ocean through the window, Hoshiko picked Eevee up off of her shoulder and placed her on the chair beside hers. The pokémon's head didn't quite reach the tabletop but she sat up straight so that at least her eyes were visible. "Hehehe, you like being here too, don't you, Eevee?" Hoshiko asked the pokémon, who replied with an elated squeal in sheer delight at being home. Of course, only Hoshiko knew that was why the tiny monster was so excited.

Samuel chuckled at Eevee's enthusiasm. Folding his hands, he looked at the little creature with studious amusement.

"She must like food as much as Ace here." He nodded at the big, white wolf-dog.

Eevee strained to see Samuel when he mentioned her name, and in her manner, began chattering at him cheerily in her own language about loving the food here, and about how much she loved Olivine and Johto.

Hoshiko only laughed, watching Eevee trying to communicate with Samuel. She patted her Pokemon on the head gently.

"Oh yeah, I always try to order for both of us because I know that Eevee's never liked processed pokémon food, and to be honest with you, I don't blame her. Just looking at it I don't know how some pokémon eat it."

Samuel laughed at that, then glanced back at his own monster companion. "Ace is such a pig though. I'm sure Eevee will be much more well-mannered."

Ace grunted his annoyance, strongly displeased with Samuel's insinuations against him.

"You know it's true." Samuel pointed out. "You may try to be dignified, but you don't pull it off well."

Ace turned up his nose.

"Hey!" Hoshiko looked at Samuel with annoyance, taking the napkin on the table, bunching it up and tossing it at his head. "Leave Ace alone. He's such a nice monster! You bother him too much, honestly. I know you're probably joking but you have to be respectful. He's your friend." Rolling her eyes the young woman sighed.

"Ace knows I don't mean any harm by it." Samuel shrugged slightly. "Besides. Real friends tell it like it is, right Buddy?" He laughed. Ace responded with a shake of his head, to which Samuel rolled _his_ eyes this time, "Such drama, I swear." He looked back at Hoshiko. "Don't mind him at all. He just wants sympathy from a girl." Samuel straightened the red bandanna around his neck and raised an eyebrow. "If you weren't here he'd be laughing it up and messing with me too."

Ace shot Samuel a glare as the waitress approached the table, and immediately Samuel realized that maybe he had let on a little too much about Ace.

"Well you shouldn't be making excuses for yourself. Ace has only acted nice and very polite since I've seen him. And he's quite affectionate towards you. He's a lovely monster, and I doubt he would want any sympathy from me! He hardly knows me!" Hoshiko laughed at the prospect and then turned to see the waitress standing at the table with their food. "Oh, thank you!" She said.

"Hey, it's my job!" The waitress giggled slightly and smiled graciously at the two. "No need to thank me." She finished, setting down the plates of food in front of both Samuel and Hoshiko. She followed the food up with two more empty plates. "Thought you might want to have some plates for your pokémon too." She turned on her heel and went to leave, but not before saying, "If you guys need anything else, you just let me know!"

"That was so nice of her." Hoshiko smiled, taking the plate for Eevee and filling it with the food from her own plate. One thing that was wonderful about this cafe was it's food. Everything smelled amazing and the presentation was perfect. After placing the food in front of Eevee, Hoshiko watched as the little pokémon went to eating. She was quite dainty with her food, but the way Hoshiko had piled the food high on her plate, it seemed strange that any pokémon that small could eat that much.

Hoshiko, however, waited for Samuel to start eating before digging in herself, just watching him and waiting expectantly. In her home it wasn't polite to start eating until one's guest had first started.

Samuel hardly noticed the gesture, and simply continued talking once the waitress was gone, even as he carved the meat on his plate in half and put one piece of it on a plate for Ace to snack on. He slid the plate over to the hungry white canine, who gratefully snapped it up.

"Ace doesn't have to know you to want sympathy from you. He's a ladies man anyways."

This time Ace chose to ignore Samuel, enjoying his food instead. Samuel meanwhile took a bite, and then went on.

"And I wouldn't call him a lovely monster, so to speak, but he's a good one. Best I've ever known."

Ace looked up in surprise at that and tilted his head as if to ask "oh really?"

Samuel blushed and looked away when he noticed that Ace had heard him. He wasn't exactly used to giving the monster compliments.

"But...uh...I mean...He's still a dork, either way."

Ace shrugged, and took another hungry bite of his meat.

"Well, I suppose we just have different opinions then. There's no real reason to debate it."

Hoshiko attempted to finish the conversation at hand and hopefully move onto something a little more friendly. If the two were supposed to travel together for any amount of time, she would have to try and be less severe with imposing the rules of her upbringing on Samuel. Who knows, maybe he could teach her to be more laid back?

Silently, the girl went to her food after Samuel did. Eating very much like a 'lady' with all of the dainty movements and little bites and silent chewing. It kind of made Hoshiko feel out of place with Samuel eating so differently then her, but only because he was acting like all of the other normal teenagers she had met.

"So...what do you plan on doing after we get to Goldenrod, Samuel?" She asked between bites.

Samuel hadn't thought about that. He put another piece of meat in his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. After he swallowed it, he furrowed his brow a little.

"Well, I'll probably figure that out when I get there." He poked idly at his steak and fish with his fork. "See, I've got these guys who are sorta...after me. I don't know exactly what they want, but I know that it has something to do with the lab that I used to work at. My mentor passed away recently, and I'm sorta...stuck holding the bag."

Samuel wasn't used to talking about himself. It felt weird to explain his story to anyone, but he figured that if he was going to travel with Hoshiko even for a little while, he might as well let her know what she was getting involved with.

"I worked for a man named Dr. Folds for a few years. We inherited the lab from his former partner, a man named Dr. Snap. Dr. Snap was a psycho, and was very much preoccupied with some very...dangerous pastimes." He paused, deciding that it would probably be best to leave out everything regarding the doomsday scenario that had unfolded over the Green Bays Islands. The problem would have become a worldwide apocalypse, but Samuel had stopped it, so he figured it didn't matter anymore.

"Well, Folds was very much into the study of monsters and training them. He wanted to find a way to make training easier. So together, he and I invented the pokéball. A pretty nifty little doodad. Better than these old things." He pointed to the silver ring on his finger with a big green stone in the center.

"I'm very sorry about your mentor..." Hoshiko paused pensively, not eating and not saying much else out of respect. "May he rest in peace." She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, and then focused on the rest of the things that Samuel had shared with her, Hoshiko fell silent once more trying to gather the appropriate things to say.

Which was hard because thoughts of Hart distracted Hoshiko.

"It sounds like you've had a lot of eventful things happening in your life, Samuel. Maybe now that you're here in Johto, though, you can take some time to relax. There are beaches here, forests, pokémon not found in any other region, and so many different places to visit and see."

She trailed off and pondered Samuel's revelation of his involvement with the creation of modern pokéballs. Hoshiko looked at Samuel's ring curiously.

"I think that wherever you lived it was different than Johto." Reaching into her bag, Hoshiko pulled out the apricorn ball again. Placing it on the table she watched it silently. "These balls were the first things that my ancestors used to catch Pokemon."

Samuel stared at the object, remembering it from the first time he had seen it. His stare seemed to criticize it, almost as if he felt...cheated, or perhaps threatened by it. He looked away from it after a moment and stared at the food on his plate.

"I never knew these even existed. Perhaps Folds did, but I don't know." He rubbed his brow with one finger. "I've lived on the Green Bays Islands for my whole life...or most of it at least. I've been to the mainlands before, but even back then I never saw an apricorn ball. Nothing resembling it either. Most trainers used food to win the favor of monsters, and as scout rings became more popular, they took the place of feeding...I've read history that suggests a long time ago, people didn't even feed monsters to get them to follow them. Often times monsters followed whoever they deemed worthy, and in the distance past, that was sometimes decided by battles between monsters and humans. Imagine! Men with swords and bows and arrows fighting monsters and defeating them."

It had been that way across the entire world, until technology came into play. But how technology appeared and where it came from, that was the real question. Had Samuel really been the first one to meet someone from the future—thanks to Celebi—and retrieve pokéballs for the benefit of the present? Or had there been someone else, even before him, that somehow ventured to the future first, granting their community a head start in monster-capturing capabilities.

It was too great of a coincidence that the apricorn balls and the pokéballs that Samuel had reverse engineered were so similar in structure and method. It wasn't something that could have just happened that way. There was something more going on, but there was no way Samuel could really find out.

"Hm." Hoshiko meditated on Samuel's explanation of monster catching history. "Well, I suppose everyone's method was different, considering who they were and where they lived." Saying this, she picked up the apricorn ball off the table and held it up to her face to examine.

"What really matters is that whoever it is catching the pokémon, or monster, as you say, feels that they have accomplished something and in the same turn deservingly won a companion for themselves. Because the bond between trainer and pokémon is supposed to last a lifetime, if a person is going to spend a lifetime with a monster by their side, then they need to feel that they deserve their friendship."

She looked at the ball one last time before placing it back into her bag, then continued, turning her attention on Samuel.

"It's just like people in that way. As humans we feel like we must win each other's friendship and trust. In a way, that's what the act of catching a pokémon should symbolize."

Without saying any more, Hoshiko went back to her food silently.

"I guess so..." Samuel decided as he stared at his food before resuming his meal.

He wasn't so sure. And he couldn't help but wonder where the idea of catching and training monsters had come from in the first place. Whoever had started the trend had certainly been at the head of something big.

He reflected on the fact that pokéballs as they were known now had been introduced to the mainlands only recently. How had they become such big sellers if everyone on the mainland used apricorn balls instead of scout rings? Better yet, why hadn't someone on the mainland come up with the idea of advancing apricorn balls to better technology before the people isolated in Green Bays had?

It was a peculiar question, but perhaps apricorn balls were a very isolated phenomena. Maybe, just maybe, wherever Hoshiko was born had been the only place to use them. Maybe someone in Hoshiko's hometown had somehow had a glimpse of the future and brought back the information to share only with the members of Hoshiko's community.

"Where did you grow up?" Samuel asked, now curious to investigate the idea for himself.

Hoshiko wasn't paying much attention to Samuel at first. Instead she enjoyed her meal and stole glimpses of the bustling oceanside town out her window. That was until Samuel brought up her origins.

"Gu...Ugh..." Hoshiko half-choked on the bite she'd just put in her mouth. After several failed attempts to swallow, she downed half her glass of water, and Hoshiko was finally able to breathe. Taking time to catch her breath and bring back the proper color to her cheeks, the young woman stared down at her food, unusually anxious almost to the point that Samuel might have though she was panicky.

"...Um..." Even though she had gotten the food down her voice was still shaky. Not sure what to say, if anything.

Samuel raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw the girl wasn't going to die right in front of him, and he stared at her for a moment with curiosity and mild amusement. He brought his elbow up to rest on the table, and put his chin in his hand.

"Is that so?" A slow smirk crept across his face. "No wonder those apricorn balls of yours haven't become a worldwide phenomenon. I've never even heard of _that_ place." He grinned mischievously.

Ace, who was now done eating, glanced at Samuel made a snuffing sound through his nose.

"My thoughts exactly." Samuel said.

Despite being moved to irritation by how Samuel had turned her incident into a joke, Hoshiko found it in her best interest to go along with it, hoping to avoid any further questioning. So instead of giving Samuel a stern look, she started to laugh.

"Hehehehehehehe, Maybe you're right. I suppose not many people have heard of where I come from then!" She forced a wide smile on her face. "You can be very funny, Samuel!" Hoshiko, offered the surprising compliment before looking back down at her food and starting to poke at the crisp leaves with her fork. "Yes, after this we should definitely go and see the inside of the lighthouse. Pokémon are what makes it shine brightly at night." She looked up at him, trying to change the subject.

"Did you know that Samuel?"

Samuel stared at Hoshiko for a moment, brow arched higher yet, and he tilted his head in confusion and cast a sidelong glance at Ace. The white wolf monster was also tilting his head, and had much the same expression on his face. His nose slightly wrinkled, he looked back at Samuel as well.

"Eheh... Right. That's really something, but you said so already." He raised his thumb and index finger and pointed at her with a wink. "I'm not so dense that I can forget you mentioning something like THAT." He crossed his arms and tossed his head back. "Call me Knife, cuz I'm razor sharp."

Ace rolled his eyes and put his huge paw on the table.

"Oh, right." Samuel held up his hand. "Check please." He started fumbling with the chain at his waist, where his bag was attached.

Smiling in relief that they had gotten of the topic of her hometown, Hoshiko leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Hehe, alright then. I'll keep that mind, Mr. Knife!" Turning back to her food, Hoshiko found herself consumed with eating, hoping to finish before the waitress dropped by again with their receipts.

Her eevee, who had finished all her food, nudged the young woman in her side.

"Huh...?" Hoshiko looked at Eevee, who gave her a strange look. Her trainer wasn't acting like herself. The little creature squeaked in reprimand to Hoshiko, nodding her head to Samuel while the boy fumbled with his wallet.

"Oh! Thank you Eevee!" Hoshiko dug deep into her skirt pocket and pulled out her own wallet, taking out enough money for her food, which she was oddly able to get exact change for before the waitress even came to the table. Placing it on at the edge of the tabletop, Hoshiko nodded to Samuel.

The waitress came to the table and placed the check down so that the two could pay, waiting for Samuel to get his money out before reaching for Hoshiko's payment.

"Hang on a sec." Samuel reached up and gently rebuffed Hoshiko's hand before the waitress could take her money. He didn't say anything else, but handed the waitress enough money to cover the whole bill. "And keep the change for your tip." He instructed.

The waitress smiled down at the two and then looked at Samuel. "Thanks so much for the great tip! I hope you two have a wonderful day!" The woman waved at the pair before she turned to wait on the next table.

Samuel slipped out of his seat, and Ace came up behind him, panting with what appeared to be quite a smile on his face. He rested his chin on Samuel's shoulder until Hoshiko was ready to go too, at which point Samuel walked off, forcing Ace to follow.

"Let's go see this lovely lighthouse of yours, Hoshiko."

Hoshiko didn't get up at first, but just smiled at Samuel, collecting her money from the table placing it back into her wallet. She stood up and bowed to her travel companion respectfully.

"Thank you so much Samuel! That was very kind, you really shouldn't have, and I'm supposed to be the one who owes you for saving me."

Samuel shrugged off Hoshiko's rather gratuitous thanks for the meal. He didn't think much of it himself. He'd just summoned his lessons on chivalry from the depths of his memory and decided to act on it.

She looked at him in embarrassment and shook her head. "I promise the next meal, I'm paying for!" She nodded decisively, and then picking up her eevee, walked out of the cafe with Samuel and Ace.

* * *

It rose grand above the little group as they approached it, large and meticulously taken care of. The polished white stones of the lighthouse seemed to be just an expansion of the gray sky as seabirds circled it and found perches on the ornate iron railings that wound all around the outside observation decks.

Hoshiko waved on for Samuel and Ace to follow her inside, and once they had gotten into the towering structure, there was a woman there to greet them, handing each a pamphlet with various bits of information on the lighthouse and its history.

As Samuel stepped inside of the lighthouse with the big canine monster close behind him, he looked around at the fabulous interior that seemed to spiral upwards so high he couldn't even fathom climbing the stairs. Samuel opened up one of the pamphlets he'd been given, and he showed it to Ace.

"We should stick you up at the top." Samuel commented wryly. "Give you a better use than following me around like a lost puppy."

Ace growled and walked past Samuel, purposely knocking him over as he looked around. It didn't take a moment before Hoshiko's eevee hopped out of her arms and ran to the foot of the stairs, standing there expectantly, watching and waiting for Hoshiko without even a sliver or patience.

The girl giggled as she watched Eevee and went to approach her, but not before she noticed Samuel toppled onto the floor.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow at Ace and then went over to Samuel, reaching her hand down to help him up. "Wow, hehe, maybe you two are more alike then I thought."

As she was helping her companion, Eevee bounded over to the two and started to tug on Hoshiko's shoe with her mouth, fussing through her tiny teeth and uttering numerous demanding whimpers and mews.

"Naw, we're not alike. He's a brat, and I'm the cool one." Samuel muttered as he got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"I might say you're a little bit of a punk." Hoshiko laughed slightly, adding quietly afterward. "Not that I'm even supposed to use that word, let alone hang out with one..." Hoping that Samuel hadn't really heard her, Hoshiko started up the stairs with Eevee trotting happily behind.

Ace was sitting at the foot of the stairs, watching them with an unmistakable smirk on his face. Samuel noticed him, and immediately knew that the beast was doing everything he could _not_ to comment. The boy knew instinctively that the wolf had a nice, snappy comeback to his analysis of Ace, and that the unspoken retaliation that the monster was holding back was quite humorous. At least to him.

Samuel started walking towards the stairs and stopped at the bottom, letting Hoshiko go up first. Then, he followed her, and Ace got up to walk right at his side.

Samuel whispered in the big dog's ear. "Say it."

Ace's face distorted slightly into a look of suppressed laughter as he fought to keep his cover.

"Come on, say it." Samuel goaded, sneering at the fact that Ace was having a hard time keeping face.

A slight chuckle escaped the white monster, but he quickly contained it and licked Samuel's face—a long, wet, indulgent lick with his rather lengthy tongue. Samuel grimaced and wiped his face aggressively with his arm.

"Augh!"

Ace laughed this time. He couldn't help it. But he'd force himself to stop the moment he noticed anyone looking in his direction.

Looking back to see Samuel getting his licking, Hoshiko smiled to herself and then turned her head to look up the stairs still looming ahead. Calm as she seemed, she did raise an eyebrow at hearing that distinct laugh, one that reminded her last night. It was so much like the mysterious voice that talked to Samuel in the shadows of the evening.

It must be Ace. It had to be him. There was no on else around. Well...no one else that would be talking to Samuel that is. Just that thought made Hoshiko look around nervously for what would seem like no reason. She tried not to think about it, and went on, contemplating the possibility that yes, Ace was an unusual creature and there was just as much that Samuel was hiding from her as she from him.

The rest of the climb was reasonably quiet, if only because too much talking would have exhausted the breaths that were so hard to catch while hiking these endlessly long staircases. The group passed observation decks with little interest, focused mainly on getting a chance to see the view from the much higher top of the lighthouse. After a substantial hike, they were nearly there, and Hoshiko called back to Samuel and Ace.

"We're almost at the top! How're you to hanging in there?" The stairs were incredibly steep and she knew many people had problems climbing them.

"I'm fine." Samuel assured. He was only slightly out of breath as he came around the winding stairs to where he could see Hoshiko. Casually, he put his hands behind his head and his elbows out, taking a deep breath. Ace rounded the stairwell with him and looked up. He was sure he could see the top from down here, or at the very least, the ceiling.

"I think Ace is tired though."

Ace grunted and continued moving, just to prove Samuel wrong. He came up beside Hoshiko and wagged his tail in greeting, then he tried to pass her too, although he was very careful not to bump her in passing. Hoshiko laughed, patting Ace on the head as he passed her on the stairs.

Samuel watched as Ace got ahead of him, and he frowned.

"Showoff." He muttered. "See, that's the thing about Ace. He's all too eager to strut his stuff for the ladies."

By then, Ace was way ahead of them, but suddenly his head popped up from just around the bend, and he panted with a rather large grin on his face.

"See what I mean?" Samuel nudged Hoshiko with his elbow.

"Ah ha, you're a show off!" The girl called up to Ace merrily.

Eevee, glad that Ace seemed very inclined to appreciate Hoshiko, was having a great time, and she figured that she could make a new friend out of the large white creature whom Samuel seemed so intent to tease. She called out happily, bounding after Ace. He was, after all, a much larger creature—and consequently impressive—creature, and she could probably learn a few things from such a being.

Raising her eyebrow, Hoshiko watched Eevee follow Ace, and then turned back to Samuel.

"Looks like Eevee found a role model in Ace, whether or not he likes to flirt." The girl smiled and laughed. "Oh! Come on, we have to get to the top! Enough playing around." She hurried on ahead, taking off and giving Samuel little chance to even considered replying back.

As soon as they reached the top, they were bathed in the bright blue light of the sky outside. The three-hundred-sixty degree windows hid nothing from their view, and all of Johto sprawled out before them. Safety railings on the sides provided a nice place to lean and look out, and a particularly good perch for small monsters.

Eevee went to the edge and hopped up, peering through the glass at the silhouette of a traditional yagura tower peeking over the trees majestically in the distance. The tiny creature's eyes widened, and she yelped out excitedly.

Samuel was the last to reach the room at the top of the lighthouse, but once he had his attention was immediately drawn to the huge glass windows unobstructed all-around view of the ocean and the town. He'd never seen anything quite like it, and he made his way to the railing to look out.

"So this is how they guide the ships into the harbor..." He said in awe. "This is somethin' else." Ace came and stood next to him, looking out. Samuel glanced at him and asked, "Sorta reminds you of the view from Tartarus, doesn't it? Except without the swirling black clouds overhead and the jagged rocks below."

Hoshiko's attention was attracted by Eevee's reaction to the view as they all stood together. Leaning on the railing and observing the sight of the tower that had caused her pokémon to get so excited, the girl became swept up in a memory from her past.

_"Look! Look! Look sissy!" A young Hoshiko was pulling at her sister's skirt and pointing out towards one of the towers from Ercuteak. "I saw a pokémon up there! It was pretty!" The little girl continued to tug at her sister very enthused._

_However, the young woman looking down at Hoshiko wasn't as interested in what her sister had to say. "No. You couldn't have seen a pokémon up there. You've been listening to too many of Mama's stories Hoshiko. The Rainbow Pokémon only shows itself to people who are worthy."_

_"I might be worthy!" Hoshiko cried up at her sister, distressed at being considered a liar. _

_"You're just a silly little girl. That's impossible."_

The memory faded away along with a deep and heavy sigh as Hoshiko raised her elbows off of the railing and walked over to Samuel and Ace, forcing a smile.

"It's pretty incredible, huh?"

"It really is," Samuel agreed, not even aware that he was scratching Ace behind the ears as he stared out across the sea in deep thought. "I've seen a lot of things, and having lived and traveled among islands for much of my life, I've seen the ocean so many different ways, but never like this." He laughed a little. "Maybe that's silly, but the ocean never gets old."

He glanced at Hoshiko. "What do you think?"

"No, you're right, Samuel. It never ceases to be new." Hoshiko paused, staring out at the familiar scenery of Johto with a mixed sense of emotions at being back in her home region. "Every morning when a person gets up, there's something new to see there and it's impossible to ever tire of it."

Even though it came out more poetically than Hoshiko had meant for them to, they were the girl's true feelings. She had always loved the sea and whenever she was traveling and far away from it's beautiful blue view, the little wind flute that she carried with her always brought her back to the good memories of the sea.

"It's waves are always changing also. Like a dance that never really began and most certainly will never end. There's so much to be learned by watching the ocean."

She hadn't meant to share so much, perhaps, but now Hoshiko was so entranced by the scenery that she'd forgotten that it was Samuel she was speaking to.

Samuel raised an eyebrow. "A dance huh?" He smirked. "I guess I never thought about it that way, but it makes real sense. It sort of is like a dance. And I guess a dancer like you would know." He nudged her and laughed.

Hoshiko laughed slightly, nervously almost. "Yeah I guess I know a thing or two about dance...so it's easy for me to relate the ocean to that." She replied, glancing at Samuel to see his reaction but then turning back to the view of the water.

"Something's mesmerizing about the sea. I guess I could just watch it for hours. But even though it's really pretty, it's also an intense and very dangerous sort of place. It's sort of neat to think that where we're standing has been the beacon of hope for ships lost at sea. If we were way out there, and we saw the light on the horizon, we'd know we were close to safety."

"Yes, this lighthouse has been a beacon of hope for many. It's a true blessing that it stands here for everyone. A real gift, and in a way, even for those who aren't on the water it is still a symbol of hope, knowing how many lives it's likely to have saved. Even being here, we are very lucky to experience this."

But watching Hoshiko, Eevee couldn't understand why she wasn't showing Samuel the tower like she always would with her sisters. Approaching the two, Eevee started to pull at Hoshiko, trying to get her back to where she was standing before. She wanted Hoshiko to show Samuel the tower. After all it was a very special place.

"Uh...uh...hey! Eevee! Nononono. Please stop it...Let go." Hoshiko looked down at the little pokémon warily and tried to loosen her foot from Eevee's mouth gently.

Samuel looked down at the small pokémon in surprise and confusion, studying her reaction carefully and trying to figure it out. It didn't take long before it dawned on him. He grinned broadly and looked towards where Eevee was trying to direct her owner.

"She just wants to show you something." He laughed, looking out the window where Eevee was leading. Far off in the distance, he could see the tower rising up. Shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, he got a closer look.

"Oh!" He chuckled. "She's just trying to show us that tower over there." He pointed to it.

Watching warily as Samuel followed where Eevee was leading them, Hoshiko hoped that he wouldn't ask too many questions. But when Samuel approached the window and commented on the tower, Hoshiko resigned herself and came to stand beside him after leaning down to scoop up Eevee.

"Yeah, I guess she did want to show it to us."

Hoshiko replied softly, watching the tower off in the distance, unsure of what else to say. She simply stared outward at the tall golden structure, picturing moments in Ecruteak and in the tower itself, looking away before she would get emotional. And more importantly before Samuel would notice.

"It must be awfully tall, to see it from here." Samuel mused, laying his hands on the railing and looking out. "It's really pretty in the sunlight." He glanced at Hoshiko and grinned. "Hey, have you ever been there? I bet that's a great place to visit. It probably has all sorts of history, just like this lighthouse."

Ace came over and sat at Hoshiko's side, opposite of Samuel, and looked out. He seemed interested, but his expression was not one of confusion so much as intense study, and perhaps reflection. If Samuel had to guess, Ace must have known something about the building.

Hoshiko, unfortunately for her perhaps, was so wrapped up in her memories that she had all but forgotten that Samuel was really there. So when he questioned her on the tower, the girl responded absentmindedly and without any true amount of thought.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I've been there." She said, almost sounding tired, but it was more focus then anything. She didn't even flinch or look at Samuel for a second.

Eevee, however, was interested in Ace. Leaning over Hoshiko's arm to get a good look at him the tiny monster wondered just what he was thinking and why the monster seemed to stare at the tower with a gaze so similar to her master's own.

Did he know of Ecruteak?

Samuel looked at both Ace and Hoshiko in confusion. They were both so intent on the tower that neither had even really acknowledged him. He looked out towards it, then back.

"Hey." He asked, catching Ace's attention. The large white monster glanced at him questioningly, and Samuel prodded, "What is it?"

Ace stared at Samuel for a moment, then looked back at the tower, wondering if he should say anything. He had spoken in front of Hoshiko before, but only in the heat of battle, as far as he recalled. Aside from the fight on the ship, he didn't imagine that the girl would be aware of his unique ability of human communication. Or would she?

He breathed out deeply in a long sigh, deciding to let Hoshiko answer if she would. In the meantime he took notice of Eevee and cast a glance at her, tilting his head curiously. He knew that she was intrigued by his apparent knowledge of the tower. He grunted a soft, canine vocal that affirmed he knew of it, and of the legends surrounding it. Eevee's eyes brightened as she studied Ace, happy that he seemed aware of something that meant a lot to both her and to Hoshiko. The pokémon started to chatter to Ace, telling him that she also knew of the legend. And that Hoshiko also knew of it, and knew of it well for that matter. Ace, rather casually, responded by bumping Hoshiko with his tail, trying hard to get her attention.

Finally snapping out of her trance like state, Hoshiko turned to look at Samuel with eyes wide, finally realizing what she had already said to him and what he expected her to explain. Looking around awkwardly, the girl thought that he was most certainly talking to her and not to Ace.

"Um, n-nothing!" Hoshiko looked away from Samuel. "It was just a little bright, so I was having a hard time focusing my eyes…." She lied. "That's all. Nothing important, it's a really pretty tower though." This was awkward, _really_ awkward.

Samuel blinked at Hoshiko's reaction, but before he could say anything and ask the girl why she was behaving so weird, a soft, warm chuckle arose from Ace's throat. Samuel looked up in surprise and stared at him in disbelief, knowing that the great canine was usually loath to give away his secrets. Communications with humans were one of his most closely guarded, these days. But here he was, laughing, and Samuel noticed as the corners of his lips curled in an unmistakable smile. The Eevee amused him. Samuel noticed how he looked down at her with a soft wag of his tail.

"Hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, two towers were built in Ecruteak City: The Brass Tower in the west, and the Tin Tower in the east. One was said to awaken pokémon, the other was said to let them rest. Together, the twin towers were meant to strengthen hope and friendship between humans and monsters." He snorted through his nose.

"Noble enough causes, to be sure, but...unwise." Ace closed his eyes and shook his head. "The connection between humans and pokémon should be limited, but... I cannot change the things that have been happening. Believe me, I have tried."

He looked out the window, his blue eyes shining. "But enough about such gloomy outlooks...and back to the legend." He took a deep breath. "A lightning bolt struck the brass tower, setting it ablaze for days on end. A great downpour ended the inferno's terrible rage, but not before the fire claimed the lives of three pokémon. Yet, even in the wake of this terrible tragedy, the great legendary bird called Ho-oh here in Johto was said to have descended and resurrected the three fallen monsters, granting each of them legendary power.

One, Raikou, was said to be the embodiment of the lightning that struck the tower. Another, Entei, was said to be the fire that burned. And last, the great Suicune, is said to be the very rain that quenched the flames. The power of these creatures was so great that it horrified those who saw them arise. Yet, as time passed, and after they had long disappeared, they came to be known as guardians of Ecruteak and remain continued symbols of hope."

Looking over at Ace as he was laughing, Hoshiko didn't seem as shocked as she should have. After all, this was simply confirmation of what she had already assumed. She watched the monster carefully as he spoke, but upon hearing his outlook on the two towers, Hoshiko's brow wrinkled distastefully, obviously not sharing the sentiment of Ace.

Still, she remained silent as he explained the story. She didn't like how he told it, there were much more poetic ways to explain such a beautiful, historic event and Hoshiko found Ace's method, for a lack of better words, crude. Setting down Eevee, Hoshiko crossed her arms in front of her chest. Despite wanting to hide her identity, Hoshiko wasn't able to contain her emotions on the topic any longer. Looking away from Samuel and Ace, back to the tower, the young woman spoke.

"I've heard the legend many times. You must not speak of it so lightly." She shook her head, obviously bothered. "The Rainbow Pokémon has been said to reveal itself to trainers that it deems worthy, comes to roost at the top of the remaining tower to this day." Closing her eyes the girl let out a deep sigh. "And the other, Lugia, is said to have fled to the islands in Johto where it hides until a trainer worthy of it's power comes upon it." Looking down at her hands, the girl continued.

"Entei, Raikou and Suicuine. They do protect Ecruteak, they are constantly watching over it, hidden from they eyes of humans and pokemon alike. But...they are there. All of the pokémon of legend that we spoke of, they live. _I know it_."

Ace narrowed his eyes slightly, though whether in annoyance or amusement it wasn't obvious until he spoke. His tone was flat and dry, and a slight flash of his teeth almost seemed like a calm but serious warning.

"I know it too." His ears flattened against the back of his head. "I was there when every single one of them was born."

Samuel winced, and drew back slightly. He knew why Ace was upset, but it wasn't his place to explain a thing. He especially didn't want to explain such serious and harsh realities with such a kindhearted and merry young woman. To Samuel's surprise, Ace's tone relaxed a little, given only a moment of silence. The beast looked back out the window slowly.

"So they call him the Rainbow Pokémon now, do they? I suppose it's suiting enough, for all his appearance. I only remember him as a phoenix. Him and Lugia both. Powerful essences of a beautiful and glorious angel, fallen to earth. Perhaps they try to redeem themselves, but they should know better. Their heroic deeds are of the very same nature that got them in trouble in the first place."

"Ace..." Samuel murmured gently, trying to warn him of saying anything he might regret to Hoshiko.

It was too late. A look of offense crossed Hoshiko's face as she stared at Ace, and crossing her arms in front of herself even tighter, Hoshiko didn't try to hide the fact that she was bothered by the monster's comment. The young woman shook her head.

"How dare you make such claims against Johto's guardians? They have protected this land for hundreds of years and kept it in a wise and right balance." Turning her head to the side, Hoshiko didn't even want to deal with Ace any longer. This wasn't a matter of personal opinion, it was a matter of dishonor and from a child upward Hoshiko had been strictly brought up against dishonor or associating oneself with anyone who has a lack of honor in his heart.

"I am very bothered by this." Hoshiko finally said, very saddened by the discussion. Picking up her eevee gently, the girl turned back to the view of the tower. "...Lugia, Ho-oh, Entei, Raikiou, Suicune..." She whispered their names quietly to herself.

Ace frowned slightly, and he jumped when he felt a light touch on his shoulder. When he realized that it was Samuel, he sighed.

The young man stared at him for a moment with an imploring gaze, and then hung his head.

"Ace... you don't understand... You can't just expect everyone to know the things you know, and for that matter to even feel the same about them if they did. You know you and I have very different outlooks. She sees things differently too, and you have to remember... she's not you."

"She doesn't have to be me. She's right. They have presided over Johto for hundreds on hundreds of years. But I know their origins..."

"Ace..." Samuel nodded over to Hoshiko, and at that moment, the large white canine's ears fell. He could see the look of sadness on Hoshiko's face, and even despite himself, he couldn't help but feel bad.

"You're not heartless or a king without a soul." Samuel murmured. "If you were, you wouldn't be out to protect the human realm anyway. Underneath that rough exterior of yours is a big softie, and you and I know it. Why treat Hoshiko like she doesn't deserve the same kindness you afford me?"

"You know the truth of matters, and you don't resent me for telling you."

"It wasn't always that way, and you know it." Samuel grunted. "Just think about it Ace. I know you won't be with us much longer, but do you really want to part ways leaving her like this?"

Ace glanced at Hoshiko for a moment and furrowed his brow in deep thought.

Hoshiko was petting Eevee gently, not listening to Samuel or Ace. In truth, she wasn't interested in listening to them at all. This was a far cry from the trip that she had expected or wanted, and seeing the tower in front of her made the girl long for home. But she couldn't go home, and just as frustrating, she didn't feel comfortable traveling anymore.

Then there was Kaiser Hart to think about. All of this running away was getting too complicated.

But then Hoshiko actually heard something that made her think.

"I never said that I resented you" She said in a hushed voice "...I'm only living according to my upbringing." She didn't turn to the other two or turn her eyes away from the tower for a second.

Ace looked over at Hoshiko and sighed, his ears drooping slightly.

"I understand. And I know that tradition is very powerful among families and communities." The big canine beast shook his head. "I should have thought more carefully before I said anything. I don't mean to offend you, or your town, or your family. It's just that... I've seen a lot...and I have many things to worry about..."

Ace got up slowly and began walking towards the stairs, his long white tail flowing behind him, almost melancholy.

Samuel sighed. "Forgive him, Hoshiko... He's...not got an easy road ahead of him."

Slowly, Samuel got up to follow Ace. He hoped that Hoshiko would follow, or at least join them later, but Samuel had a feeling that Ace would be leaving sooner now...and he couldn't let his beloved friend leave without saying goodbye.

He followed the white monster all he way out of the lighthouse and onto the shores, where there were sea storm clouds gathering on the horizon. A lot of people had headed inside to avoid the coming rain, and so the solitude was welcome. Ace stopped on the sandy bank and looked out over the water. He didn't seem to notice that Samuel was there until the boy came up beside him and leaned on his massive shoulder.

"You'll find the Chosen One...and then this...nightmare will be over..."

"Oh no, Samuel..." Ace shook his head and stared off into the distance. "When I find the Chosen One, the nightmare has only begun..."


	4. Typhoon

**Chapter 4: Typhoon**

Hoshiko spent quite some time at the top of the lighthouse, just watching the clouds swell as she contemplatively gazed at the tower in the distance. She felt helpless and unsure of everything now, and could only wish for the slightly more carefree days of her early childhood. Nestling her chin against Eevee's fluffy head, the girl wiped her eyes with her left hand. Little droplets left on her fingers from tears that hadn't escaped onto her cheeks held her sullen attention. On the window glass, Hoshiko found tiny remnants of water, just like her tears, spotting the view. Taking one last longing look at the tower, Hoshiko turned to head back down to the bottom of the lighthouse.

She stopped only when a bright flash from behind bade her turn around. Her slow glance took her eyes back to the tower once more, and the girl could have sworn that she saw a golden light drifting near the tower, behind the sheets of rain that now came down in thick gray sheets. With a shocked gasp, Hoshiko took a harder look, but in the blink of an eye the golden light disappeared.

That settled, and again realizing that the downpour was only getting worse, Hoshiko gathered up Eevee and she ran all the long way down the stairs, worried for Samuel and Ace in the encroaching storm. Bursting out of the door, Hoshiko caught a glimpse of the two down on the beach, almost hidden by the screaming rain that cut through the darkening daylight. She ran towards them, without further pause.

"SAMUEL!" The young woman called out to him, with her distinctive, oriental-accented voice. "ACE!" She even called out of the creature, whether or not he had bothered her. Hoshiko still had to care.

Running down to the two, she found her feet sinking into the thick sand and making her stumble.

"Come on, we have to find a place to stay overnight during the storm!" She cried in desperate hopes that they could hear her. "Olivine can get bad weather like this!" She reached for the two as she finally came close enough, and went to pull them back up towards the lighthouse.

Ace stood, looking into the wind, unafraid of the lightning that streaked the sky and unfazed by the pelting rain that was now soaking his plush white coat. Samuel was standing pressed close to the big dog, using the great beast as a sort of shelter from the rain.

When he felt Hoshiko grab onto him though, he looked down at the poor girl in surprise.

"We can't stay in the lighthouse! We should probably try to find an inn or something!" Samuel called out to the girl over the wind and rain.

"The lighthouse is the only place that's really properly weather-proofed." Hoshiko pointed through the weather to the crowds of people gathering at the base of the lighthouse, pushing inside through the narrow doors.

Ace glanced at Hoshiko, and then suddenly, he flashed his teeth, snarling fiercely. Samuel's face went pale.

"What? What are you doing?!"

"Samuel..." Ace's voice was grating like rocks crashing down the side of a cliff: a far cry from the normal smooth tone his voice usually carried. "Don't go back to the lighthouse." He started stalking forward, his eyes seemingly fixated on Hoshiko.

"Run Samuel!" The huge wolf-dog cried out as he lunged in the girl's direction.

Hoshiko's head snapped up in time to see Ace charging toward her with horrifying fierceness. She froze in terror, letting go of Samuel's arm. Petrified by the look in the creature's eyes, and the speed in which he was coming at her, the girl wasn't sure what to do. But close as he was, time seemed to slow down agonizingly, so that she could hear every hammering beat of her heart like the slow, rolling thunder coming in from the sea. She'd never actually been attacked by a monster before, let alone such a large and foreboding creature.

In the light of a lightning crack, she looked up to see him coming down on her, and she let out a shriek of fear. Hoshiko bent forward to hide her eevee with the top half of her body, to make sure that the tiny pokémon was protected, no matter what might happen.

As Hoshiko hunched forward in defense and braced herself, the white monster flew straight over her head. Behind Hoshiko, coming from the direction of the lighthouse, a strange looking creature swooped down through the blinding rain. It was about six feet tall with the back end of a lion, a humanoid torso and hands, large wings, and the fierce head of an eagle. It had its attention on Samuel, Ace could tell as it watched the boy run and started to change its path to follow.

But Ace was faster, and as he jumped over Hoshiko, he grabbed the other monster out of the air with his powerful jaws and jerked his neck to slam the creature to the ground. The bird creature shrieked in shock, using its clawed hind feet to dig into Ace's chest in an attempt to push him away. Ace responded by sending a current of electricity coursing through its body.

"It's a Jamirus!" Samuel cried out over the wind. "Hoshiko, don't stand over there! Come on!"

Feeling the harsh wind around her but no pain from teeth or claws, Hoshiko looked up and turned around to see the frighteningly familiar creature now battling Ace. Her jaw gaped. Had she taken too much time? Thinking quickly the girl set her Eevee down.

"Go to Samuel!"

Hoshiko commanded the pokémon, and the little creature obeyed instantly, just as her trainer hoped. Seeing Eevee safe, Hoshiko reached for her pokéballs. The girl clutched Hanu's containment and held it out with a trembling palm. This was her problem, not Ace or Samuel's. Or at least it wasn't fully theirs, not enough that she could just let Ace be attacked so brutally.

Released from its home, her massive sea pokémon roared, empowered by the weather around him.

"Hanu! We're going to protect that white monster!" She called at him, running and jumping on the gargantuan dragon's back as he swept into the fight.

Samuel, for one, was stunned when Hoshiko turned to help Ace fight. His hand dropped to his belt, and he began loosening one of the pokéballs chained to his waist. It was then that he noticed Eevee running to his feet. He bent down and put a hand on her head.

"Look, you just stay here okay? Try to get out of the rain if you can." Samuel pulled a pokéball off of his chain and ran back to help Ace. If Hoshiko was going to offer battle support, he may as well too, even though he knew Ace wouldn't approve. The sand was soaking and clumped, sucking his feet in and making it hard to run, but even as he tripped and fell forward, he unlocked the ball in his hand and tossed it forward.

"Petra, go help Ace! You know what to do!"

The huge serpentine monster let out a loud roar and slithered through the air, hurrying to the battle.

Jamirus let out a horrific scream when he noticed the shadows of the two serpent pokémon joining in. Ace was a hard enough opponent that he hadn't expected. His calculations were obviously off. Nevertheless, he had to try and get a hold of Samuel's journal, now that he had blown his cover.

Determined not to be deterred, he screeched again, digging his beak into Ace's shoulder and spreading his wings wide. Even though Ace had him pinned down, he still had the strength and the capacity to summon his elemental strengths. And when he at last built up his energy, he beat his wings forward and a fireball ignited and exploded violently in between him and Ace, sending the white monster flying backwards.

Pushing her wet bangs out of her face, Hoshiko's could more clearly see Ace engulfed in a red-hot explosion that evaporated the rain in a small bubble around the fighting pair for a short time. Quickly looking back at Samuel, the girl screamed out to him.

"GET TO THE LIGHTHOUSE SAMUEL! PROTECT YOUR BAG!"

She whirled back to the battle, and Hoshiko pointed forward with on hand and held onto her pokémon with the other.

"Hanu, use Hydro Pump!" The girl commanded, leaning forward as her flying steed lurched down and reared his head, releasing an incredibly high pressured stream of water at the sinister bird.

The blast of water came at Jamirus with immense force, but the bird tucked its wings in and rolled out of the way.

"Good try! Keep fighting, Hanu, body slam!" And before Hoshiko knew it, she found herself holding tighter than ever onto the pokémon as he rose up and prepared to slam himself down on top of his opponent.

Eevee watched with eyes wide, and not wanting to listen to Samuel, she started to run towards the scene of the fight.

On its feet now, Jamirus thrust itself into the air with a mighty flap of its wings, only to have the massive weight of the Gyarados come crashing down on him and grind him down into the beach. Taking a sharp breath in upon impact, Hoshiko gripped tighter onto her gyarados, closing her eyes and huddling against his back.

Meanwhile, Samuel pushed himself up from the sand to see what was going on, and he ignored the discomfort of it sticking all over his wet skin and clothes. He saw when Ace was thrown back, and he heard Hoshiko's voice, but he was torn. It was apparent that this jamirus was after Samuel. Why else would it be here, so far from its natural habitat in Green Bays? And, if indeed it was after Samuel, maybe that meant that its master was around here somewhere.

Samuel didn't want to leave the battle though, and after some intense contemplation of the possibilities, he scrambled towards the fight.

"Petra, seal his abilities!"

The large serpent responded by creating that same aura absorptive energy light around the jamirus that had helped so much in the recent battle against the trainers. But, just as it was swelling and closing in to prevent him from using his fire attacks, the aura burst and vanished, having no effect. Jamirus' experience and willpower was much, much higher than that of the previous opponents.

"Dangit." Samuel growled in frustration, clenching his fist.

At that time, Hoshiko noticed Samuel coming closer to the battle, and she yelled at him once more between the chaos of the raging fight and the escalating storm.

"I TOLD YOU TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Immediately after, she went back to her pokémon and called out more battle commands.

"Get him while he's down! Bite and don't let go, Hanu!"

The pokémon growled and opened its jaws wide to attack the monster with a vice-like grip accompanied by razor sharp teeth.

Samuel frowned at Hoshiko's orders, and then he flinched when Ace barked the same from somewhere nearby. At least the canine was okay, but no matter what, Samuel didn't like being told not to participate. Being the stubborn son-of-a-gun that he was, he refused to simply run away. Stepping forward as the gyarados grabbed onto Jamirus with its mighty jaws, he continued giving orders to Petra.

"Boost Ace and Hanu's attack power!" He shouted.

The jamirus began to struggle, trying desperately to free itself from the gyarados' powerful jaws before Petra could feed her strength into the other two monsters.

Eyes narrowed as Hoshiko watched Samuel, the girl shook her head. Part of it was in dismay at the boy and his ridiculousness, but she was also starting to get dizzy from Hanu shaking Jamirus around in his teeth. Then, the energy began to flow. Hoshiko could only barely see a trace of it, like a glowing stream flowing from Petra to both Ace and Hanu. But as the energy light soaked into the flesh of her monster, Hanu suddenly felt much stronger then he had before.

Rejuvenated and invigorated beyond his normal capacity, he surged upwards with the Jamirus trapped in his jowls. Jamirus could only brace for the pain as the sea monster suddenly thrashed downward with all of the force of a deadly hurricane.

Hoshiko screamed and was left gripping her gyarados for dear life, the rest of her body dangling from Hanu. She was only able to regain control as Hanu released Jamirus and let the bird plow into the sand with a devastating eruption of sand. Breathing hard the girl gazed down intently as she pulled herself back into a proper sitting position.

"Okay, don't waste Petra's help, use hyper beam!"

And so the gyarados arched its neck and opened its huge mouth forming a ball of blazing energy in the back of his throat. Hanu's eyes glowed red in the dark, stormy sky. The exhausted and furious jamirus looked up and saw them looking down on him, and he could see the power collecting in the mouth of the great serpentine dragon. In an instant, he knew that there was no chance of him winning this match right this moment. He'd have to come back later, and rethink his strategy.

Spreading his wings and flapping them as quickly as he could manage, he lifted off of the sandy beach, feathers flying everywhere as he struggled to get out of the way before Hanu could hit him. Once up in the air, he made a break for it. Ace chased after him, sending arcs of lightning the bird's way, but once Jamirus disappeared into the thick of the storm, Ace lost him, and was forced to turn back and report to his master. He let out an angry snort when he reached the place where Samuel stood.

"He'll probably be back..." Ace growled.

Hanu, satisfied with the end results and comforted by soothing words of praise murmured to him by Hoshiko, let himself rest. Sighing deeply, Hoshiko allowed herself to sit on top of the large pokémon's back and relax her tightened muscles.

"Let's go get Samuel." She spoke to Hanu, and with perfect obedience, the pokémon turned around and went over to Samuel, picking him up gently with his mouth by Samuel's shirt collar. He brought him over to the solid ground and setting young man down with a low growl from his throat.

Petting her pokémon on the head, Hoshiko smiled down at Samuel.

"He's just asking if you're okay." She climbed over the gyarados' head, landing beside Samuel. Her Eevee ran over to her eagerly, crying out with concern. Hoshiko looked a mess, especially after being in the middle of the battle. Even so, the girl scooped up Eevee and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Samuel looked at his soaked and dirty clothes, and shrugged off his appearance as if it didn't even bother him. He smoothed his hair back and laughed slightly.

"Heh, thanks, Hanu. I'm alright." He patted the big dragon, then recalled his own to her pokéball. Ace came over slowly and bowed his head slightly.

"What do you say to you, Ace and I getting out of this storm now, Samuel?" Hoshiko asked tiredly.

"What do you think, Ace? Should we go get dry?"

The big white beast nodded slightly.

"I suppose so, but this attack puts a damper on my plans, I'm afraid. I can see you're going to need me around for only a bit longer, just to make sure Jamirus doesn't come back for you." He scoffed at himself in disgust. "I'm sorry that I couldn't stop him, Samuel. He got away too quickly..."

"Hey, it's okay." Samuel encouraged. "It just matters that we're all alright." The young man patted Ace's shoulder. "Come on, let's go find a place to stay and think this out."

Holding her Eevee close to her to protect her from the harsh wind and rain, Hoshiko held out Hanu's pokéball with her other hand, speaking only for a moment before placing him back into the ball.

"Thank you so much Hanu, I promise next time will be for fun, not for another battle." And with a small growl that possibly sounded strangely pleased, the pokémon went back into his smallish housing.

With that done, Hoshiko turned back to Samuel and Ace.

"Alright, come with me before this weather gets any worse."

* * *

Before long the three were on their way back into the main part of town where Hoshiko located an inn very easily. The lighthouse, much as she had wanted to return there, was too full to enter, but at least she had already known of this place. Everyone in Olivine had their storm shutters out, and even the inn was a trick to get into. Still, it was better than fighting the crowds in the lighthouse.

Once inside, a warm and dry atmosphere invited them to make themselves more comfortable. Aside from the fact that the power was out, it was still quite cozy, and everything candle light kept the shadows to the corners where they belonged.

"Wow, this is a pretty terrible storm..." Hoshiko paused for a breath and found that she could finally take a moment to listen to the howling wind outside.

Samuel looked around and laughed, listening to the pelting rain that he could hear even through the thick, safe walls.

"It really didn't seem so bad outside, but now I'm forced to agree." He chuckled, moving through the candlelit room towards the center, where there was an open fireplace with a vent through the ceiling in a long smokestack.

Hoshiko laughed slightly.

"Yes, it's quite the storm. But then again things like this appear in this region, especially in places so close to the sea."

The fireplace was almost like a pit combined with a stove, and it burned bright, providing welcome warmth to the young man whose clothes were soaked and chilling him to the bone.

Once close to the fire, Samuel quickly removed his two bandanas and hung them over a chair to dry. And, without even thinking about it, he took off his vest and hung it up too. Ace shook out his wet fur and lay down by the fire with a yawn, ignoring the other people who were staring in surprise, confusion, and possibly disgust at Samuel's half-nakedness. Samuel merely collapsed on the floor, stretching and leaning his bare back against his big, white canine monster.

Watching as Samuel and Ace made their way over to the fire, Hoshiko let Eevee down and walked with her to join them. She avoided taking quite the same approach at relaxing as her traveling partners did.

Taking her bag off of her shoulder the girl reached in and pulled out her blanket, laying it on the floor for her and Eevee to lay down on. She took out the same clothing that she had made into a pillow the previous night. Hoshiko and Eevee were both very accustomed to traveling and sleeping wherever they could, so this felt much like the comfort of home.

"Have a restful sleep Samuel. You too Ace. You both deserve it after such a battle." She turned to gaze into the fire and watch its slowly flicking tongues, not ready to fall asleep yet even with Eevee's little warm body cuddled up against her chest.

There was a lot to think about...

* * *

A loud crash stirred Samuel from his sleep, and upon opening his eyes, he was met by sheer darkness and the sound of wild wind and loud banging. He could hear children crying and adults talking, but he wasn't quite sure what was going on. Suddenly, a loud crash almost made him jump out of his skin. Immediately on his feet, he took a step forward and tripped over Ace. The big white dog sat up and spoke quietly. He didn't mind talking here, because nobody could see just who was talking.

"Samuel, wake Hoshiko."

"What's going on?" Samuel asked, worry riddling his voice.

"There's a typhoon, it seems." Ace informed. "The building is at risk of being compromised. There's water coming in from somewhere."

Hoshiko had only drifted off a few minutes before the commotion started and subsequently heard when Ace told Samuel to wake her. The girl sat up slowly but soon became fully alert as all of the talking and worried noises filled her ears more coherently.

"Mmmmm." Rubbing her eyes and standing up with Eevee in one arm, Hoshiko quickly packed up her bag and followed Ace and Samuel's voices. When she found them in the dark, she spoke softly to them in a nervous tone. "This is truly terrible. We must do something. Typhoons are so dangerous; everyone here could be in grave danger..."

Squinting to see through the pitch blackness, the girl shook her head slowly, finding that she could make out very little aside from the vague, shadowy shapes of people. There were children and parents among them. It was too sad to think of what might happen if they were to go unprotected.

"What can we do?" Samuel asked through the darkness. His expressions were invisible through the shroud of black, but the worry in his voice was deep enough that just hearing it, you could feel it in your bones. Ace was nervous too, but when he spoke he was much calmer, and very pensive.

"We need to reinforce the walls and especially the windows, and we must seal any cracks that have developed. If any spots grow too weak, they are at great risk of being splintered and the building could be destroyed. We will also need to find a way to get rid of the water already leaking in... But _how_ eludes me..."

Scratching her head, Hoshiko listened carefully. There weren't a lot of options as far as what they could do to fix any of the current damage without building material. At least none that Hoshiko could think of. The weight of helplessness made her skin crawl with panic, but she managed to keep her wits about her, and she lowered her head, trying hard to think.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do, Ace. I can't think of any way to seal off those cracks... I mean, I can get Hanu to help with getting rid of the water, and he might even be able to help with protecting the front of the inn. But a sealant...I just...I can't think of anything."

Stumped, the poor girl felt absolutely terrible with no real answer to help.

"I can't think of anything either." Samuel supplied. "But what if we were to bring the idea up to other trainers? They may have ideas, or at least pokémon who can help."

He got up, shuffling his feet across the ground to avoid tripping over anything, and he tried to move farther out into the heart of the room.

"Hoshiko, maybe there's someone in here with psychic pokémon. I hear that they can create barriers and reflectors that would help to defend the building. What if we rallied the trainers who had psychic pokémon and assigned them to protecting from the storm. Then you, Hanu, and other trainers with water pokémon could think of a plan to get the water out."

Ace smirked slightly, though no one could see it. "You are indeed a clever young man, Samuel. It is why I take pride in you."

Samuel could feel himself blush, and he was glad that nobody could possibly see.

Hoshiko smiled at Samuel's idea, taking Eevee and placing her inside of her bag, so that the pokémon's head peeked out at the top. And reaching for a pokéball at her side, Hoshiko pulled two pokéballs into her hands.

"I have one psychic pokémon that could help with the effort." Releasing the pokémon from its pokéball, she revealed a little abra. "Alrighty, I've got a job for you." Hoshiko instructed with newfound hope. "What you've gotta do is track down everyone with psychic pokémon. We've gotta get all of the cracks in this place shielded with barriers. Got it?"

The pokémon responded with a hissing sort of trill, and quickly ran off to do his job. Fingering Hanu's pokéball, Hoshiko looked in the general direction of where she had last heard the voices of Samuel and Ace.

"I can't let the gyarados out in here. I think...I think I'm gonna go out there with him. We can take care of the water from outside."

Samuel grimaced at the idea of Hoshiko standing out there in the wind, rain, and lightning. He could think of all the bad things that could happen, leaving her battered, soaked, or otherwise burned to a crisp. Yet, he also knew that she probably had enough will to defy him if he told her not to go, and he also knew that they needed all the help they could get.

"If you go outside, I want you to take Ace with you." He reached out and put his hand on Ace's fluffy shoulder. "He can at least deflect the wind and lightning. I'll stay in here with Abra and help him find enough psychic pokémon to build a barrier of protection around this whole building. Maybe I can get them to protect you too. We'll just have to see how many there are.

"Good thinking." Ace agreed. "Hoshiko, you'll need to stick close. Let Hanu and I do the hard work. You just pay attention to where the water is getting in, and he can draw it out for you."

Hoshiko turned towards the sound of Ace's voice, and answered with mild hesitation.

"I...I would prefer if he stayed inside but...if you're both sure, then we'll work together." Still fingering Hanu's pokéball in her hand, the girl turned towards the door. "Please be careful, Ace."

Hoshiko warned caringly. She made her way through the dark room to the door near the front windows, pressing against it to open it and finding it stuck. Forced to exerting a great deal of effort just to combat the storm forces holding the door shut against her, Hoshiko battled and leaned all of her weight into it.

"Urgh."

With one sound grunt, she finally managed to get the door open, letting herself and Ace out into the formidable weather. Even though Hoshiko was frightened, she quickly released her pokémon into the surging front. The gyarados looked for his trainer instinctively as soon as he saw the harsh environment raging around them. Hoshiko yelled over the weather as Ace emerged from inside and kicked the door shut with his hind paw.

"Hanu! We've got a big job!" And in the middle of her talking, the sea dragon lowered his head in front of her so that Hoshiko could get up onto his back. Climbing up with some difficulty, Hoshiko continued to shout.

"We have to find all of the places that are leaking water and get rid of it. This is a big deal, Hanu. A lot depends on this! Let's go!"

Grabbing onto the top of Hanu's head, the two rose upwards towards the roof, where the brunt of the typhoon pounded against the weakening structure. Hoshiko held tightly to her gyarados' dorsal fins, ducking down to cut through the wind with minimal resistance. She could hardly see with the sheets of water pelting her face.

Ace followed close behind the pair and took one long leap up onto the roof, landing gently and carefully maneuvering himself so that he could turn his back to Hoshiko and Hanu and face into the weather. His fierce eyes scanned the raging storm clouds, watching the arching lightning. It was definitely dangerous to be on top of the roof in this weather, but Ace wasn't intimidated by the thunder and flying bolts. His mastery over lightning gave him an immunity that was strong...to the point that lightning bolts even had the power to heal him.

Staring into the wind, he reached out for the electricity, following its static trails with his senses until he reached the source of the lightning spawn. The cruel crackling that tingled against his will did nothing to dissuade him. He understood the charges the same way he understood breathing. He couldn't have explained it to anyone, but it was almost reflexive to the point that, as soon as he felt the resistance, he dispersed the flow of energy, redirecting the lightning that came down upon the building and sending it away from Hoshiko and Hanu.

Through eyes barely open, Hoshiko guided Hanu to the first and most serious of the leaks, where the roof peeled up under the thrust of the gale and water streamed down into a wide hole.

"Okay, I need you to withdraw the water from this one first!"

The massive pokémon leaned his head forward and siphoned the water in a whirling waterspout up out of the damaged roof and into his mouth. Once his mouth was full, he turned his head and spit the massive stream out away from the trembling structure.

"Good! Now keep going!"

The effort seemed monumental, but with water pokémon assisting from inside, all that Hanu had to do was draw on their streams that they sent out to him and channel the flow out of the inn's bounds. It wasn't long before the majority of the water inside was gone, and the only battle remained with the downpour that was still trying to get inside.

A crack of lightning streaked down through the sky, towards Hanu, the tallest thing in range. Then, suddenly, it swerved and struck Ace instead, who stood against the shock with fierce determination. The electric glow around him beamed white hot, and then dimmed softly, until all that was left was the faint residual glow caused by temporary imprint of light on the eyes.

Hoshiko clung to her gyarados, clenching her eyes tightly in expectation of being hit. But when she found herself still alive and unsmoldered, Hoshiko glanced up to see Ace standing there firmly, shimmering with the buzz of static. She heaved a deep sigh of relief the went back to her work with Hanu.

Inside, Samuel hurried and rallied every trainer who had water pokémon and directed them to every damp and leaking area that he could find. He suggested that they either send the incoming water back out through the cracks, or use their skills to direct the dripping and excess water into buckets and barrels. Each trainer and monster then decided on their own method of flood control, depending on their own abilities, and got to work. While they did that, Samuel went around with Abra to get the psychic pokémon standing all around the inner perimeter of the building. With at least one in every room, he had their trainers order them to use protect.

Abra quickly managed to gain the trust of his fellow monsters, and while Samuel doled out instructions to the masters, Abra coordinated the mental efforts of the pokémon. He went to the upper level of the building, and as the barriers went up, he put his focus into drawing all the barriers together and strengthening them to complete a protective dome that rose up and over the inn.

Another bolt came crashing down. Ace prepared to draw it to himself, but out of nowhere, a shining bubble of protection enclosed the building, and the whole surface lit up as the lightning danced across the top. Ace stood up straight, and when the light cleared, he could see how the rain rolled down the outside of the invisible barrier, highlighting it against the gray-black sky.

"Haha! They've done it!" He barked. And then in a softer voice, he proudly said, "Good work, Samuel."

Hearing Ace cheer, Hoshiko looked back at him. She even caught what he said under his breath, and rolled her eyes, feeling irritated at Ace being biased. Sensing his owner's feelings, Hanu snorted indignantly and let a low growl out from his throat. Patting her pokémon on the head with a smile, Hoshiko felt a little more encouraged.

"Thanks Hanu." She leaned forward and gave him a hug on the top of his head.

Now that the rain could no longer reach the building, the last of the cleanup turned out to be significantly easier. Hanu and the other water pokémon drew out the remaining water and let it flow down to the ground, away from the inn.

When the water was sent free of the premises, Ace heaved a huge sigh of relief. The effort had been pretty great, and very risky, but it had been worth it... And now the inn would be safe. The big white dog made his way closer to the gyarados, now perched confidently astride the roof, surveying his handiwork.

"Excellent job!" Ace called out. The wind was still loud, and the rainfall still stifling, but it was slightly muffled against the outside of the barrier. "Let's hurry and get inside!"

He jumped down off the roof, catching himself on all fours and shaking out his wet coat. Then he looked up and waited for Hanu and Hoshiko to follow.

Watching Ace, Hoshiko nodded. Hanu followed behind the white monster, landing with his passenger back in front of the door. Climbing off of her pokémon, Hoshiko leaned over and hugged him, offering a small kiss on the forehead.

"You've done so well, I knew you could never let me down." Smiling gently Hoshiko held out the gyarados' pokéball, and he quickly vanished into it.

Set and ready, Hoshiko slipped back inside of the inn with Ace, dripping all over the floor as she closed the door behind her. Eevee jumped out of her bag and squealed in triumph, calling out to Abra. The small psychic pokémon appeared in the middle of the floor, just sitting in front of Hoshiko with his arms up. Hoshiko bent down and took him into her arms.

"Thank you so much, Abra!"

The pokémon replied back happily with a sighing hum.

Samuel came back in from one of the rooms, carefully avoiding tripping over things in the dark. Someone had a couple candles lit again in the main room, and they cast a faint glow throughout the chamber, offering just enough light to see by. The boy with the spiked silvery hair saw Hoshiko and strode over with a smirk.

"You did it, kid, you really did it." He crossed his arms, clearly impressed. Then Ace approached, big white tail waging. "Hey mutt!" Samuel shouted. "Thanks for the help."

Ace bowed deeply, but didn't say a word, for now people would see if it was him talking or not.

"We all make quite the team, don't we?" Samuel asked, smiling.

Hoshiko was ready to punch Samuel in the arm for calling her 'kid', but she resigned herself to a simple smile and a shake of her head. At least he was being nice.

"Thanks, we couldn't have done it without you, Samuel. And besides, I was really just guiding Hanu…. It was really all his work." The girl looked down at her hands humbly, and happened to notice the state of her clothes.

"Hm. I'm soaked. This is terrible. I'm making the floor all wet..." Looking annoyed at herself, Hoshiko set down her abra and her bag. Since she had planned on doing her laundry on the ship and those plans were dashed by her capture, there was only one thing she had to wear while her clothes would dry by the fire.

"Please, pardon me for a moment."

Nodding to both Samuel and Ace, Hoshiko located the bathroom and disappeared inside, changing out of her wet clothes. Although she felt embarrassed and awkward, Hoshiko emerged from the bathroom with her dancing kimono on. Her cheeks bright red, the girl quickly shuffled over to the fire that someone had rekindled and laid out her wet clothes to dry. She didn't say anything, almost in hopes that no one might notice how she was dressed.

Of course, Samuel glanced over at Hoshiko automatically when she returned, and was about to speak when he noticed the kimono. Surprised and struck speechless for a moment, he couldn't help but stare, despite the rudeness of the gesture. Ace's big wet nose on his neck quickly redirected his attention as the big dog silently pointed out that he wasn't being polite.

Samuel cleared his throat and brought himself to attention, getting to his feet from where he had been sitting momentarily, and he walked over to greet Hoshiko. He himself still hadn't put his shirt back on, but he was a little less concerned about being stared at by _anyone_ in the inn. He didn't care what people thought.

"Nice uh...nice jacket." He said with a half smirk. Ace growled at Samuel's abruptness and lack of tact, but Samuel pretended not to notice the scolding. "Ace says he likes it too."

"Oh?" Hoshiko turned to Samuel, a bit shocked by his comment. Not so much at how he said it, but at how suddenly he seemed to appear beside her to start up a conversation again.

"T-Thank you...I um, I picked it up during my...travels." She started much less confidently than she would have liked to reply to Samuel. "I thought it was very pretty, so I bought it."

It seemed silly and almost dishonorable to lie about such an important article of clothing, but Hoshiko just didn't want to talk about the true origins of the kimono. And after all, who would understand if she tried to explain that she was a Kimono Girl...or one in training, if people really made a difference between the two.

Hoshiko's eevee came up beside her and snuggled into the girl's lap rubbing her head in the familiar and soft material of the girl's oriental gown. Why did Hoshiko wear such funny clothes now days? Eevee wondered. Kimonos and Yukatas were so much more comfortable, and it seemed to her that all of the people she had seen on their travels were dressed just as funny as Hoshiko had been dressing until now. Samuel was no exception either.

"Yeah, it's pretty." Samuel decidedly agreed. He was less distracted by it now, though, and more amused by Eevee. "Looks like she likes it. Guess it must be comfortable."

Looking up at Samuel, Eevee knew he was talking about her. She cooed happily and started to chatter in her little mousey voice. Obviously Samuel couldn't understand her, but she didn't seem to care too much about that. Eevee simply went on and on, explaining how she loved Hoshiko's other kimonos and yukatas too. She vocally wondered why the girl never wore them anymore.

Looking down curiously at her Eevee, Hoshiko started to pet her gently.

"I guess she likes the attention." Hoshiko laughed.

Samuel stretched his arms behind his head. "Thanks for all your help by the way." He knew he had already thanked her, but he felt the need to say it again, for whatever reason. "You didn't have to, but I'm positive everyone in this inn is just as glad that you helped. The storm is a lot worse than anyone anticipated."

"No really, it wasn't me. It was Hanu." She looked away modestly and shook her head. "Thank you too, though. We couldn't have done it without you! The water would have been taken out of the inn as many times as we could have, but it never would have amounted to anything without you and Abra too."

"Well that's the benefit of being a part of a good team, isn't it?" Samuel smirked.

He had always been one to value the members of the teams he was on, even if they were just his monster teams. He knew that each person or pokémon had a place, and a duty, that would help benefit the whole. It was part of the fun, learning what everyone's place was, and then watching them excel.

"Tell Hanu I'm proud of him. He's a good pokémon, and he should know it." Samuel slowly turned away, smiling to himself. "I'm gonna go back to sleep, now that things have calmed down a bit. You should too."

"Alright, I'll be sure to tell him that you said. I know he'll really appreciate it."

Hoshiko smiled as pride swelled up inside of her. She had raised and trained Hanu herself, and she was delighted at how well the pokémon had performed. Like she was with Eevee, she was very close with Hanu, and it was a wonderful feeling to have him acknowledged, especially by someone as hesitant to offer praise as Samuel was.

She watched as Samuel started to get ready to sleep again, and Hoshiko nodded.

"Right. Good idea, Samuel." She pulled her blanket out from her bag and lay down herself, taking Eevee into her arms as she settled in.

Eyes closed, the girl sighed deeply at the silkily familiar feeling of her Kimono against her skin, and tiny tears seeped out of her eyes. Being back in Johto, seeing the tower, and now rediscovering her family's traditional clothes; maybe it was getting to be too much?


	5. Monster King

**Chapter 5: Monster King**

The next morning, Samuel was on the front porch of the inn bright and early. From his position, he could see the damage left behind by the storm the night before. Debris was strewn all across the streets and the beach, and everything was wet, soggy, and in awkward piles where they weren't supposed to be.

The young man had his now dry shirt and his scarf back on, and he nibbled thoughtfully on a piece of toast. The inn fared well, considering the magnitude of the storm, and the lighthouse was just fine, but some of the houses had fallen trees crushing their rooftops. It was sad to see that the pristine town from yesterday had been turned upside down in so short a time.

"I want to help them." Samuel told Ace quietly. "But I don't know that staying here would be a good idea...if people really are after me, we should get moving."

"Such is only the truth, Samuel." He paused, "And I...I still must go soon."

"I know it..." Samuel shook his head in disappointment. "And I shouldn't be selfish, demanding your help and escort."

"The gate won't wait, and if I don't stand by it, something terrible could happen. It's sealed, for now, but we both know that it's capable of being broken. Besides...I must find the Chosen."

"I want to help you..." Samuel frowned. "I want to help you find the Chosen."

"I know you do, but it's not an easy task, and the things you'd become a witness to if you were involved...they would change you forever."

"I don't care. I could still help. Heck, I could probably BE the Chosen, if you'd let me."

"No Samuel..." Ace shook his head slowly. "You are a brave, headstrong, and smart young man, but you love monsters all too much. You were born here, and that makes it all the more difficult. The things that shall become the task of the Chosen are not for you to take on... I know you could not do it, because you could not suffer your father to destroy the monsters of the world..."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Samuel snapped.

"Everything."

* * *

Once she awoke, Hoshiko immediately discovered that Samuel was no where to be found, but she didn't worry long once she noticed that the front door to the inn hung open, with both Samuel and Ace standing just beyond it. So instead of fretting over where to go next for a moment, Hoshiko stood up slowly and looked around. Everyone from the night before still hung around the Inn, and even more people had appeared now that the storm was over. Their homes destroyed, the inn was the only other safe haven then the all too crowded lighthouse.

There was a surprising abundance of children milling around the main floor, and at the sight of them, Hoshiko smiled to herself and—not bothering to change—walked over to several of the parents trying in vain to calm down their children who were running around and creating a great deal of noise.

"I can help."

She nodded to the nearest of them, speaking gently. Going over to the breakfast that had been prepared for the patrons, Hoshiko started to collect a large tray of food. Weighed down with thick slices of buttered toast, jars of jam, glass bottles brimming with milk, and a whole host of varied fruits, the young woman cheerfully returned to the center of the room and drew attention to herself with a high-spirited call.

"Hey kids! Breakfast and story time over here! Who wants to hear some stories?"

It didn't take long for a flock of children to gather around Hoshiko, munching happily on breakfast and listening contentedly as Hoshiko settled in and told them old legends that she herself had been taught as a child.

Hoshiko was used to taking care of the children back home in Ecruteak. So now she easily adopted the role of babysitter without any problem, and relieved the adults to start preparations to fix the multitude of destruction around left by first the children and then the storm. In fact, Hoshiko became so thoroughly involved in her task, that she even forgot about Samuel and Ace for the time being. Not everyone, however, was completely oblivious to their presence.

"Hey!" Pulling on Samuel's arm there was a little boy. He stood pointing at Hoshiko through a nearby window. "There's a girl in there telling stories! C'mon!"

And without waiting for Samuel, the boy ran back through the open door and jumped into the center of the group, not wanting to lose his seat.

Samuel glanced through the window, and then back at Ace. The huge, white dog monster nodded towards the door and bowed his head gently.

"Go, and share a moment of comfort and relaxation. Times are hard, but they will only get harder. You might as well enjoy what you have while you have it."

"I'll always enjoy what I have when I have it." Samuel retorted. "Don't admonish me." He started walking towards the door, but Ace's firm yet gentle and deep voice rolled against his ears.

"Boy." Samuel glanced over his shoulder at the large canine speaking to him, "You know that I respect you and appreciate all that you've aided me with thus far, but some things...some things are not meant for a young man like you to become involved with."

"I can handle anything you throw at me, Ace. I made a promise to you: that I was going to help you no matter what, and that's just what I'm going to do."

"Well then," Ace narrowed his eyes, "You'd better find out what the storyteller thinks of your adventurous spirit. She may not be so keen to join you on the path you've chosen."

"She doesn't have to join me. But I'll tell her." Samuel paused and frowned at the doorway, before pushing the half-open door wide. "Speaking of storytelling... there's a lot of storytelling you're going to have to do for me. I know there are things you haven't told me, and I want to know."

"You will in time..." Ace assured. "For now, go to Hoshiko. I'll wait here."

* * *

Inside, Samuel walked up to the little story circle, and he sat down at the very back, trying to stay out of the way and not attract attention to himself so that he wouldn't ruin the story. He began to listen as he ate the last of his bread crust.

Hoshiko was so fully engrossed in telling her stories that at first, the girl didn't even notice that Samuel was there. After all, looking down at all of the curious and delighted little faces below her, it wasn't hard to miss seeing someone older who just wasn't half as interesting. With a soft smile on her face the girl gently explained to the group of enthralled kids the same legend that she and Ace had disagreed over—the story of Lugia, Ho-Oh and the other three legendary protectors of Johto.

Unlike Ace, however, Hoshiko told it with a sort of poetic grace. The facts were the same, Samuel realized, but the story seemed so much more elegant and heroic when Hoshiko told it. Perhaps the lack of bitterness made it seem all the sweeter, but even Samuel felt surprisingly intrigued.

At the story's end, the children started pelting Hoshiko with questions. Surprised by the level of input for ones so young, she answered them diligently. The questions were all simple enough, and in the same turn, fun to answer.

"Yes, yes, they're still alive. No, you couldn't see them, they hide very carefully. They'll only appear to people that they choose." And then laughing, Hoshiko answered one very inquisitive little girl.

"I don't know what they like to eat! If I see them, I will be sure to ask and tell you the answer."

Suddenly, a slightly deeper, not-so-childlike voice piped up.

"Would you like to learn more about them than you've ever known before?"

It was Samuel, and he was looking right at Hoshiko, with just as much curiosity as all the other children. His sea blue eyes sparkled, wondering and waiting for an answer.

"Because if you would...maybe you can come with Ace and I on our continued journey across Johto." He smirked slightly. "To be honest I'd be a bit disappointed if you said no."

With eyes focused on the children, Hoshiko was surprised to hear such a mature voice come out of the group. She lifted her head to see Samuel watching her, and the girl smiled sheepishly at the question. Each one of the children around the two became silent, watching with eyes wide and waiting for an answer to come from the girl.

"I...I would love to go." She answered quietly, her dark eyes shining. "I hated traveling alone so much; this is exactly what I've been waiting for. And to travel Johto...would be beautiful."

Then closing her eyes for a moment, honored at the request, she reopened them with a slightly more impish grin. "Besides, who'll make sure that you two don't get lost!?" Covering her mouth politely she started to giggle slightly but quickly shook it off.

"Samuel, thank you. I'm honored that you've asked for my company on your journey. I would be more than pleased to accompany you." She nodded decisively to the young man.

"Take me with you!" One child piped up quickly, pulling at Hoshiko's long sleeve. "Yes! Take me too!" Another cried out, pulling at her kimono also.

"Oh! H-Hold on! I can't take you with me. It may be dangerous. Besides, your parents would miss you."

"No, no!" They cried out in unison. "You have to bring us! We want to learn more about pokémon!"

Samuel grinned mischievously and leaned down to the children's level.

"Hoshiko's right. It's going to be very dangerous. But how about I make you guys a deal?" He smirked and lightly tousled the hair of the nearest and most excited looking kid.

"What would you say if I come back and tell you _everything_ I learn? I'll have lots of stories to tell. And who knows, maybe, when you're old enough, I can even bring pokémon back with me to give to you, and you can start a journey of your very own."

Many of the little kids began to cheer, others looked disappointed, while some looked rather hopeful but quiet.

Samuel glanced at Hoshiko, still wearing a partial smirk but looking a bit more serious now.

"Hoshiko...if you're going to come with us, you have to know... It's going to be a very hard and probably extremely dangerous journey. I'll need you to trust in me and Ace, but we'll also need to rely on you sometimes, I'm sure. There are things out there...things that nobody should ever have to see. And Ace and I want to make it so that nobody will ever have to."

Smiling widely at Samuel's warm-hearted interactions with the children, Hoshiko considered what traveling with Ace and Samuel would mean to her and how it would change the perspective of her own self discovery. Being a girl who had been raised with a very set personality and life ideals, she wondered if her opinion of anything would change at all, or whether it would have to. But out on her own, it was hard not to be able to have someone at least to turn to. In a way it was nice to have travel companions; it started to banish the loneliness that plagued her on every step of her journey.

In the middle of her conversation, with, well, herself, Samuel spoke and snapped her back to reality. His heavy words sunk into her brain and made the girl think even harder.

"Ever since I was young, I have been taught honor. I've committed myself to traveling with you and Ace and I won't let either of you down. It's not in me to do that." She looked down at her hands and started to play with the sleeve of her kimono. "I promise you, I won't let either you or Ace down."

Samuel nodded slightly, but his expression didn't change much.

"I'm sure you won't." He stood up and stretched. "And we won't let you down either. Part of what we have to do now is so that we won't ever let anyone down..."

He turned and started walking towards the door, pausing when he got there to wait for Hoshiko. As he waited, he watched her. He himself was afraid, but he didn't let it show. He remembered the difficult trials he'd already faced with Ace, and if what the Incarnus said was true, it wasn't going to get easier. Horrified to think what that might mean, he recalled his battle against Dr. Snapped, the man possessed by darkness who turned himself into a monster. That was a story he could never share with anyone, but he'd have to let Hoshiko know at least the basics of what they faced.

And considering the frustration the girl had experienced over Ace's telling of Ho-oh and Lugia's story, he couldn't help but feel mortified at how she might react when she learned that there was true evil in the world.

"Come on," He called at last, "Ace is waiting for us."

Looking up to see Samuel already at the door, Hoshiko called over to him. "One minute! I have to change!" Then, grabbing her now dry clothes and abandoning her bag for Eevee to watch, Hoshiko ran towards the bathroom to throw on her travel clothes and fold up her kimono.

"Thank you for giving me such a wonderful time!" Hoshiko called out to the children just before closing the door to the bathroom.

Moments later, she emerged with her regular street clothes back on. She took her blanket, and giving a few of the children kisses on the forehead, she lifted Eevee onto her shoulder. Moving to the door, she hurried to shove her blanket into her bag as she approached Samuel.

"Alright, I'm ready." She smiled at him and waved a farewell to everyone in the inn before slipping out.

"So, are we still heading for Goldenrod?"

"We might." Samuel confirmed as he stepped outside onto the porch, "But that depends on what Ace decides. The first thing you have to know if you're going to help us out...is that Ace is the Incarnus. He's the King of Monsters in the human realm and the guardian over all of us, protecting us from a world of Darkness that without him would seep into this world and potentially destroy it."

Samuel trotted down the front steps and into the street, looking around for signs of the large white canine who was supposed to be waiting for them. Without any glimpse of Ace immediately, Samuel paused in his step decided to continue Hoshiko's crash course. As his new travel companion, the boy realized that there would be very few things that he would need to hide from Hoshiko any more.

"Second thing is: he has power over gates that lead into the Dark World. I don't know much about the gates except that if they break open, there's going to be a serious problem for us. I saw what happened when one opened just a crack... It turned the sky into a mass of swirling black clouds and unleashed strange monsters more powerful than I'd ever seen before. The darkness coming out was like the monsters' life force, and it gave them even more power."

Samuel started looking around, surprised that Ace had left, but assuming the beast would be back soon. Ace never left without coming back if he didn't say "goodbye." And Ace had never said goodbye before.

Watching Samuel's face as he spoke, Hoshiko easily detected his honesty in statements which would usually been hard for someone to believe. In a way, he was lucky that he had found someone so steeped in legends and tradition to travel with him. Hoshiko found it much simpler to believe stories such as Samuel's; they weren't much stranger then her own sisters' stories.

"...Alright..." She finally agreed and started to follow along with the young man on his search for their monster partner. "There is much trouble in the things that you told me...I'm not worried or frightened by them...but it seems very serious." Hoshiko spoke quietly as they started to look, she herself curious at where Ace might have been.

Turning to Samuel curiously, Hoshiko questioned him on that note. "Do you have any idea where he would have gone...? Where we should look? It's not good to leave a member of our team behind."

"Oh, he'll be back." Samuel said at last. "And I bet he's going to be back soon. If I had to guess, he's either checking the road ahead or doing something rather important to our general mission."

Just as Samuel finished that statement, the air in front of them lit up with a white glow and seemed to split open, as if a hole was simply ripped in the sky with a lightning bolt. Through the hole came none other than Ace, and when he landed, he looked at Samuel sternly.

"I checked on the gate at Tartarus...it seems stable for the moment. But I could tell that something wasn't right..."

"Wait, what?" Samuel asked, nervously."

Ace narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped closer to Samuel and Hoshiko. "Listen to me when I talk to you! Tartarus is stable, but it seems that somewhere, the interdimensional balance has been upset. It hasn't been disturbed like this since the weeks before the gate at Tartarus opened, which could mean that a new gate is forming somewhere else." He looked off into the distance. "It could also mean that the gate in between Kanto and Johto is opening...We may need to investigate there quickly."

"If you need to, you can go ahead of us, but what would we do while you were gone?" Samuel asked, disturbed.

Ace stared back at Samuel in deep thought.

"Perhaps we should all go together. It will be slower, but safer for all of us. There are still people after you, as far as I know." He laid down on his belly, offering a ride to Hoshiko and Samuel. "Come...there is a great deal we may discuss along the way."

Remaining silent, listening to Samuel and Ace converse, Hoshiko tried to make the best sense that she could of what the two were saying from the little the girl knew of the topic. None of it was too hard to understand on the surface, but there was a sense that something deeper was lurking in the conversation that Hoshiko didn't understand at all. But she didn't want to impose on anyone with the questions that were in her mind, at least not when things suddenly seemed to switch to emergency mode. Maybe Samuel would be able to answer them later. Hopefully he would.

Once Ace had laid down for the two to get onto his back, Hoshiko obliged gratefully.

"Thank you so much for all of the rides Ace." She thanked him and held on tightly to her eevee so the little pokémon wouldn't fall off.

"You're welcome, my dear." Ace said softly. The darker tone of his still lurked underneath the surface, but at least he sounded a little calmer. "I'm surprised that you decided to join us, I'll admit. I'm sure that Samuel has told you about the hazards..."  
He started to trot off at a fairly quick pace. "Or at least I hope he has."

"I did. Or I tried to, as best I could, but there's still a lot I don't understand myself, you know."

"I'm aware, and don't worry, I'll do my best to help you both understand... I would never forgive myself for thrusting you into something you weren't ready for. I want you both to be prepared." Ace trailed off solemnly.

As they started to move at a decent clip, Hoshiko did have to ask one question.

"If...you do not mind me asking Ace. Where are we going?"

The white monster didn't take long at all to answer.

"There is a mountain range, in between the lands of Johto and Kanto. Nestled in amongst them is a volcano, landlocked between two valleys of parched grass. It's a place not mapped out, for few people go there. Those who do know of it call it Mount Arcanine because the deep fissures in the red volcanic rock have filled with lava that has hardened into dark veins of igneous deposits. The patterns across the mountain are very reminiscent of the markings on a pokémon known as arcanine."

They reached the edge of town and Ace looked around apprehensively, to make sure they weren't being followed, and then he took off at a run down the road.

"It also gets its name from the fact that the heat of the volcano attracts fire pokémon, especially growlithe. The mountain is a rich source of fire stones, and growlithe that are adventurous enough to enter the volcano are granted the power to evolve into arcanine." He panted as he ran, giving himself a chance to breathe in between sentences. "The mountain is also said to be cursed. The people who have visited the mountain have frequently experienced negative happenings afterwards, often involving pokémon."

"Oh that's good." Samuel rolled his eyes. "For a minute I thought we might be going somewhere abnormally SAFE."

At first, Hoshiko was amazed at how otherworldly the landscape sounded as Ace described it, and her inner adventurer marveled at the thought of visiting a place that had never been charted on a map. But quickly the girl's romantic musings were dashed, and despite not sharing Samuel's sarcasm, her own expression of dismay shine through as she was stricken with grief.

"Terrible things...involving pokémon?" She questioned meekly. Looking down at Eevee for a second, she quickly reached into her bag and took out the ornately decorated pokéball that served as Eevee's housing.

"I think you'd better get into your pokéball, Eevee. This might be a little dangerous for you..." She looked down sympathetically at her pokémon, but Eevee obliged and willingly slipped inside. Sighing heavily and giving the pokéball a little kiss, Hoshiko placed it back into her bag. "I don't want to take any chances..."

With everything that she'd heard so far, Hoshiko was now a little afraid to discover the answer to her next question, but she still just had to ask it.

"Forgive me for asking one more question, Ace." She started. "But what sorts of things have happened related to humans and pokémon after someone visiting this place? I'm...concerned."

There was a long and ominous pause as Ace ran on for an eternal minute in silence. When he finally answered, his voice sounded wary, and strangely sympathetic.

"The few people who have gone there have experienced a phenomenon that they describe as a curse, but that I understand quite differently. There is a unique darkness about the volcano...an aura of energy from beyond this human realm. There always has been. Pokémon who enter into the volcanic chambers with their trainers have become violent...even towards the hands that they trust. Even humans who enter without pokémon...they have been attacked upon leaving the area by the wild monsters surrounding the mountain."

His shoulder seemed to tense as he began to run with greater effort. "The attacks were not normal attacks either...They were...frighteningly serious. Some even deadly."

Samuel gasped. "It sounds almost like...like what happened to you, Ace."

At once, the large white canine slowed down, almost to a stop. He kept walking, but the pace was slow, hesitant, and worried. When he spoke again, his tone was very reflective, and very regretful.

"Indeed it does, Samuel…. What happened at Tartarus...it is something I am terribly ashamed of."

"But it wasn't your fault!" Samuel protested. "That...that wretched man Snap did it to you..."

"He did...but I had made up my mind to never allow such a thing to happen...and yet...it did." He heaved a heavy, labored sigh. "I could have killed you..."

Samuel smirked slightly and gently began to rub the loose fold of skin at the scruff of Ace's nape. "You couldn't have. If you could have, you would have. I'm a lot tougher than you take me for."

So distraught by what she was hearing, Hoshiko scarcely noticed the jocular nature of Samuel's voice. Even if Samuel and Ace had long settled whatever had happened between them, the situation sounded all too horrible to even inquire more about.

"That's terrible..."

It was the only thing that Hoshiko could think to say. Inside she was worried, concerned, and deeply afraid of what might happen. After all, this was supposed to be a journey to find herself...not to lose herself. She thought hard on the whole concept and hoped that her discouraged voice didn't make Ace and Samuel think of her as less than dedicated to their mission.

"But don't worry. My word is my honor...I shall never abandon you two. I've given my word..." And then, reaching into her pocket, Hoshiko pulled something out—a little frog monster charm on a long necklace string. "This is for you." Hoshiko said, reaching her hand over Samuel's shoulder.

"It's meant to be good luck in my culture. To bring a traveler safely home...and if any of us need good luck...this would be the time. I have one too. Koichi gave it to me..." She finished softly, not clarifying any further.

Samuel stopped petting Ace and looked over his shoulder, grasping for the small token and pulling it to where he could see it. He rubbed the frog charm delicately between his fingers and stared at it quietly for a moment. He'd never worn a charm before, but he wore a lot of other things...a charm wouldn't be much to add. Carefully, he reached behind his neck and tied the ends of string together. He let it drop to hang over his chest, and then he smirked.

"Thanks Hoshiko." He grinned. "This should help."

"Koichi always said that frogs were good luck, and he would know." The girl smiled softly to herself, feeling the charm that she was wearing hidden in the folds of her shirt.

"We can hope." Ace added softly, slowly trying to regain his pace. He felt exhausted and miserable, but only because of his reflections on the past. He had nearly failed in his duty...Had it not been for Samuel...

No, he couldn't even allow himself to think of what might have happened.

"The truth behind the curse most likely lies in the fact that there is an ancient gateway within the core of the mountain. It is the oldest portal between the dark world of Alefgard and this one... It may well be that the portal has always exuded dark energies, transforming the pokémon that come near. Although for it to affect them to such a degree, I would think I would have noticed such a massive leak..."

Hoshiko instantly became attentive to Ace once more as a thought occurred to her.

"If we go to this place and find the gateway that you're talking about, would there be a way to seal or prevent it from causing such terrible occurrences? Nothing like that should ever have to happen to anyone again. Ever."

Hoshiko's hand's tensed on Ace's back as she thought about it, not tense enough to hurt him, but enough for him to notice. Ace briefly glanced back with a look meant only for the girl. She responded somewhat defensively.

"Even though I may be...slightly nervous...at the same time, I feel very honored to be able to help the both of you."

Samuel still dwelled on Hoshiko's gift, quietly studying the small necklace without words. He wanted to ask about who Koichi was, but he felt that it would be inappropriate to interrupt the current discussion. Samuel was honestly surprised at how well the Hoshiko was taking it. It was something that was hard even for him to deal with, and Samuel had been weaned _into_ the situation gradually. Poor Hoshiko was having it dumped in her all at once.

All the while, Ace seemed to accept Hoshiko's justification of her feelings, and he went back to the question that the girl had posed before.

"The gateway is actually inside the volcano." Ace explained slowly, "If it is starting to break open, then yes, I must attempt to seal it." He trailed off for a moment. "It has been my duty for millennia to defend the human realm and maintain watch over the gates. However, I have never known the gate at Mt. Arcanine to slip open. Not since the day it was first sealed, thousands on thousands of years ago." He looked up at the sky.

"If it's not open... I'm not sure what could be causing such a powerful wash of darkness to swell over the area."

Shoulders dropping slightly, Hoshiko sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry that this has been such a burden for you Ace. You seem very kind, not deserving of such a terrible place in the world. It seems a sad fate for any human or monster to get caught up in such affairs." She paused, lifting her face to the sky and watching the scenery around them for a fleeting moment,

"I don't know what else to say, I wish there was something that I could truly do to help...I'm sorry."

It was true; Hoshiko had no idea what to say, or how to help. She had never not known how to help someone before. The girl had always been able to help _everyone_. Back home that was what she did. Help people. And now when there was great need she felt that she could be of no real benefit. It was truly saddening.

When Ace spoke again to break the temporary silence, his deep, smooth voice was gentle as the breeze, if every bit as melancholy as a stormy sky.

"Being the gatekeeper is not so much a burden. If it was the only thing I needed to do for an eternity, I would do it readily. Yet, there is so much more to it than that, my dear. There is...so much more that you must come to know...but it is thousands of lifetimes of tales, legends, and truths. Dark truths. I cannot possibly hope to share it all with you in one day..."

Samuel glanced over his shoulder at Hoshiko. He sensed that Ace's weariness was getting the best of him, and he wanted to relieve the canine for at least a moment.

"Don't worry, Hoshiko, I'm sure you'll be able to help. Trust me, I've done a lot for Ace, and I started out knowing less than you do now. All I was trying to do was get into the finals of a tournament back home. Then I ran into Ace and everything turned upside down." He patted Ace's shoulder firmly.

"Samuel saved my life." Ace commented quietly. "I owed it to him to help him get into the tournament. He didn't feel like I owed him though, and he decided to help me as well...with my own mission. Ironically, both of our goals led us to the same place in the end... It's a good thing he was there. He saved me twice..."

Hoshiko listened to Samuel quietly, but her instincts caught on that Ace was worn out from all of her questions. She decided it best not to ask Ace anything more. After all, if this was hard for her to truly understand and the burden was truly Ace's then it would be very tiring, even without someone constantly questioning him.

"Thank Samuel, you too Ace. I know we can make a good team." She said simply.

Turning her head upwards towards the sky, Hoshiko started to hum a tune to herself, something that the girl was used to doing whenever she was quiet or unsure. Samuel listened quietly to the tune for a long time, and soon Ace started to run at full tilt again, following the road. Even if he didn't recognize Hoshiko's tune, Samuel found it comforting to hear something other than the rough wind, the silence, or the dire predictions of things to come. He started to relax a little, and after a little while, finally remembered the question he'd meant to ask before.

"Who is Koichi?" His interest echoed in his voice, "Did Koichi teach you that song?"

Ace's ears flicked back towards the two, showing that the large monster was listening to the conversation, even if he didn't have anything to input at the moment.

The tune sharply ceased. Thinking hard on Samuel's question, Hoshiko was dead silent, unsure whether or not she actually wanted to speak of herself...or her past. But Samuel and Ace had shared so much with her. It would seem so wrong to withhold such a simple answer.

"Koichi..." She said the name softly, thoughtfully. "Koichi is my Father." It took a minute, letting the words sink into her mind. "And yes, you're right, he did teach me that song and many other ones too." There was a slight smile in her voice, even if it did sound slightly saddened.

"Wow..." Samuel said softly after a long moment, his voice hushed and thoughtful. "That's amazing...that your father would teach you something like that...Something so...lovely, and so simple."

He reached up with his hand to touch the frog charm around his neck, and he furrowed his brow slightly. Thoughts of his own father crept into his mind. He'd never been able to forgive Warden Trump... But somehow, he wished he had the heart to. He didn't like to think it, but he did owe his father something...

"Your father...he must be a very kind man."

"Well, yes he is a very kind man." Hoshiko replied distractedly. "We haven't gotten to spend much time together in my life though. Mostly...we communicate by letters and packages..." Shaking her head, Hoshiko could only imagine what this sounded like to Samuel. "He travels a lot, that's why he knows so much about the frog charm...but..."

Looking down at her hands, Hoshiko started to explain her situation, without giving away too much information.

"In our family, it's been tradition for hundreds of years that any male members of the family must leave. They aren't allowed to associate or live with the main branch family. It's only women. Mothers, Sisters, Aunts. All women. That's why I've been raised to refer to my father as Koichi, by his first name. But he told me he doesn't mind...that I should listen to my mother."

A deep heaviness weighed in the girl's voice. One that meant much, much more then met the eye, or ears for that matter.

Samuel listened, astonished. It sounded...so different. He couldn't imagine being in a family of all women...but then again, had he been born into her culture, he wouldn't have been in amongst the women anyway, he assumed.

"Even your father wasn't allowed to stay, huh?" Samuel hung his head. "That's a shame..." He wondered if Hoshiko's life had been lonely like his had been. It was hard to imagine that she could have been with so much other family around, but everyone handled situations differently.

"I grew up with my father..." Samuel said slowly, wondering even as he spoke why he was telling Hoshiko this. "I used to live on the mainland, when I was very young. My mother was deeply connected with the forest and wildlife, and I inherited her love for it. My father didn't care for any of that, but I never knew that until after my mother died. I don't remember much about what happened to her. I was so young, couldn't have been more than nine years old. I just know that one day she was there and the next everything was different.

"I went to live with my father and we moved to the Green Bays island chain, away from the rest of the world. From then on, the rest of my life was lived within the headquarters of his secret organization, called CELL. It was like a fortress, built on an island at the edge of Green Bays... My father was the boss...the warden of the place. He was in charge of the experiments and all undertakings in the facility. He never wanted me to leave it either. Because it was so secret, he didn't want me to give away its presence, on purpose or by accident.

The times that I tried to sneak out and see what life was like outside of the fortress, I was arrested and locked in the prison..."

"Wow, it sounds like you had a tough life." Hoshiko murmured. "I'm so sorry to hear it, Samuel. But I guess I can kind of relate. I didn't leave my home until a few months ago. And...let's just say they weren't exactly happy with me...or...well." Running her fingers through her hair, Hoshiko heaved out a sad sigh. "Let's just say they more then likely hate me now." Her eyes narrowed in painful muse.

"There's been a lot of issues over the whole ordeal with me leaving. But Koichi supported me the whole time." Then, closing her eyes tight and holding onto Ace's back harder than she would have liked to, the girl recalled a very sad memory.

"In fact...Koichi came to see me...But...but...they wouldn't let me out…or him in."

Little tears started to pass onto her cheeks, but she hoped neither Ace nor Samuel would realize. "It would have been the first time I saw him since I was a little girl..."

Samuel could hear the sadness in Hoshiko's voice, and as she reflected on her tale, he remembered the last time he saw his father. The old man, half unconscious...trying to explain everything that CELL had done and for what cause in his last moments of life...

"I...I'm so sorry to hear that..." Samuel swallowed hard. "Maybe someday, you'll be able to see him face to face, and they won't be able to stop you, now that you're your own person..."

Samuel knew that being your own person wasn't always freeing though. In some ways, now he was more enslaved than he had ever been in the safety of the CELL fortress. It was the age old saying: Ignorance is bliss.

"I don't know where he went after that," Hoshiko shrugged sadly. "I never got any more letters from him and I don't know where he is right now. And now that I've started traveling, he wouldn't be able to find out where I am either. But I guess that if it's meant to be we might find each other again. Until then, I just keep his memory with me and that's enough. After all, that's mostly what I had back home."

Then, shaking her head, she thought for a moment. "I wonder if my sisters still hate me...I was always a bit wayward, I guess. At least that's what I heard. But I guess I didn't like all of the training and..."

Catching herself quickly, Hoshiko nervously said her next sentence. "I've said too much! I'm...I'm sorry Samuel!"

Samuel glanced back over his shoulder quizzically. He was surprised that Hoshiko was as concerned about sharing too much of her history as he was about his own.

"I don't mind if you share..." He began, "I understand if you're hesitant though..." He contemplated sharing more about himself. He supposed if she was going to be helping him out, she deserved to know a little more. "If you don't feel comfortable talking though, I'll take my turn..." He looked up at the sky wistfully.

"I'm so sorry Samuel, it's not that I don't want to share more with you...It's just that there are certain things that I _can't_ say. I'm not allowed to. If I could, I would tell you everything, I promise you."

Samuel raised an eyebrow, but for a second he didn't say anything. When he did speak again, it was somewhat resentfully, but not at all towards Hoshiko. Rather, he felt a pang of annoyance at her family for imposing such strict rules on her to where she felt that she couldn't share her story even if she felt like it.

"You weren't allowed to leave either, apparently. But you did anyway." He glanced over his shoulder and winked at her before turning his attention back to the road ahead. "At any rate..." Samuel shrugged and went on. "I haven't seen my father in...well a couple of years now..."

Intrigued, Hoshiko found that she really did want to learn more.

"You haven't?" She asked, momentarily forgetting her own distress, "I'm so sorry again, it's sad that you haven't gotten to see him for so long. Is it because of this...CELL that you were talking about before?" She asked softly, then added somewhat timidly, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

The young man took a deep breath and sighed.

"I suppose it's partially because of CELL that I can't see him anymore. He's dead, you see. He was killed because of the work his organization did."

"Oh no!" Hoshiko gasped in distress. Her voice laced with sympathy, she murmured in quiet sadness. "I'm so sorry Samuel. I'm so, so sorry. That's just terrible. I wish that there was something, anything, that I could do to help you. I just..I..." Quite suddenly it was obvious that the girl was crying. "Oh Samuel!"

She tried to regain her composure, although she continued sobbing a little here and there. "You've shared so much with me. I...feel I have to tell you more. But you must swear never to tell a soul..."

"It's alright; you don't have to tell me anything." Samuel assured her, under less apparent emotional duress, but still very much lost in his own thoughts. "But if you do, I won't betray your trust. And anyways, you don't need to cry on my behalf... I regret that my father died...but even if he hadn't, I still wouldn't have contact with him, I'm sure. He was... a hard man. And so against his doings was I that I refuse to even carry the same last name as him anymore... He planned to do some very...horrific things."

There was a soft grunt from Ace, but it was difficult to tell whether he was agreeing or disagreeing with Samuel. Biting her thumb, Hoshiko considered what Samuel had said to her for a moment, and despite his continued sharing—or perhaps because of it—the girl's conscience got the better of her.

"Oh… Well, it's alright...I'll tell you everything, Samuel." It took a few seconds, maybe even a minute, for her to speak again.

"I come from Ecruteak, here in Johto. And my family...I'm not sure if you've ever heard of the Kimono Girls. They are famous dancers...and pokémon trainers. More specifically, we traditionally train eevee. That's…just the basics though.

"I come from the major bloodline and so I'm next in line to join the Five Kimono Girls. Our family has been protectors of the guardians of Johto for hundreds and hundreds of years, passing down ancient and secret techniques from generation to generation. We live very reserved and disciplined lives, but it's the way that our family has lived forever. We were chosen by the guardians to keep watch over their towers and to be the only ones that can call on them in times of peril."

Pausing to gather her thoughts, Hoshiko was pensive for a moment, "I'm not sure if I'm saying everything in any manner of sense. Forgive me Samuel, but there's a lot stress on me, being the next in line to inherit a place of honor in our family. It came to the point where I wasn't able to do anything of my own will. They stopped delivering Koichi's letters to me, I couldn't go outside. I had to practice constantly. It was like a final right of passage." And looking to the side, Hoshiko finished quite vaguely.

"But I cracked under the pressure..."

"Hey..." Samuel said softly. "It's not so bad... It would be hard for anyone to withstand that... It sounds as if they expected a lot of you. But sometimes...sometimes we just have to make our own choices. And it's good that you did. It means that maybe you'll be able to see your father again."

Samuel bit his lip for a second. "It can be painful to make the right choices sometimes, I think. And it can be hard to know if you're doing the right thing or not. But if you second guess yourself the whole way, you might as well do nothing at all. If you're gonna do something, you might as well do it with conviction." He decided aloud.

"I think that's the problem..." Hoshiko replied sullenly. "I've never been sure that I really made the right choice. I've known all my life to uphold my family's honor, and now I'm sure they'll never accept me...ever again. I loved my mother, my sisters...but I wasn't sure what to do. I needed time to find myself but they didn't want to give it to me."

Shaking her head, the girl lowered it. "So I just ran away. I don't know if I'll get to see Koichi. I hope I will, because he's the only one that will ever accept me...but if this charm works the way it's supposed to, then it will get me safely home. So I have to trust what Koichi told me._ I have to_."

Samuel chuckled softly. "That's more like it." He grinned to himself. "You'll find your way home, somehow. And I'd be willing to bet that nobody hates you. Maybe they're angry with you, but they wouldn't hate you. Even my dad didn't hate me, and he thought I was a burden on CELL."

"My home may be different than what it was before, Samuel. You don't understand my family..." Hoshiko replied quietly, but then she paused, noticing Samuel react to those words.

Honestly, he was upset, but there was no point in arguing. She was right, he didn't know the situation. It just seemed unthinkable that any family could hate their own, but maybe he was wrong. Wrinkling his nose, Samuel decided to move on.

"I love monsters...I'm utterly fascinated by them. I'd like to learn everything I can about them and become a great trainer. Warden Trump... He didn't exactly share my feelings..."

"And some day I know you will be great and have knowledge of all the monsters in every region! I bet people will even come to you to learn and discover things about pokémon, like those kids we left behind in Olivine. You have to keep your promise to them! Remember that!" Hoshiko smiled. "I was a witness, so I'm going to hold you to it! You can't fail at your goal now Samuel!" And with that, she patted him on the shoulder, happily.

Samuel couldn't help but laugh at Hoshiko's enthusiasm. He looked over his shoulder with a crooked grin and answered.

"Yeah, I couldn't let them down now, could I?" He sighed after a moment. "Thanks Hoshiko. I don't think my father would be proud of the things I've done, because I've thwarted him so many times... But it's good to know that someone out there believes in me."

"That's kind of how I feel, even if my whole family doesn't support me, at least Koichi does, and having one person behind you, I think, is enough." Hoshiko bowed pensively.

The sound of laughter from below startled Samuel, and he glanced down at the back of Ace's head.

"What?"

"You know I believe in you too, Boy. Don't forget it either."

Hoshiko laughed out loud.

"And see, Samuel! You've got two! How lucky!"

She smiled happily, for she truly was happy for the young man. After all, he had been through so much, especially with the death of his father.

Which made Hoshiko wonder to herself whether or not her own father might be alive. They hadn't written for months and sometimes her imagination would make her wonder of the things that could happen to a traveler. Biting down on her thumb, Hoshiko considered the prospects nervously.

"Ace, since you seem to be this...like, really incredible creature, do you have any way of tracking people?" She asked him, with hope in her voice.

Ace's ears swiveled particularly in Hoshiko's direction, and the large white monster answered after a short pause.

"Well, I should hope that I have some sort of tracking skills, otherwise we're all in trouble." He chuckled. "I suppose it depends on what you mean. In the traditional sense, I can track about as well as any other canine using my sense of smell, as long as I have an article belonging to my quarry that I can get the scent from. I do have another unique set of skills, but its use is limited. You see, I am able to pass in between the inter-dimensional ties that bind worlds together. From this...location, I suppose you can call it, I can trace and watch humans closely, without them knowing that I walk among them. I don't really use that ability for anything but one purpose, however. It suits me to enable the discovery of the Chosen."

Hoshiko practically jumped from her seat. She smiled to herself, amazed at the providence that brought her to Ace and Samuel. Quickly reaching into her bag, she shuffled around in it for something, but after a bit of looking she pulled out a letter that was neatly folded. Unfolding it gently, she scanned the words, foreign to the common language, on the stationary. Poking Samuel in the shoulder she leaned over and held the letter in front of him.

"Can you please give Ace this?" She asked, sounding hopeful. Then she started to speak to Ace. "Ace, that's a letter from Koichi. Do you think you might be able to find him using that? He wrote it himself and that's his own personal paper."

Samuel carefully took the letter from Hoshiko, gripping it tightly in his fingers so that it wouldn't blow away in the wind. Ace began to slow down a little bit, as he listened in on the conversation. His decrease in speed gave Samuel a chance to reach over and hang the paper close to his face.

"Here, look at this." Samuel suggested, still holding to the paper tightly.

Ace sniffed at it, slowing down even more so as not to accidentally run into anything while his attention was diverted. He could certainly detect very distinct and unique scents, and he glanced over his shoulder to say so...But he also added:

"While I may be able to help you track him, at the moment our priority is the gate, I'm afraid... I hope you won't be too disappointed."

Strongly resolved to keep her promise to help both Samuel and Ace, Hoshiko looked determined when Ace explained their priorities. Of course, she was a bit disappointed, but simply having the opportunity to know where Koichi was felt much better then not even knowing whether or not he was safe.

"I understand Ace. Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I promised to help both of you, and I wouldn't ever change that now. But...thank you for being so concerned on my behalf. If you're able to help me know that Koichi is safe, though, I would be so grateful." She smiled when she said this and gently patted Ace on the back. "Believe me, this means a lot to me, Ace."

Ace smiled slightly and quickly started off running again. His white fur blew in the wind, tickling at the legs of his passengers. He was content to be appreciated, but delighted to see Hoshiko's resolve. He was surprised by it, as most humans were normally out for themselves, it seemed.

"It will be my honor to help you find Koichi, Hoshiko. I would cherish the moment to bring the two of you back together after so long. You fill my heart with pride."

Hoshiko smiled softly and gripped tighter to the monster escort bearing her and Samuel to their destination. His willingness to help really meant a lot of to her, and his pride for her sake as well. Honor meant a lot to not only her, but also to her family and in her entire upbringing. So inside, there was a well of happiness filling her, despite that the discovery of her father remained delayed.

"Thank you, Ace." The barest, completely inaudible whisper was all she could muster between the emotions that she was feeling.

Samuel chuckled. "Now, now, Ace. Don't get all mushy on me."

"Why? Are you jealous?" Ace laughed.

Samuel rolled his eyes, but couldn't help cracking a smile. "You're such an idiot."

Hoshiko laughed suddenly, punching the young man lightly in his arm. "Stop being jealous!"

Samuel made a face and playfully shoved Hoshiko's hand away. He stuck his tongue out at her, then turned to face forward and looked up into the sky. It was much clearer, and much bluer than the day before. He was relieved that all signs of the storm had vanished.

"The road ahead is clear." He heard Ace say, "Hang on, kids."

Samuel quickly caught a hold on Ace's thick, white mane and leaned forward with anticipation. He felt Hoshiko's arm slide around his waist as her other hand clung to the great, white beast. The wind rushed around them, and the scenery turned from lazy forested path to blazing streaks of color.

"WOOHOOOOOOOO!" Hoshiko yelled, exhilarated.


	6. Into Arcanine Mountain

**Chapter 6: Into Arcanine Mountain**

All across Jhoto, the soft scenery gave off the lush sense of life that lifted the spirits of anyone passing through. Thick with forests and traditional architecture, with few large cities, Jhoto boasted a sense of time travel that appealed to many. Sparkling streams dotted the landscape, peeking out with glassy shimmers from between buildings, trees, and hills.

And, everywhere in the skies over Jhoto, the structure of the lighthouse and the towers of Ecruteak could be seen. Glorious landmarks and reminders of times long past. For Hoshiko, this was home, in all its beauty, scenery, and sound. The air, alive and invigorating, felt good to her, and she savored every moment of riding the Incarnus through the winding roads.

For Ace, however, the reminders were not so welcome. The past was his enemy almost as much as the future was. He wished that, somehow, his duty could be ended. But it was not to be. Not easily anyway, and he knew it. Casting his gaze on the land below, he could see the rising mountain range in the distance, dividing Kanto and Jhoto. The peaks climbed high into the sky, but though they blocked the view of the valleys between them, Ace knew that they were drawing near to their destination.

"Do you see Mt. Silver?" He asked, calmly. "Just beyond that peak, there is a valley that drops into a deep basin, where fields of thick brown grass grow wild. The valley is scorched by sun, and because of the height of the peaks, rain rarely falls in its bounds. It's a haven for fire pokémon."

Only when the white beast spoke did she Hoshiko take her eyes off of the towers and the beautiful skies to look forward and see the distant mountain slowly rising taller and taller above the trees. Biting her bottom lip, the girl blinked a few times, imagining the place that Ace was describing, her mind pulling her back to the curse that he had spoken of.

"Yes...I see it, Ace." Hoshiko replied softly, full of trepidation and yet a very firm resolve.

"Any last requests?" Samuel joked with a slight laugh as Ace kicked off of the ground and into the air. A gust swept up underneath them, carrying them high as Ace soared up and over the forest.

"Whaaaaaaat?" Hoshiko replied anxiously.

"Don't frighten the poor girl." Ace said blandly over his shoulder. "This is difficult enough for her I am sure."

Hoshiko reached over and punched Samuel in the arm, harder than normal this time. Despite her ladylike upbringing, her punches were quickly becoming a sort of signature move for Hoshiko when she was mad at the young man.

Samuel flinched at Hoshiko's roughness, but he didn't bother to react. Afterall, a slight wrong movement on his part could easily have sent him toppling off of Ace and down to the rocky ground far below.

The trio rode high into the sky before Ace reached a point where he could look down and see the valley beyond Mt. Silver. He arched his back and suddenly took a dive, swooping low over the exterior ring of mountains and following the sloping valley walls to where a large, striped volcano rose up from an expanse of brown grass. The big white dog swung low, and then rose up, narrowly avoiding crashing into the steep slope of the mountain.

"Hang on." He reminded gently. "This could get rough in a lot of ways."

Reverting her attention to the volcano below them, Hoshiko already felt heat rising up quickly as they came in closer to the slopes. Gripping tightly onto Ace with her eyes sharply focused ahead, she was ready to squeeze them shut and if something unfortunate befell them.

"This is insane!" She screeched out, leaning forward a bit, trying to keep her balance on the large dog's back.

Alongside of them, a herd of rapidash and ponyta that had been grazing peacefully suddenly broke into a run, startled by Ace's descent. The thunderous roar of their hooves beating against the solid ground rose up like a rolling drum while Ace's own feet came close to touching the rock, but never quite reached it. Hoshiko watched the outstretched necks of the fleeing herd as their muscular shoulders rolled and their withers gleamed with sweat, giving the wild creatures a sort of glow. They were beautiful, and Hoshiko had never seen anything like it before as the herd spread out across the side of the volcano to make their getaway.

Suddenly, Ace swerved to the side to avoid a jagged spire rising from the side of the mountain, and he kicked away from it with a huge white paw. The violent motion yanked the girl out of her reverie and reminded her to cling to the Incarnus for dear life.

"This land is largely unexplored for a reason!" Ace called over the wind. "It is deadly difficult to make a safe landing here!"

As if on cue, the ground underneath them exploded without warning, shooting rock and hot ash into the air with toxic steam. Heart beating out of her chest and face going even paler than it already was, Hoshiko cried out of the rush of wind. Before gritting her teeth and muttering,

"I'm going to die." She nervously buried her face into Samuel's back to hide the view of danger from her eyes. "I came out here to get myself killed."

Still, through all the fear one thing provided a tiny amount of security, and that was how incredibly tight Hoshiko was holding onto Ace's back. Despite that she had never managed to hurt him before with her iron grip, she still felt bad for doing it. Of course, she didn't quite feel bad enough to stop. Knowing that he was at arm's length just made her feel…safer. So she didn't think to do anything else but cling to him.

Samuel was stiff but silent as he held onto Ace. With a grim expression, his eyes focused on the landscape ahead as they raced across the surface of the volcanic peak. His hands firmly held to Ace's mane, and his legs squeezed a bit harder around the monster's sides than normal.

The white dog managed to dodge another steam vent and dig his sharp claws into the rocks just long enough to throw himself forward faster. The momentum gave him enough speed to clear a wide fissure that was filled with slowly cooling lava. Ace knew the black surface of the molten rock was just an illusion. It was still hot enough to ignite almost anything that touched it, and he wasn't keen on the idea of taking up smoking.

The heat in the air around them was intense, and soft glowing embers swirled around in the rising currents of warm air.

"We're almost there!" Ace attempted to encourage. He knew that this was not a hospitable place for anyone, but humans least of all. He kicked off of the ground once more, towards a large rock that would give him another chance to build momentum, but right as he struck it and pushed away, from behind sprang a very large, yellow-coated arcanine, accompanied by a smaller and more normal looking one.

In defense of their territory, they both lunged at Ace's throat, snagging him out of the air and throwing Samuel and Hoshiko to the ground. A loud, long shriek was all that anyone heard from Hoshiko before she landed a great distance away from both Samuel and Ace. Being a girl—shorter, petite and lighter then either of her traveling partners—she wound up flying much farther than either of her travel companions.

Landing was the heard part though. Hoshiko's body slammed against the rocky surface off the ground, stones clattering and scraping underneath her. She felt a sharp pain in her head and couldn't see anything straight, only in blurring colors. The pain sent her reeling. Here ears still functioned well enough, though that particular sense agonized her already splitting headache. One thing was clear from the many sounds now blending together though. A violent battle began somewhere nearby.

Samuel blacked out for a second as the wind was knocked out of him, but when he opened his eyes, he could see the fleet footed form of Ace struggling to stand off against the two fire dogs. The two opponents worked in tandem with one another, always being sure that one was attacking from behind while the other distracted from the front. Ace was moving fast to try and get them both in front of himself, but the situation was quickly turning sour as one of them managed to leap into the air and strike the ground, causing a tremendous earthquake that shattered the rock they were fighting near and buried Ace under the stones. Samuel rolled over, desperately looking for Hoshiko.

Nearby, the still dazed girl recognized Ace's voice amid the thunderous crashes of splitting earth and falling rocks. He cried out, but not in triumph. In fact, he sounded like he was in pain. And so, reaching into her bag, Hoshiko's limp hand managed to push out a pokéball with some difficulty. The one for her gyarados. With tremendous effort against the numbness in her arm, she laid the ball on the ground and shoved it forward shoved it forward, so that it rolled shakily across the pebbled dirt and a short distance towards the fray. It wasn't much, but she wanted to help if at all possible.

Her vision grew darker, her head swimming now. She struggled just to stay sitting upright, and her whole body began to feel like lead. She didn't think that she'd be able to stay up long enough to give Hanu battle commands. Slowly, she eased herself so that she was laying flat against the ground. A strange sensation in her head brought her to reach up with her hand and touch it lightly. She felt warm, sticky liquid collecting beside it. Or more accurately... slowly seeping from it.

At that, the young woman's vision and mind went to black.

Samuel caught sight of a flash not too far away, and from it rose the mighty gyarados. Instinctively, he stumbled to his feet and tried to run towards it, tripping several times as he tried to navigate the dangerous terrain, but always managing to somehow get back up.

"Hanu!" He cried over the sounds of the cracking earth and the roaring wind.

He ran harder, and as he pulled himself over a massive up-thrusted rock, he looked down in time to spot Hoshiko on the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

"Damnit!"

Samuel jumped down and ran to the girl's side. He knelt beside her and quickly pulled off the red scarf that he kept tied around his neck. He examined her, afraid to move her too much in case something was broken, but he had to mend the bleeding before it killed the poor girl. He located a deep gash on her head, and quickly began to tie the makeshift bandage.

"Hanu, go help Ace!"

Samuel pleaded with the large water pokémon. Even though the creature wasn't his, he hoped that he was trusted enough that it would listen to him.

The gyarados jerked his head to face the sound of Samuel's voice. Now familiar enough with the young man that he trusted the boy's judgment, Hanu knew that the boy had the best interest of his mistress in mind. Thus, when Samuel so urgently asked that he help Ace, Hanu roared out powerfully and whipped around to slither through the air, approaching where the Incarnus had fallen under mounds of heavy rubble.

All the while, Samuel kept his focus on his hands, and on trying to help Hoshiko.

Unaware of the fact that Samuel so carefully tended to her, Hoshiko lay silent in her unconsciousness. Pain, as cruel as it could be, won no battle against the daze of such a severe head injury. Even once Samuel wrapped the scarf around her head, sensation aside from a dull throb and terrible vertigo eluded Hoshiko's body. She lay still, only barely beginning to awaken, unaware of how blessed she was to have her friend beside her, lest she bleed to death.

"Unnnngh."

Groaning weakly, Hoshiko's eyes at last opened painfully to see Samuel above her. She didn't have too much recollection of coming to where she lay now, and it was dreadfully difficult to try and remember anything through her dizziness. Disoriented, she searched through blurred vision to see Samuel's face over her, and she tried desperately to focus on him, even though her mind wanted to slip away again and again. Though unable to speak, she still clung strongly to life, which—Samuel knew—was a miracle in and of itself.

Once the young man finally finished securing the wound and tying the knot in the makeshift bandage, a sense of relief came over him. Maybe they could make it out of here, and maybe Hoshiko would have a chance. Only then did he look up. Just as quickly, all sense of accomplishment left him, and he froze in terror.

There, climbing up onto the rock above them, the massive golden arcanine appeared, teeth bared and growling a deep, throaty growl.

"Easy there..." Samuel tensed, barely able to whisper the words in his horror. "It's all right... We don't want any trouble..."

The big pokémon wasn't convinced. Samuel heard a guttural hissing sound coming from deep within its throat, and then behind its teeth, he noticed a frightening sort of glow. A few licks of flame twisted between the creature's teeth like so many burning worms. Immediately, Samuel recognized that if he didn't somehow move Hoshiko, they were both in _big _trouble.

A distance away, Hanu blasted rocks with high pressured streams of water, and shoveled away with his tail at the debris that Ace was buried under. He barely heard the sound of growling behind him, but with senses much sharper than a human's, he still detected the signs of danger even over the noise of his own work. The pokémon turned and raised his large, finned head higher into the sky, scanning the slope until he caught sight of the golden tiger-wolf looking over the two humans. Eyes flashing in anger, Hanu drove at it with raging might and speed, sending a hydro pump ahead of him to blast the enemy away.

"S...S...am...ue...l" Hoshiko finally managed to articulate his name from her mouth.

"Hush." Samuel urged gently but firmly. "Stay down, and don't move."

He put himself between the large golden arcanine and Hoshiko, knowing that if he didn't unhook a pokéball from his chain fast enough, that his body would be the only shield she had against a raging onslaught of flames. Just as he fumbled Petra's pokéball loose, however, the golden arcanine suddenly whirled around and jumped into the air, springing over the massive torrent of water coming at it from behind. The blast struck a nearby rock, pulverizing it into wet, sandy mist that showered down over Samuel and Hoshiko. The arcanine's attention officially diverted to Hanu. The big golden fire dog suddenly surged forward, rushing at the huge water pokémon with extreme speed.

No more words passed Hoshiko's lips. She couldn't see Samuel properly but could tell that he had moved, and it looked like he was standing in front of her. But against her own will, her body wouldn't move; not even an inch, no matter how hard she tried or how determined her mind would be.

At least she could hear Hanu's roaring voice over the sound of the arcanine. It reminded her that there was still some way she could possibly help, even if it was only though her monster.

Somewhere behind Hanu, the rock pile stirred. From underneath, crawled the second, smaller arcanine. It had gotten caught in the earthquake along with Ace, but had managed to make it out still conscious. Obviously injured, however, the pokémon limped forward, doing its best to run with the uneven gait. It made a move to grab onto Hanu's tail with its sharp teeth.

Hanu bellowed an earth shaking roar when the small arcanine attacked him. In frustration, he swung his tail and smashed the attached arcanine against a boulder. The dog wailed a pained yelp and dropped to the ground. From there, Hanu fared as well as Samuel expected him to. Thrashing out against his two foes and sensing his upper hand in the battle, he abused his water affinity by constantly blasting hydro pump at the fire pokémon.

With the two fire dogs fully occupied by Hanu, Samuel knew that was his moment to help Ace. The water pokémon would fare well against the two fire types, even though they were quite strong. The only problem was that Samuel didn't want to leave Hoshiko. With the constant threat of geysers, steam vents, and even lava ever looming, leaving her in one spot with no protection wasn't a good plan. Yet, he was scared to move her. He didn't know how badly she was hurt.

"Hang on, Hoshiko. If I hurt you, just tell me and I'll set you back down."

When Hoshiko heard Samuel's voice once more above her, she lingered on the soft, gentleness with which he spoke. So different from his usual joking and sarcasm, it was a glimpse of a secret personality that Hoshiko knew Samuel did have in him.

The young man slid one hand and arm carefully under the back of her neck and shoulders, allowing the other one the freedom to scoop her up from underneath her legs. Hoshiko groaned as her companion began moving her. She tried to nod, only effecting about a half of the gesture she'd meant to express. The young man struggled to stand, but managed to balance and started carrying her slowly back towards where the earthquake had occurred.

As Samuel went with his precious cargo, the girl's left arm jostled a bit and she cringed. Samuel noticed after only a moment, that any movement of that arm whatsoever seemed to illicit a grimace, and after only a little longer, Hoshiko finally complained in her weak, cracked voice,

"...My...arm..."

Samuel looked down at Hoshiko, worried. He couldn't do anything about her arm immediately, except attempt to shift her weight so that it was more comfortable for her.

"I'll get a good look at it in a moment, alright?"

Hoshiko didn't reply and remained silent the rest of the way as Samuel carried her, trying to bare the pain in her head and her arm. Clenching her teeth tightly, the girl looked up at Samuel weakly.

He weaved his way around some deep cracks in the mountainside, not wanting to trip over them while carrying his friend. Then, through the thick, sulfur air, a faint whine snatched his attention, and he caught sight of the form of Ace, still trapped under the boulders, but now partially exposed. Ace's head and chest were free, but his back legs remained pinned. It was clear that the earthquake had caused significant injury to the lightning wielding monster.

Samuel maintained his strong hold on Hoshiko and continued trying to get over there, but he stopped and turned his head when a loud shrieking yelp rang out behind them. The small arcanine had been smashed against the mountainside with bone-crushing force once again as Hanu thrashed about. The hit left the already injured creature unconscious, body slung limp and bloodied over the jagged rocks.

Pleased at having bested the smaller of his two opponents, Hanu roared in short-lived triumph. He was forced to cut his celebration short when the golden arcanine landed in front of him, poised for attack.

The more powerful fire dog fared better than its fallen comrade. It had managed to move quickly enough to dodge mighty jets of water and the muscular tail, practically dancing from one rocky spire to another. Now, with its ally crushed, it faced Hanu fiercely and took a flying leap up into the air. On its decent, it used its powerful legs and claws to dig through the rock and tunnel into the ground. Hanu was left staring, frustrated at a deep, gaping hole.

"Samuel..." A pained grunt called out weakly over the commotion.

The young man looked back at Ace, and saw that miraculously, he was still conscious.

"Move Hoshiko aside... I can summon the guardian of this mountain...so long as you are out of the way..." Ace wheezed.

"The guardian?" Samuel asked in confusion.

"Just do it...Quickly."

Samuel obeyed, and carefully managed to pull himself and Hoshiko behind a fairly stable rock. He peered out from behind, and was forced to cover his ears as Ace suddenly let out a long, loud howl that carried through the sky and rattled the pebbles laying on the surface of the mountainside.

Hoshiko's gyarados suddenly turned his head in surprise at the tremendous sound that rang all the way to the depths of his core. The monster growled quite loudly on his own accord in response.

Hoshiko's eyes widened until open fully. It was easy to see the pain in them. Samuel tried to pull her closer to him to block out some of the sound, but soon the howl faded into nothingness.

"Sam...uel...w..wha...ts...happ...en...ing?" She pushed out the words from her mouth, hoping that everything would be okay. "Are...yo..u...o...kay?"

"I'm alright." Samuel winced, lowering his hands and clasping a palm over Hoshiko's mouth. "Shush, we don't want the arcanine to find u-"

Before he could finish the sentence, the ground right beside them erupted in a hailstorm of stones and dirt. Samuel only had time to mutter a breathless but quite obscene curse, throwing himself on top of Hoshiko to protect her from the rocks that came hammering down. One struck his back, and crippling pain ran all along his spine, forcing him flat. From the earth, the golden arcanine shot straight out, head pointed to the sky and fangs bared. The beast looked down on them, and time almost seemed to slow.

Gasping out a shocked and fearful breath as the environment around them rained down in assault, Hoshiko's eyes remained wide with terror. Samuel had protected her; he hadn't thought of himself. His kindness both stunned her and made Hoshiko feel guilty for being so helpless in such a dire situation, especially after seeing Samuel's expression of pain as he was hit. But as per his request, the girl didn't say anything. Not even a small word, no matter how much she wanted to make sure that Samuel was okay.  
Samuel looked up to glimpse the fire in its eyes and the flames bubbling like molten froth from the back of its throat. He hissed sharply between his teeth, ready for far worse pain than the ache in his bruised back to come blazing down on him like the sun.

But it didn't come. Instead, a loud screech rang out through the mountains, ear-splitting and wild. Another sound filled the air seconds later, like the heartbeat of the wind riding on the wings of a giant bird. Samuel feared the worst, and so didn't move, as smoldering embers came drifting down like hot snow. A horrifyingly loud rush of wind suddenly roared past his ears, followed by a loud thud and the squealing yelp of a canine.

Samuel's head snapped up, horrified. He was certain Ace must have been struck. But, as he looked, he saw through the swirling ember winds, the golden Arcanine lying unconscious in a heap. Immediately, Samuel jumped to his feet. He didn't leave Hoshiko's side, but he needed to see what had become of the Incarnus.

There, on the other side of the rock they hid behind, Samuel found him. But what was surprising was not the fact that Ace was alive and well, nor even the fact that he was managing to get free of the rubble at last. No, what shocked him most was the sight of a huge fire bird with flaming feathers and a wing span that had to reach at least twelve feet. He stared slack jawed for a moment, as the huge bird scraped the remaining rocks off of Ace with its talons.

"What in the name of Legends is that?" He gasped.

Hanu sensed that the fight was over and that the mighty fire bird now had control over the situation. He coiled his body to turn away from the battlefield and snaked his way back where he had seen Samuel and Hoshiko escape to. Peering between the rocks to see his trainer lying on the ground, he exhaled hard with concern. Worriedly, he tried to worm his way between the jagged spires of the landscape to reach the two.

However, Hoshiko didn't see Hanu. The girl, once Samuel stood, forced herself to push herself up with her right arm, hissing between tightly clenched teeth in pain. The girl groaned miserably, but turned her head to see what Samuel was looking at. She only caught a glimpse, but what she saw shocked her enough to dull some of her pain.

"Moltres!"

Trying to scramble to her feet, Hoshiko cried out in pain but pushed it back and braced herself against a boulder to get to her feet. She swayed dizzily, and although she was leaning on solid rock, it took all of her effort to remain standing. Disoriented as she was, she still strained to see the legendary bird.

"Moltres…."

Samuel breathed in awe, taking in the scene hungrily. He'd have to remember that name, and this moment. He'd seen a lot, but this...this was even beyond that. He'd never seen Ace command the help of a wild pokémon, nor had he ever seen such an unbelievably majestic creature aside from the Incarnus himself.

His attention soon went back to Hoshiko, however, when he heard her pained groans. He looked at her, and frowned in dismay.

"I don't know what you think you're doing." Samuel scolded. "You're going to hurt yourself even more."

A few rocks tumbled to the ground with a soft clatter, and a deep puff of breath stirred Samuel's hair. The young man looked up and saw Hanu at last push his giant face into their hiding place. Tension fled from his shoulders and Samuel breathed a sigh of relief. Grateful for all the help the gyarados had provided, he reached up a hand to pat its huge scaly mug.

"Thanks Hanu... we wouldn't have made it out of that one if not for you, bud."

Hanu looked at Samuel and growled from the back of his throat non-aggressively in a monstrous "you're welcome." He didn't dwell long on the young man, however, not because he was too formal, but the pokémon was especially worried about his trainer.

Slipping closer to Hoshiko, he breathed out a gentle, warm breath that ruffled the girl's hair. He nudged her head gently with the side of his chin.

"Ow."

Hoshiko looked up at the pokémon with a sympathetically pained look. She knew he was asking if her head was alright.

"...I...I d-don't thi...nk so, Ha..nu." She replied quietly, placing her right hand on the side of the gyarados' face. "But I'll live. I promise." The pokémon seemed relieved at this revelation but was still concerned. "Thank you Hanu; you've done so much for us. I don't know how to thank you." She smiled and pulled out his pokéball from her bag using her good hand. "But right now, you had better go back. It's...not safe here." She watched as the pokémon willfully went back into his pokéball.

Samuel turned back to where Ace was, and saw that the beast had at last fully emerged from under the rocks. The huge dog's white fur coat was dirty, and some pretty significant wounds left patches of his fur matted and sticky with blood, but overall he seemed alright. He was able to walk, at least, albeit somewhat slowly. The Incarnus gave a deep bow, and voiced his appreciation to Moltres, then turned and limped towards Samuel.

"Are you two alright?" The monster asked worriedly as he got closer.

Samuel nodded.

"Alive anyways. Hoshiko's been injured pretty badly but...she'll be alright. She might have broken her arm though. I need a moment so look it over."

"No time." Ace urged. "The mountain is too dangerous to stop for long. We have to get inside before we can slow down."

"We shouldn't leave her untreated too long..." Samuel protested.

"We won't. As soon as we get into the inner sanctum of the volcano, we'll be safe enough." He hung his head. "But I can't carry you... I've been badly injured, and I don't have the strength to support two riders. Fortunately, Moltres has agreed to carry you the rest of the way, while I follow."

He nodded his head towards the fire bird, which now made its way over slowly, wings tucked close to its sides.

The huge firebird ducked low, offering the ride Ace had promised, and Samuel looked at the creature in surprise.

"Well, one second." He held up his hand, and reached over to get Hoshiko. He was worried she might not be able to hold on, but he decided he'd do his best to help.

Guiding her over to Moltres, Samuel supported Hoshiko and actually managed to lift her onto the bird's back. Then, he too hopped on.

"This...is...incre..dible Sam...u...el..." Hoshiko whispered to him laboriously. "Than..k..y..ou for...you're...he..lp.." She replied, looking back to Samuel once he was securely in place behind her.

"You're welcome." Samuel answered Hoshiko. "But don't thank me till we get out of this place alive. THEN we can celebrate."

"Samuel has the right idea." Ace agreed.

"You just worry about keeping your legs around the bird, I'll hold onto you so you don't slip."

The young man commented, finding good positions for his hands so that they wouldn't slip. Moltres let out a half-screech that almost had a note of question at the end, and Ace interpreted.

"Ready?"

"As ever..." Samuel braced himself.

Leaning her body forward, Hoshiko buried her face in the warm, soft feathers of Moltres. Giving the bird a gentle kiss, she raised her head once more. She was not at all intimidated by the creature.

"...Mol...tres...I...can't...bel..ieve...it..."

Both Moltres and Samuel glanced at Hoshiko at the same time, Moltres from in front, and Samuel from behind. The bird's fierce eyes softened a little at the respect that Hoshiko showed, and the huge creature let out a gentle squawk of acceptance.

The Incarnus turned to Moltres.

"Lead the way to Fire Ridge."

He instructed, to which the bird gave a low, sweeping bow of its long neck before spreading its wings and riding into the air with huge, steady flaps. Samuel kept his hands on Hoshiko's sides, helping to balance her as the massive bird took to the skies.

Moltres glided over the steam vents and the smoldering patches of slow-cooling lava down below. Familiar with this entire mountain range, Moltres navigated easily, seeming to know where the dangerous locations were, and avoiding them. Geysers of sulfuric gas exploded just out of range of the bird's flight, but Moltres was undaunted, as if it understood right where the explosions would happen and had purposely planned to avoid them ahead of time.

Ace followed slowly behind the creature, but soon enough came up alongside, the winds around him rushing softly.

"I had no idea you could summon a creature like this..." Samuel said in amazement.

"Moltres resides in these mountains, watching over Mount Arcanine, Silver, and all the valleys and mountain roads. I simply knew it would be here and called for it."

"But it didn't have to come." Samuel observed.

"No. But the King of Monsters and the Lord of Fire have certain respect for each other." Ace winked.

Letting the wind brush her hair, Hoshiko smiled gently at the group around her. She might have been hurt but she was around ones who cared and that was what really mattered.

And then there was the sheer honor of riding upon the back of Moltres, whose stories she was well acquainted with. The grandeur of the pokémon was incredible and its elegance brilliant beyond imagination. She only wished she could have something to remember the moment by. One of the pokémon's coveted feathers. But she would never attempt to take one or even ask it of the bird. It was already being so generous to them.

"We'll ma...ke it ou...t...alive. I'm pos...itive of it. We've alra...edy...been...so...ugh."

Unable to continue her sentence the girl leaned forward once more against the pokémon. Her head was throbbing and in so much pain that it was hard to stand it after all of the adrenaline wore off. Even her arm hurt with a more gripping pain.

"...Grrrrrr...ugh...ahhhhhguh..."

Startled by Hoshiko's moans, Samuel held onto her tighter, just in case she wouldn't be able to hold herself on easily. Moltres was a little more of a difficult ride than Ace was, but Samuel wasn't going to complain. He just hoped Hoshiko would be alright.

"Take it easy. I'll see if I have anything in my pack when we land that might help you."

"Tha...nk you...Samu..el." Hoshiko replied quietly, as he assured her more through the pain. Her appreciation ran even deeper than the pain that she felt.

* * *

Samuel looked back across the mountain. Its rugged terrain was dark and foreboding, and as they got closer to the peak, swirls of ash gusted in the wind and stung his eyes. He squinted against them and looked far down below. Suddenly, he tensed. Not far ahead was a river of lava, slowly trickling down a path. From the lava rose spouts of fire.

"Oh no..." He gasped.

"It's Fire Ridge." Ace explained as he flew along side of the large bird, avoiding the flaming tips of its wings. "It's the last great obstacle blocking the pass. Beyond the river and the cliff down there is the mouth of Gaia—Mt. Arcanine. The way is completely impassible by foot. The entrance to the mountain can only be reached from the air because of the molten river and steep incline."

Hoshiko's weary eyes fell upon the burning landscape, and the hot air against her face only burned more with the unpleasant smell lingering in the updrafts. As formidable as the mountain was, the girl knew that she would be grateful later on for not fully being able to take in its entirety. Even if the buffer meant being in great pain.

The bright orange glow from down below cast its heat and its sheen on the riders, even this high above. Samuel stared down into the churning flow and imagined what it would be like to fall in. Nothing but a fast, excruciatingly painful death.

"Look there." Ace caught his attention and directed it to the mountainside. Sure enough, just beyond the wall of flames and the sheer cliff face, there was a narrow pathway that seemed to lead down into the mountain.

"That's it?" Samuel asked with bated breath.

"That's it."

The approach offered Hoshiko reprieve from her agony. But even overwhelmed with relief she couldn't muster any more words now. She had worn herself out completely. Hoshiko could only hope that Samuel _did_ have something in his bag after all that could help. She didn't want to be a useless burden to the group, and no matter what, she decided she wouldn't allow it.

"Hang back a moment." Ace called to Moltres over the hot winds. "I'll check it out and make sure it's safe."

The fire bird nodded once and pulled itself into a slow glide, circling around the top of the mountain and looking down on the dark path that led to the interior. Samuel and company all watched as Ace dove down from the sky and swooped in low, landing on the path. The distance was greater than Samuel had anticipated. Ace shrank to a small white dot as he reached the mountaintop.

Hoping that the way was clear, Samuel waited with anxiety as Ace disappeared into the mountain and didn't come back out for a long, long time. Hoshiko waited quietly, expecting a speedy return from the monster, but as the minutes ticked by and what she had thought would be fast and easy led to her mind wandering in fear of what might have become of their friend. Confused and wrought with concern, Hoshiko fought to find her voice once more, too worried to remain silent.

"...Sam..uel...is...i..s...A..Ace...go..ing...to...b..e...o...kay?" She mumbled, still leaning forward into Moltres for the mild relief that the warm feathers gave to her aching head.

Samuel remained staring down at the mountain, a firm expression written across his face. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't appear to be frightened. He did, however, seem very concerned. It was almost a whole minute after Hoshiko said anything that Samuel spoke up, wind whipping wildly around his face.

"He should have been here by now..." He glared down at the opening as if it was somehow at fault. "Something's wrong." Leaning forward, so that his head was just over Hoshiko's shoulders, Samuel called out over the noise to the bird that bore them. "Moltres! We need to get down there, will you take us?"

The bird glanced back with only its eye, and then nodded its head once with a half-squawk. Ducking into the wind, it dove downward, fast enough to bring them startlingly close to the mountain, but not so fast that they'd fall. Watching the inside of the mountain come closer and closer as they descended, Hoshiko felt worry rise in her stomach. Moltres circled a few times during its descent, and finally, as they came in close to the ledge, extended its feet and reared back, catching itself on the landing. It spread its wings wide and bowed low, to allow Samuel and Hoshiko off. Samuel slid down first, and then reached up.

"Hoshiko, come on down. I'll catch you."

The girl looked down at Samuel waiting to catch her. "O...O-Okay..."

Although slightly hesitant, Hoshiko let her right arm go from around Moltres and allowed herself to slide back slowly from the back of the bird, eyes clenched tightly as the sensation of moving backwards seemed to affect her head more. Hoshiko hoped that once she was down, she would be able to thank Moltres, once more, formally for all of its help.

Samuel was ready when Hoshiko slipped off, and he caught her instantly, not giving her feet a chance to touch the ground before he grabbed her. Hoshiko studied Samuel gratefully as he caught her. Balancing her carefully, the boy looked her over as quickly as he could.

"Well, you're in one piece." He said after a moment. "That's as good as we can ask for, for now."

He stood just so, in order that Hoshiko could lean on him for balance while he reached into his bag. Inside, he had all manner of items, but one in particular he seemed to be searching for. As he dug around, he spoke to Moltres. "Thanks for everything. We couldn't have made it here without you."

He pulled his hand from inside the bag, and in his palm he was clutching a rather large piece of food. He quickly tossed it in Moltres' direction, and the bird caught it in mid air. Samuel returned to digging in his pack.

"Here..." Hoshiko said quietly, wiggling as Samuel got the food for Moltres. The girl wanted to stand on her own two feet, right arm slung over Samuel's shoulders for support. "I'll...be...o..kay...li..ke...th..is." She smiled weakly. "And...it'll...be...fa...ster..." She shook her head as if to chastise herself for getting hurt and potentially slowing Samuel down.

"I don't have much that I can give you, Hoshiko, but I have some pain killers. I can also take a moment to try and look at your arm... But we shouldn't stay here too long. We have to get inside."

He didn't mention that he feared what would happen if they didn't. Given the nature of Ace's mission, it seemed as if he always had someone out to get him...and they were always fierce and powerful monsters.

Hoshiko smiled at her friend as best she could. He had taken good care of her in her pain, and she didn't know how to thank him for all of the effort.

"...I...can't...ta..ke...pa..in...killers...it's...fa..mi..ly...trad...itio..n..." Hoshiko sighed heavily. She was only allowed herbs and natural medicines. "And...we'll...che..ck...my...ar..m and...head...wh..en we...fi.. nd...Ace." She stared at Samuel with a deeply determined look in her eyes.

Surprised by Hoshiko's perseverance, Samuel couldn't exactly argue. He stared back at her for a moment, and then nodded grimly. He closed his bag.

"Right." He decided

Slowly shifting her feet, Hoshiko made her way, with Samuel of course, in front of Moltres. And bowing as low as a girl in her condition could bow, Hoshiko spoke in some sort of unusual language. It sounded to Samuel like an ancient tongue. Though he couldn't understand her, he guessed that she was respectfully thanking Moltres for all of his help. It was incredible how formal Hoshiko was. When she finished, Samuel felt a little outdone, but he felt the need to again express his gratitude, and he smiled roguishly. Offering a gentlemanly bow, he murmured his thanks in the less elegant common tongue of the world.

Smiling gently to herself as Samuel thanked the creature, Hoshiko was pleased to have met the bird face to face. How incredible this was. What would Koichi think of her travels and of seeing one of the three legendary birds? Her heart fluttered just thinking of the moment when she would be able to share all these moments with her father.

As Samuel stood straight again, the great fire bird seemed to approve of both of them, and bowed much the same way that Hoshiko did, before looking towards the entrance. Samuel carefully balanced Hoshiko and turned towards the path.

"Come on now." He urged. "Moltres wants us to get going."

Samuel wasn't sure how he knew that, but decided that it must have been the body language that the fire bird used. It was interesting, to think that Moltres might be concerned about Ace as well. Samuel had had no idea of the connections that Ace might have as "king" of the monsters in the human realm. But perhaps that title had some sort of truth to it. Perhaps Ace commanded some sort of unique authority over monsters that weren't out to kill him.

The two moved down the narrow and rugged path, working their way down until at last they passed between two stone spires and into the mouth of the dark cave. It was hard to see at first, when stepping in from outside, but after a short bit of walking, their eyes adjusted and they'd be able to realize that the cave had a soft orange glow to it. Cracks in the walls and even in some parts of the floor opened just wide enough that they could see veins of magma shining within. Occasionally, they would pass open vents in the floor, through which soft puffs of steam forced flickering embers.

Samuel didn't say anything as they walked, at least not for a long time. His focus was on the surroundings, locating Ace, and not letting Hoshiko stumble. He didn't show it, but once they'd gone deep enough and still hadn't seen any sign of Ace, Samuel feared the absolute worst.

For Hoshiko, the distance they walked was far and the pain was bad enough. But what was worse was the fact that they still hadn't located Ace yet. She could sense, although Samuel hid it well, that the young man was more than a little worried. Not wanting to speak too loudly, Hoshiko turned her head, wincing with the motion, to see look at him.

"Whe..r.e...do...you...th..ink...he...is?" Hoshiko questioned nervously in a whisper. "We've...go..ne...a...lon..g...wa..y.."

At first, Samuel didn't answer. Instead, the furrows of his brow deepened and the curve of his mouth down turned all the more. And there was something in his eyes...something very much akin to fear. When he did finally speak, he slowed to a stop and carefully eased Hoshiko down to sit on the ground, back against a stable rock.

"You need to rest." Samuel decided, his voice shaking slightly. "There's no sense in making you hurt yourself more."

He turned away and looked down the long tunnel ahead of them, and then back the way they'd come. Something was wrong. There wasn't a sound from Ace. Not the scratching of his claws on the rock, nor his heavy breathing, or even his voice or deep growl. True Ace was a prankster, but never when the situation was serious. Samuel instinctively knew that something had happened to the Incarnus, but he dared not imagine what.

And yet, images came to his mind anyway. He remembered his first official meeting with Ace. When the—then small and still fragile—Incarnus had been attacked by a much larger monster, splayed out on the ground, and dying... How he had rushed to save him, only to find he was so close to death that chances were slim. He remembered carrying Ace's limp body to the scout post, desperately seeking help.

And he couldn't help but think... What if they turned the corner and found Ace, lying on the ground...and dying? Samuel wouldn't be able to save him this time. He couldn't carry Ace out of this place. Nervously he chewed his lip, determined that that wouldn't be the case.

Biting her lip to keep from yelping as she tried to get comfortable very slowly, Hoshiko looked up at Samuel, studying his expression carefully. He was scared too. It made Hoshiko feel less alone with her emotions. And however much she appreciated the moment of reprieve that Samuel provided for the girl, she couldn't help but feel selfish resting before they found Ace.

"Sam...uel...We...ha-ve to...f-find...Ace!" She protested with a pained expression, her head throbbing relentlessly.

Despite her resistance, pausing gave Hoshiko a moment to actually relax for a second. Which, considering their current location, could have been a problem as her eyes started drowsing. The poor girl struggled to keep them open and fought of the overwhelming urge to drift to sleep.

She lowered her head weakly. Samuel's scarf still around her head, it had soaked up much of the blood that she would have lost, but it had been quite some time. Hoshiko was starting to feel warm blood dripping from beneath the scarf and down her neck ever so slowly.

"...We...h...ave...to...f...i..nd...A...ce..." She barely managed.

"We will..." Samuel said softly.

He was glad that Hoshiko was so determined, but he still felt bad for bringing her into this situation-not that he and Ace hadn't warned her it would be dangerous. Suddenly, he pulled the flap to his bag open and started rooting around inside again.

"I think I have something that will help..."

He murmured as he pulled out a small pouch that was tied shut with a string. Tugging on the lace, he forced the bag open, and reached inside with his fingertips, drawing out a smooth, green leaf that seemed to be dried or drying. He laid it flat in his palm and held it out.

"I don't know much about Johto medicines, but this is an herb that grows wild where I come from. We use it to help speed up the healing of monsters' wounds. It doesn't have a name that I know of...we just cal it 'herb.' It's not the best medicine ever, but it'll take away some of the pain and kick start the healing process. It'll do until we can get you back to a city."

Hoshiko looked down at Samuel's hand with a look of incredible relief on her face. She wasn't quite happy and she certainly wasn't comfortable, but she felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off of her shoulders. Something that would take the edge off the pain, even just a little bit, was good enough to satisfy Hoshiko at this point.

Samuel grabbed her hand and spread her fingers apart, slipping the herb between them. Then he undid the tie around his waist and reached for Hoshiko's arm, feeling it up and down. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew enough about anatomy to know when something didn't feel right. He quickly located a more swollen and loose feeling section of bone. Making a face, he mumbled.

"Put the herb in your mouth and chew it. It's really bitter, and it'll help distract you from the pain..."

Hoshiko smiled weakly as she felt the leaf in her hands, and glanced at Samuel with silent gratitude. She obediently Hoshiko placed it into her mouth, following Samuel's instructions without question. Samuel was right. The herb was bitter, and it did indeed distract her for a moment—enough that she was completely taken by miserable surprise.

Because before she could even wrinkle her nose in distaste, and as soon as Samuel finished his sentence, he suddenly set Hoshiko's arm, forcing it back into alignment.

Hoshiko's eyes went wide, and she wailed in terrible agony and shock. It wasn't just the gruesome sound of her arm going back into place, but the pain. Terrible as it had been before, now it felt crippling. Seething between her teeth gritted tightly together, Hoshiko was barley able to temper the growl that simply escaped without bidding.

As Hoshiko closed her eyes tightly for the rest of the procedure, Samuel felt a little bad for not warning her, but he knew the anticipation would only have made the situation worse. He knew the pain would already be excruciating enough without thinking about it, and he didn't want her arm to heal wrong if he could help it any. Once in place, he quickly tied the cloth around it, using a short wooden staff that he pulled out of his bag as a brace.

"Best medical treatment for miles."

"Aggggggggggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrhhhhhh."

Samuel smirked weakly at himself, carefully letting go of Hoshiko's arm. He noticed the blood running down her neck and how much her breath had quickened. With a heavy sigh, he realized there wasn't anything more he could do now. Standing up slowly, he helped Hoshiko back to her feet as well.

"I'd say you could stay here to rest, but...I don't know what's down here, and I don't want to come back to find you missing too."

The poor girl simply nodded in reply to Samuel, noting that she would have to thank him formally later. That was important. She came to her feet and looked at Samuel as gratefully as could be expected.

"Mmmhmm..." And with that small mumble she started to walk with him once more, whimpering in pain every once in a while.

Samuel swallowed hard every time. He could only imagine the intense agony she felt, but he kept reminding himself that at least she was alive. He hoped that they'd be able to say the same about Ace, once they found him.

But the journey deeper into the mountain grew longer and less hopeful. The path began to widen, and the chambers became lighter as they got closer and closer to the inner sanctum of the volcano. The heat in the air was almost unbearable, but at least Samuel had grown used to the gaseous stink that the volcano produced.

They passed through a room riddled with glowing cracks and lava seeping down the walls, hardening almost as quickly as it fell, like candle wax. They maneuvered over some rocks and around a corner, stopping at the mouth of a very dark tunnel. Steam vents lined the passage walls, pouring out a veil of thick, white gas. The heat from inside was even greater than out here, but at the very least, Samuel could see a faint glow at the other end. A red-orange glare through the mist awakened him to the realization that they must be very close to the magma chamber.

"Here...hold onto me, and we'll get through this." He muttered, concentrating on the vents that hissed loudly every few seconds.

Naturally, his first intention was to pass through in the gap of time when the vents stopped producing gas. But for that he'd have to time it just right. He waited, and he watched. The vents hissed and popped, spewing out steam rhythmically. He went on waiting and watching, until at last the vents ceased producing. Certain that this was their best chance, he moved forward and urged Hoshiko through with him. They slipped into the thick, hot air, and the water condensed on their cooler skin in droplets, rolling down in long, abundant trails.

Samuel ignored the discomfort, and simply watched and listened to the walls around him, dreading the sound of the vents releasing again. His heart hammered in his ears, and he half expected at any moment to receive a scalding blast to his face. But they made it through. The light on the other side grew brighter, and the steam around them began to thin. The venture had been perilous and Hoshiko had to admit that she wasn't sure whether or not the two would make it, let alone escape the mountain alive. But as they reached the light of the antechamber, she felt a new sense of appreciation and admiration for Samuel's strength and persistence. He'd guided them safely.

That's when a deep voice echoed around them, startling Samuel enough to force him to retreat a short ways back into the cover of the swirling wisps of steam in the tunnel.

_"How very amusing that you would try to come to rescue the Incarnus." _

The voice chuckled dryly. Samuel held his breath, not daring to make a sound as he peered into the chamber, trying to see through the white veneer before his eyes. He didn't see anything at first, but as he squinted and strained, eventually he managed to make out the form of a large dog, lying in a heap on the ground. It could only have been Ace.

Suddenly, a heavy rock dropped down in Samuel's stomach, so hard he thought he might be sick. Still, he held his breath and fought back fear, remaining as silent as possible to listen and attempt to see whatever else waited dangerously on the other side.

Fear and nerves gripped Hoshiko as the last echo of cruel laughter settled. She could feel herself shaking even just slightly, but what really disturbed the girl was seeing the frame of Ace on the ground. Her eyes watered. It might have been from the atmosphere and all of the dust that they'd had to brave. But more then likely she was moved to tears by the sight of Ace—whom she had become fond of so quickly—reduced and in pain. Wanting to say something, Hoshiko found herself too gripped with fear to speak; instead she turned and looked at Samuel hopelessly.

Samuel waited with bated breath, staring through the steam for any sign of movement. And it came, but not from Ace. Something large—very large—was moving around on the other side of the fog. He could see its faint shadow, and one thing was for certain: It wasn't human. He didn't know what it was, to be certain, but he gestured to it with his hand, so that Hoshiko might see it as well.

The vague outline was distorted by the thick haze, but one thing Samuel knew for certain: the monster was at least twice the size of Ace, with four long legs and a long neck. He swallowed nervously, and listened.

_"Oh...you are afraid..."_ The voice said after a long while. _"And rightfully so. I could so easily dispose of you in seconds, if I wished..."_ He trailed off with a low chuckle. _"But that would be a waste of effort. Your pathetic human race is short lived, my friends. Soon they will all die, and you along with them... Those of you who won't be turned into monsters, that is."_ He laughed again. _"But I digress. I came here to lure the Incarnus to his death, once again. It's a pity that he didn't learn the first few times: opposing me will only result in his early passing."_

Hoshiko's eyes met with the shadow that Samuel pointed out. Its voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere, but its shadow very clearly remained rooted in one spot. Suddenly, the girl's pain felt like nothing compared to the numbness that even the sight of this creature inflicted on her. It sent violent shivers down the girl's back as it spoke.

Unsure of what to do or how to react, Hoshiko knew that there was too much silence from the two friends, and the pleasure that their fear gave this creature was too obvious. Using an opponent's satisfaction against itself seemed to work in most cases, at least that was what Koichi had said in one of his letters.

"I...am...not...a...fraid of you!" Hoshiko said, clearly, yet broken and with labor. Her eyes hardened cold as stone, more determined then ever. "You...can't...sc..are...me!"

Slowly, she pulled away from Samuel, fighting to stand on her own accord. She only hoped that the impression of strength and independence to this monster would be a great one. And in the worst case scenario, if her plan didn't work out well, at least she would distract the creature enough for Samuel to get to Ace. What might happen to her in the process, now that was what worried her.

Samuel gasped and reached to grab for Hoshiko in an attempt to stop her, but she had already slipped from his grasp before he even knew what had happened. His heart skipped a beat and then hammered harder, till he could hear his pulse banging against his eardrums with a vengeance. He couldn't talk, couldn't breathe, couldn't even utter a curse.

All he could do was sit there as Hoshiko stepped through the mist.

In the chamber, as the young woman's form emerged from the swirls of steam, there was a faint noise, like the scraping of claws followed by a slight gust of wind. Coming into the open, Hoshiko caught a glimpse of the odd creature that was threatening them, but nothing more. All she could see were its glowing eyes and the strange silhouette it cast against a large cracked wall alight with the glow of fire from behind. It was certainly huge, and its shape was unusual. It seemed to have something wrapped—but detached and floating—around its midsection. But what it was remained a mystery.

Eyes narrowed to try and make out what was in front of her, Hoshiko pursed her lips, trying to hide the pain she was in. The glowing of the creature's eyes was formidable and foreboding. It gave her a tight feeling in her chest that made her heart want to burst and yet on the outside, Hoshiko remained calm and collected. Then just as quickly as Hoshiko saw the beast and thought she might be able to understand what she was seeing, it seemed to vaporize like a ghost, vanishing into thin air as if startled by the girl's emergence.

_"If you are not afraid of me now, you will be someday."_ The voice echoed hollowly throughout the room.

"I will...never...fe..ar...a...cow...ar...d!" She shouted, forcing the words out of her mouth with as much force as she could, considering the tight fear in her chest.

With the creature suddenly out of sight, Hoshiko's words snapped through Samuel's subconscious and almost seemed to awaken him. He finally freed himself of his momentary paralysis and ran out from the tunnel, darting to Ace's side and crouching beside the fallen monster. He laid his hands on the huge canine's soft chest and pressed his ear close, trying to detect a heartbeat.

But that forsaken voice drowned out any sound that might be heard.

_"Touching. But your efforts will certainly be in vain, Samuel Oak. You might have managed to stop my endeavors to slay the Incarnus before, but by my hand he was born and by my hand he shall perish, again and again, and again, until at last he serves me as he was designed to."_

Samuel gritted his teeth, feeling for a pulse at Ace's throat. If there was one, it was impossible to find because of the thick fur. Horrified and stricken with misery, Samuel suddenly stood up and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Come out and fight us, you bastard! Ace doesn't belong to you! Ace is free, and will always be!"

_"It's amusing that you think so. But I've wasted enough time here. Ace, as you call him, is as good as dead, and for you two, I suppose I shall have to finish you off. But not by my own hands. I have more important things to deal with than you pathetic humans."_

There was a sudden rush of air through the whole chamber, oddly chilling despite the heat that had been present before. Then there came a sound like rolling thunder and a sharp, piercing chime. All at once, a strange barrier formed over the opening leading back through the tunnel, and inside the chamber with them there fell an eerie silence. Hoshiko's attention turned to the sealed exit passage. Under her breath, she cursed in something other than English.

Furious but deciding that it was useless to attempt to shout any longer at whatever entity had been there, Samuel threw himself back down onto Ace and frantically began trying to rouse him. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he shook the huge dog, trying to force a response. After a short moment, he even appeared to abandon all traditional attempts to rouse the monster, and instead grabbed Ace's muzzle and cupped his hands in such a way that he could breath through them into Ace's lungs. It was difficult to perform such resuscitation on any pokémon, let alone a huge canine, but it appeared that Samuel had learned, somewhere, a technique that at least made some semblance of sense.

Between breaths, Samuel pressed against Ace's chest and muttered words under his breath, most of them frightened, all of them filled with grief.

"If you die today, I'll never forgive you, Ace."

Hoshiko wanted to help, would have helped, if she only could have. But with all of the bodily problems she was dealing with right now, it was impossible. So instead, she looked at Samuel and tried to offer him some sort of support.

"You help...Ace." She stated. Then, looking forward and around, Hoshiko scanned the room. "I'll...ke..ep...wa..tch..."

Her eyes were sharp, but Hoshiko found herself wishing she had been trained in martial arts instead of in dancing. Because no matter what, she didn't want to take out even one of her pokémon. Not here, not after what Ace had said.

A few more firm pumps against Ace's broad rib cage and Samuel moaned in despair.

"Come on!" He cried out. "I'll be damned if you leave me this way, Ace! You didn't say goodbye, you son of a-"

A hoarse cough came from the dog beneath him, and the huge white chest rose and fell, very slightly. Ace whimpered.

"So…...I...haven't..." His voice came hushed and labored. "Samuel..."

"Ace!" Samuel threw his arms around the big canine's neck and hugged him. Ace didn't move, other than for a few shallow gasps for air.

"Samuel... the danger...here is...all too great..." He coughed. "You...have to...get out."

"I'm not leaving without you, Stupid." Samuel whimpered like a little boy who just found his lost puppy.

"You...don't...understand..." Ace warned. "The—"

"Gate is opening?" Samuel guessed with a frown. "I'm not scared of that stupid gate. We can help you close it, Ace, I know we can."

"No...Samuel...the gate is...is not opening... Not here...anyway. Rather..." He gasped and coughed sharply, "There is...something here... we've been...lured into a...trap." Samuel's eyes widened, but he continued listening to Ace. "The curse... it's...gotten stronger...it's coming from... the door..."

Samuel looked up suddenly, and all around. He noticed then the cracked stone seal, with light coming in from behind.

"How do you know?" He blurted.

But before Ace could answer, a low, penetrating growl filled the room. Samuel's attention immediately turned to the darkness shadowing the perimeter. He was certain he'd seen something move.

"Hoshiko..." Samuel said softly, with great concern. He gestured to the blackness.

But Hoshiko had seen the shadow before either Samuel or Ace saw it. Faithful in keeping watch while Samuel spoke speaking with the revived Ace, she couldn't have missed it. She felt a shiver go down her spine as the shadow passed her eyes yet again, but there was no backing out now, no matter what. Bending down shakily, she picked up a rock that was close by her feet, waiting for the shadow to stop.

"...Sam...uel...we...ha..ve...to...be...ca...re...ful..." Taking a few steps toward the darkness, Hoshiko raised the rock.

Another low growl rumbled, and Hoshiko turned to face where it had come from. At once, she threw the stone with as much force as possible. She then stumbled off in the opposite direction as quickly as she could, scooping up another rock as she went.

"...Wa...tch...Ace...Samu..el...I...I...ca...n ...figur...e...th..is...out..." She panted desperately.

There was a loud _clack_ and then a clatter, followed by an angry snort and a very loud roar. Samuel covered his ears, and feared that the room would cave in on them, as the sound rattled loose rocks down from the ceiling in a hailstorm of stones.

"What the?!"

Samuel opened his eyes again, and now he could see the figure more clearly as it emerged from the darkness. A very large and solidly built body made of stone stepped into the light. It had four short, stocky legs and a big head, probably more than useful for ramming and pulverizing things with.

"Holy tauros..."

Samuel tensed as the creature emerged fully, scraping the rocky ground with a heavy front foot. It snorted, dust swirling out in a puff from within its nostrils, and Samuel realized with absolute horror that it was about to charge.

Having the breath taken out of her, just by the sheer sight of the massive rhyhorn, the girl looked on in sheer horror. A rhyhorn like that, charging in such a manner could kill all three of them in the most unpleasant of ways. Narrowing her eyes in quick thought, Hoshiko ran at the creature, wanting to get beside it before it could charge.

The fear worried Hoshiko's brows, and the girl grabbed onto the short horn upon the end of the pokémon's nose with her good hand, pulling as hard as she could to jerk its head to the side and hopefully distract it. At least a little. But the monster was too heavy to move very much. Instead, it gave her unexpected momentum that she haphazardly decided to use to swing herself up onto the broad neck and head of the monster. Eying Samuel and Ace from her new place on top of the irate rock beast, Hoshiko looked more shocked at what she had done then even Samuel was.

But she couldn't change that now. So, pulling back once more on the horn she held tightly, Hoshiko hit either side of the rhyhorn with her feet and prepared to hold on and steer the creature using his horn, hoping to either run him out of steam...Or run him into a wall...

Samuel clenched his fists in horror. He couldn't believe what Hoshiko had just done, and before his mind could even comprehend it fully he was already seeing flashes of what could become Hoshiko's death before his eyes. Most terrifyingly, the thought of her being thrown from the monster's head and trampled, or even her being crushed between it and a wall raged through Samuel's minds eye.

"She's insane..." Samuel gasped helplessly.

"Nevermind that..." Ace grunted weakly. "She...has the...right idea." He took a shallow, labored breath. "You can't hope to...defeat the beast...without her." Ace tried to look towards the strange stone seal without moving his head. "You...need to... have her...break that medallion loose..."

"Medallion?" Samuel jumped to his feet and ran towards the door to investigate, but before he could even reach out to run his hands along the cracked stone surface, Ace cried out loudly.

"Don't touch it!" He coughed, and wheezed. "The rhyhorn...can break it free..."

Samuel pulled his hands flat against his sides and purposely avoided even leaning against the door as he investigated it. The surface was simply igneous rock, apparently fused to the rock archway that held it in place. The roughly hewn surface was cracked, chipped, and scarred, so badly in some places that he could see the glow of the magma chamber behind it.

But the door itself was not extremely out of the ordinary. Then he noticed something sitting right in the dead center of the rock, nestled into it as if it had been pushed into the stone while the rock was still soft and cooling. It was an oval-shaped piece of metal, just barely too small to fill his palm. The surface was covered in dust, but he could make out the shape of seventeen stones, arranged carefully around one large stone in the center.

"I see it!"

"Leave it...alone!" Ace cried out. "Hoshiko! ...Ram the...door!"

Meanwhile, the whole time Samuel had been studying the medallion, the rhyhorn was tossing its head wildly, trying to get Hoshiko to let go. It didn't appreciate having her on top of it, but with only short legs and a big, heavy body, it couldn't just throw her off, or even spin. All it could manage was thrashing about, trying to buck her using its big, heavy head. And, just as Hoshiko had predicted, he eventually began trying to dislodge her by charging forward...and crashing headlong into the heavy rock walls.

Hoshiko would have screamed if it wasn't for the sound of even her thoughts being drowned out by the roar of her beating heart.

_I'm gonna die..._ Was all she could think as her body was shaken violently by the ryhorn's head.

She was already in a frail state, but it felt like every time the ryhorn made an obvious effort to extricate her from himself, her brain was rattling against the inside of her skull. The pain was absolutely debilitating. What should have been shrieks of terror came out only as a look of horror on Hoshiko's face when the Ryhorn crashed into the first wall. She had expected it, but obviously wasn't able to prepare for the reality. It took absolutely every effort she could muster not to get thrown forward or simply crushed completely each time the rhyhorn slammed his head and dragged his face along the stones. She had to move awkwardly and quickly, with precision and perfect timing to avoid being killed.

It was hearing Ace's command over the chaos that gave Hoshiko a goal to aim for. It wasn't much, but it was something better than just thundering around the room with wild, aimless abandon. She eyed the seal at the back of the room where Ace wanted her to drive the pokémon, and in an instant she jerked on her ride hard, pulling its massive skull towards the wall that needed to be hit. The plan was a go. The ryhorn, frustrated by the control Hoshiko gained over him, ran faster and harder than ever before. It was good for Ace's goal, but as they neared the cracked wall, Hoshiko realized with horror that the same couldn't exactly be said for her.

"Hoshiko!" Samuel cried out, but it was all too late.

The huge monster impacted the sealed doorway shoulder first, with such force that the seal began to split up the middle, cracking a circle around the medallion and leaving it to drop to the floor with a clatter. A sudden shriek exploded from Hoshiko's lungs as the monster tossed his head violently in rage. Hoshiko was flung forward, hitting the wall just above the rock beast before falling in a heap on top of it. This time Hoshiko was out for good.

"Damnit, Ace, look what you've done!"

"You...have to trust me, boy."

Suddenly, Ace started to force himself to his feet. His whole body trembled violently with the effort, but he managed, and quickly began limping towards the medallion. Underneath the dust and debris from the half-shattered door, the rhyhorn began to stir again. Ace's voice came on with a sense of urgency.

"The Mark... get it...out of your bag..."

Samuel was furious, but saw no sense in arguing, especially when Ace's tone was so serious. He reached in, and pulled out the shining green horn.

An angry snort resounded through the room. The rhyhorn was back on his feet. Desperately, Ace bent over beside the medallion and snapped it up by the chain that dangled from it, tossing the object into the air and jumping forward with effort to catch it as it fell around his neck.

"Throw me the Mark!" Ace cried as he hit the ground, his body crumpling under him.

Samuel wasted no time, he threw the object to Ace, and as if by magic, the object floated towards him and attached to the front of the armored helmet adorning the Monster King's head, giving Ace the likes of a gleaming unicorn horn. The transformation was more drastic than that. Ace's color went stark white, so that he lost his darker, tiger-stripe markings, and his armor gleamed with new brightness in tones of emerald green, silver, and blue. Then, contrary to what Samuel was used to seeing, the Mark glowed bright, like the sun, and the medallion hanging around Ace's neck lit up like nothing Samuel had ever seen before.

"Grab Hoshiko!"

Samuel looked at Ace like he was crazy, especially now that the rhyhorn was readying a charge. But putting all of his faith in the Incarnus, Samuel ran at the rhino-like beast as it started to run at him. Just before the moment of impact, he veered to the side and grabbed Hoshiko by the leg, pulling her off of the creature's back and rolling to the ground with her, to safety.

Samuel looked up just in time to see the rhyhorn still running, now at Ace. Ace, lying on the ground, barely had enough time to stand. But stand he did, and he met the huge creature head on.

"ACE NO!" Samuel cried out.

A blinding flash of light followed by a suffocating vortex of darkness exploded between Ace and the rock monster as the two met. Samuel had to shield his eyes and bite his lip. The sound was horrific, like nothing he ever heard before. It was like an explosion and steel claws grating down a giant slate all at once. His spine tingled unpleasantly, and his ears continued ringing, even after the sound and light diminished.

When silence had lasted for more than a minute or so, Samuel finally looked up...and he saw no sign of rhyhorn, but Ace was standing there. Then the white wolf fell.

If Hoshiko had been conscious during the final event, she would have been amazed and frightened all at the same time. But the girl didn't awaken the whole time, even when Samuel had saved her. The impact she had experienced before had been crushing, a devastating blow to Hoshiko's already ravaged body.

But by some miracle, the young woman was breathing, which is considerably more significant then retaining consciousness. So by any standard Hoshiko could be considered lucky. Now the only trouble would be getting out of the mountain or continuing their journey with two injured members of the little party.

Feeling desperate somewhere deep inside to cease being a burden and aid in the escape, Hoshiko managed to find it in herself to open her eyes for a split second, but they looked blank and sightless. She saw nothing, and almost as soon as they opened, Hoshiko's eyes closed once more.


	7. Blackthorn

**Chapter 7: Blackthorn**

When Ace's eyes fluttered open at last, his blurred vision prevented him from seeing anything but malformed shapes and a bright light overhead. He stared into it for a very long time, trying to urge himself awake fully and bring his vision into focus. He felt very numb, and still sore, but surprisingly a lot of his pain was gone. Just an odd sense of paralysis enveloped him, keeping him from forcing himself up right away.

"Good...you're awake."

Samuel's voice roused Ace from his groggy mental state and started to bring him back to reality. Ace tried to look at the boy, but it was hard to see more than a silhouette of him. Nonetheless, Ace managed a weak thump of his tail in greeting.

"Somewhat." Ace groaned with effort. "What has happened? Where are we?"

"We're in a place called Blackthorn City..." Samuel explained. "It's...not much of a city, really. More of a bunch of log cabins in the mountains, but they say that they're working on developing their town more. At least they have a pokémon center AND first aid."

"How did you..."

"Drag your sorry carcass here?" Samuel smirked and leaned against a wall. "I'm just that awesome."

"Ah. I'll have to be sure to thank Moltres for bailing you out." Ace rolled his eyes, trying to lift his head. "Where's—"

"Hoshiko spent the night in the house of some old lady who's into roaming the mountains and gathering roots and other random stuff for her own private apothecary. There's no real doctor in this town, but they all swear up and down by this lady, and so far she's done more for Hoshiko than I could hope for. She set her arm more effectively than I could, and put it in a much better cast. Then she bandaged her head with ointments made from all these weird herb powders. Unfortunately, Hoshiko needed some stitches but...Apparently the woman made some threads from the wiry hair of some strange pokémon I never saw before. Looks like a huge shaggy pig."

"Well at least she's alright."

"Speaking of which," Samuel cut in one more time, "I have to go and check on her, see if she's awake. I spent the night here with you."

Ace snickered slightly. "Choosing me over a lovely young maiden? You've got it bad, Samuel."

"Shut up. If you hadn't gone through so much I'd break your legs."

"But never my spirit." Ace chuckled. He tried to get up, but collapsed back down. "Argh...I guess I can't come with you."

"The pokémon center gave you a heavy general anesthetic. It needs time to wear off. It should be gone soon enough though. Until then, just relax." Samuel turned to walk out the door.

"Mmmhmm."

* * *

Hoshiko mumbled in agreement as an old woman placed a warm wooden bowl into her hand. Sitting up, or more so leaning back against a large chair she had been placed in. Everything seemed hazy and hard to remember, except for that last impact. Or at least she remembered how much it had hurt.

"Just take some slow sips. It's an herb that burns...but it'll help your healing so it's important you drink it all, my dear."

The elderly woman doted over Hoshiko, making sure that the girl was as comfortable as she could be. Held in her boney fingers was the scarf that Samuel had wrapped around Hoshiko's head. Not saying anything else, Hoshiko lifted the bowl gently to her lips and started to sip the herb. Her eevee was sitting on the arm of the chair, rubbing her warm, furry face up against Hohiko's arm.

Taking the scarf and reaching for Hoshiko's head, the old woman started wrapping it around, smoothing it under the back of her hair where there appeared to be a thinner spot.

"I'm covering the stitches up with this scarf of yours. It'll cover up the spot I had to cut away. So no one will notice it."

Cringing at the thought, Hoshiko still remained silent. The remedy in the bowl had already started burning her throat. Coughing slightly, she forced herself to swallow more. Seeing the disturbance it had caused the girl, after tying the scarf, the elderly woman smiled warmly and her.

"So your name is Hoshiko then? What a pretty name. Star Child."

Looking up at the woman surprised, Hoshiko's eyes were wide. "How did you know what my name meant?"

"People don't name their children like that anymore. When I was young everyone had beautiful names like yours. It was all about tradition and family names." And she winked at Hoshiko playfully. "My mother's name was Hoshiko."

"Really?" The young girl coughed before taking another sip of the drink.

"Yes, and I have a granddaughter by the same name...but I've never met her before..." The woman looked off longingly, obviously pained.

"...I'm so sorry..." Hoshiko empathized with the woman with a soft tone.

The two were so busy talking that they didn't even notice Samuel walking in. The young man felt a little awkward as he stepped through the door and stumbled upon them in the midst of their conversation, but to look at him you never would have known. He stood with his feet set apart and a hand on his hip, the other hanging at his side loosely. A smug grin curved the corner of his thin lips, and his tousled silvery hair looked more messy than usual.

"Morning ladies." He called out. "Beautiful weather, truly. A bit chilly, but crisp and clear, if I do say so myself. The air is fresher than I've ever smelled it and the food around these parts is amazing." He patted his stomach and walked farther in, so that he'd be out of the doorway. "I see Hoshiko's alive, despite having all these stinky herbs thrown at her." He wrinkled his nose at the strange smell that lingered in the air of the apothecary.

Turning to see Samuel as he stood in the door way, the elderly woman looked at him with a crooked look on her face. It was hard to read, simply oozing amusement but at the same time peppered with annoyance. Taking a few steps towards the boy, she took in hand a hand-carved cane made of wood. Looking at him hard and focusing for a second with her tiny eyes. It seemed like her stare would never end. But within a minute the woman raised her cane and whacked Samuel on the head with it.

"Don't insult the superiority of natural medicine, Boy! They saved the life of your friend." And whacking him once more for good measure the woman continued on. "You've got some nerve coming in here and saying things like that."

Shocked, Hoshiko looked at Samuel with wide eyes. "W-Wait! He! He doesn't understand!"

Turning around and limping back over to Hoshiko the woman shook her head. "Don't stand up for him. He needs to learn some respect, like you have, Girl!"

The first hit had caught Samuel off-guard more than anything, and he was too startled to realize that it hurt...until the second hit smacked him in just the same spot. He sucked in air through his teeth and flinched, rubbing his head vigorously as if he could erase the sharp and sudden pain.

"What was that for?!" He cried out, irritated. "Yeah they're helpful but that doesn't mean they don't stink!" He whimpered and looked at his fingers, as if expecting to see blood on them, even though that was a ridiculous notion. His eyes went wide after he realized what he'd blurted out though, and he suddenly covered his head with both hands and ducked low, expecting to be hammered again.

Eying Samuel for a second as he spoke, the old woman smiled a semi-toothy grin, missing a few from age.

"You know what stinks, Sonny?" She asked him, obviously a rhetorical question. Once more, she approached him with her cane in hand. "Your attitude!" And with a surprising agility she raised her cane to bring it back down on Samuel's head.

"Wait!" Hoshiko's voice came out raspy and weak. A trembling hand grasped the woman's cane and held it back it back in an unimpressive struggle between the elderly and infirmed to spare Samuel's head from another beating.

"What?! What's going on!?"

The woman didn't understand. Instead she started to pull the cane away, causing Hoshiko to loose her hold on the bowl in her one hand and spill the rest of the contents in it onto the group. Eevee sprang down from the chair arm as the hot liquid splashed and steamed, staining the old wood of the home and everyone's clothes.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am...I...just...He, Samuel, h-he doesn't understand...Most people don't."

Samuel heaved a sigh of relief when he realized he wasn't going to get pummeled, but he wrinkled his nose at the smell of the spilled liquid and wet wood. Wisely, however, he didn't comment on the stench this time. Taking a step back, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Eheh... looks like you um...spilled it. Maaaaaybe I should get out of your hair and let you resume your normal and proper medicinal techniques." He glanced at Hoshiko, ready to run out the door in case the crazy old lady came after him again. "Dinner tonight? Great, see you there!" He hurried out the door, looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being pursued.

Sighing heavily as Samuel dashed out of the door, Hoshiko let go of the woman's cane, who was now shaking it in Samuel's general direction. Huffing as she looked down at the bowl on the ground, the woman turned to Hoshiko and sighed, bending over and picking it up.

"You drank most of it..." She commented. "So you should be okay."

Smiling gently at the woman, Hoshiko nodded. "Thank you very much, for everything." And slowly, still feeling a bit woozy, Hoshiko bowed to the woman.

Looking satisfied and happy with the respect that Hoshiko paid her, the lady patted Hoshiko on the back.

"You're something else, girl."

"Um...thank you." Hoshiko replied, hesitant at whether or not it was a compliment the woman had given her. But thinking of Samuel alone in the town, Hoshiko stepped towards the door. "May I take a walk for some fresh air?" She asked softly.

"Yes, but don't stay out too long. I'll whip up some things for you in the mean time so that you can carry them on your travels."

"Thank you so much!" Hoshiko replied happily, taking off out the door to go find her friend.

Both Eevee and the old woman watched curiously as Hoshiko fled as fast as any person in her condition could go. The old woman shook her head.

"She acts so much like he did at that age..."

Eevee tilted her little head and cooed in confusion.

* * *

"Samuel! Samuel!" Hoshiko called out after her friend as she caught sight of him down the road. "I'm so sorry that happened...T-Thank you for bringing me here..."

Samuel turned around completely to greet Hoshiko, walking backwards slowly with a strange look on his face. It was impossible to tell whether he was amused or annoyed judging from his expression, but he seemed satisfied with Hoshiko's comment, and his tone of voice revealed it. Once Hoshiko managed to get close enough that he wouldn't have to yell, he answered.

"It's alright, I've seen worse." He laughed. "The lady fixed you up good. I'm surprised that you can even get up after the beating you took."

He turned to face forward and walked on by Hoshiko's side. The sky overhead was crystal clear, and all around them the rocks of the mountain rose up. Over the tops of pine trees they could see down the mountainside and far off into the distance. Samuel suddenly smirked.

"Man do you know how _hard_ it was to carry you _and_ Ace on my back, all the way through those mountains and valleys until we got here. I mean, Ace I could carry no problem, but adding you was like adding a grand piano." He grinned mischievously. "Of course because I'm just that strong I walked for days and nights, nonstop, until I brought you two here safely." He glanced at her and flashed her a wink, a clear sign that he was joking.

Hoshiko would have placed both hands on her hips if not for the cast completely encasing her left arm. She settled for returning Samuel's smirk.

"I've heard that I weigh quite a bit actually. I must hide all the weight in my brain." Hoshiko shrugged her shoulders jokingly. "You're just lucky I didn't have a twelve piece kimono on. It might have killed you. Then again, maybe I should try that next time, just to see how your stamina is." Shaking her head, Hoshiko laughed.

Turning her head to the deep blue sky, the crisp view sobered her quickly. Hoshiko sighed. "I thought I was going to die." And then, looking back down at her hands pensive and serious, Hoshiko looked like she was going to say something but quickly changed the subject.

"I hope you don't want your scarf back." She tugged on it with her right hand. "Because if you do, I'm going to have to go around quarter way bald because of you."

Samuel waved his hand casually.

"You can keep it." He insisted. "I can always get another one sometime." He stretched his arms before bending his elbows and locking his hands behind his head as they walked. "You're one crazy chick, you know that?" He kept looking forward, even as he addressed Hoshiko. "That was a mighty gutsy move you pulled. Ace approves, but don't look too much into it, because he's an idiot."

Samuel laughed and turned on the dirt path heading towards a quiet little storefront with benches looking out over the mountains and fields. To Samuel's amazement, from this high up they could also see the ocean on the distant horizon. A cold breeze blew by, sending a chill through the boy's body, but he braced against it and pretended it didn't bother him. Slowly, he sat down on one of the benches and stared out into the misty sky.

The first thought in his mind was Ace. As far as he was concerned, Ace was no idiot. But that didn't mean that Samuel approved of all the trouble the big white canine got himself into. Nevertheless, Samuel wasn't about to let his friend down. He'd never admit it, but the moment that he thought he'd lost Ace was the most painful moment he'd ever experienced. The sheer horror, the sinking feeling, and the heartache were all too much, even looking back on it now.

It had been too close of a call.

"I guess I was making up for lost time." Hoshiko commented thoughtfully out of the blue as she followed Samuel to the bench.

Samuel glanced over at her quizzically as his thoughts scattered to the wind, and he watched patiently as Hoshiko settled with some difficulty on the bench beside him, crossing her legs. She stared out at the view as the chill air stirred what little of her hair hadn't been shaved or tied up by the scarf. The breeze didn't bother Hoshiko, she was used to all of the weather conditions in Johto, and so it was almost refreshing to have the scent of Blackthorn carried past in sweet, evergreen waves.

Taking a moment to breathe in deeply, Hoshiko only spoke again after a steady, relaxed exhale.

"I was pretty stupid getting on that ryhorn's back. But I'm still not sure I knew what I was doing. I think I just wanted to be useful or the hero or something. I've spent so much time in my life being safe that I wonder if I overcompensate sometimes by being crazy a little too often now that I'm away from home."

Hoshiko shook her head and looked down at her hands. "But I should have thought a little better. I could've gotten myself killed..." Then, lifting her eyes to the misty beauty in front of them, Hoshiko smiled weakly. "I think it's something Koichi would have done though..."

Hoshiko fell into deep silence for a moment, before finishing with a solemn, "I'm glad I'm alive."

Samuel was glad for the chance to dwell on something other than the near-loss of the Incarnus. He glanced at Hoshiko from the side and then smiled his characteristic lopsided, boyish grin.

"Yeah, you coulda been killed in an instant, and I couldn't have done a thing in the world to save you. It was completely insane, but thanks to _you_ we got out of there alive. Not quite in one piece in your and Ace's case, but alive nonetheless. Much more alive than we would have been if we all sat in place and let that monster trample us however many times it pleased." He looked out into the distance, and saw some bird pokémon flying across the sky, wind under their wings, carrying them up and down on unseen currents.

"You know...Koichi would probably be proud of you. Mad, maybe that you risked your life, but proud knowing it was the only real chance we had and that you took it. You're a lot tougher than I've been giving you credit for."

This made Hoshiko smile. The girl glanced over at Samuel and laughed gently. "Yeah, you're right. He might not have even been mad. He travels a lot and has seen a bunch of dangerous things. Koichi might have been a little frightened for me though." Obviously, Hoshiko enjoyed talking about her father. "He's a traveling physician actually. A lot like the lady who helped me. But he travels around to remote villages where they don't have doctors. I hear it gets pretty busy sometimes, but it's rewarding work. I can imagine." The girl's eyes were gentle as she too turned her gaze to watch the pokémon flying, swooping, and circling over the trees. How beautiful and graceful they were. "I like to imagine the people that he's helping."

Samuel took pause and imagined what sort of man Hoshiko's father must be. He sounded truly dedicated and loving. He thought it was a shame Hoshiko didn't get to be with him much. Then, out of nowhere, he remembered something he'd wanted to ask.

"Hey...when you went out into the chamber ahead of me...what did you see? Did you see whoever it was that attacked us?"

Hoshiko's peaceful demeanor changed and she became reluctant to speak, but for Samuel's sake she recalled the event.

"Well, I didn't get a very good look at it...but what I did see...it was...frightening to be honest." Using her right hand, Hoshiko started to pick and a bandage wrapping that was on her knee, feeling awkward. "I was bluffing when I said I wasn't scared. Its silhouette was huge...and there was something, something strange wrapped around it. I don't think it was human, no, not at all." Continuing picking at the bandage, Hoshiko sighed heavily. "...I have a feeling it isn't the last we've seen of it."

The look on Samuel's face betrayed his nervousness and his malcontent. It was bad not knowing what the strange creature was, but worse thinking it could come back. He stared at the ground for a long, quiet moment, kicking at pebbles with his shoe.

"Maybe Ace knows..." Samuel trailed off quietly. And then, as suddenly as if nothing had happened, he looked up and laughed nervously, trying to put a smile on his face. "But we'll worry about that bridge when we have to cross it, right?" He smiled.

"Yeah...I guess we'll have to. We don't have much of a choice...do we?"

Hoshiko looked down at the ground. She herself wasn't that comfortable with the topic. That creature, whoever it was, whatever it was, had the potential to kill them. Maybe life was safer back in the village. But there shouldn't be any regrets. It wouldn't be right if there was.

"Right now I'm just glad you two are alive." Samuel broke into Hoshiko's thoughts with stark honesty.

"Oh yeah, for now I'm glad we're both alive..." Hoshiko laughed uneasily. Then looking at Samuel with a slight pause, Hoshiko tilted her head.

"That old lady said something funny when I was with her...She told me that she had a granddaughter named Hoshiko..." And then closing her eyes and looking away Hoshiko's brow dropped and shadowed her amber eyes. "And that she had never met her before..."

"Wow, really?" Samuel asked, clearly surprised. "What a coincidence. I wonder how many people named Hoshiko there are in this world." He looked at the sky, as if it might have all the answers. "Come to think of it there are probably a lot of people named Samuel too...but I haven't met any." He chuckled.

"I think you'd be better to bet on more people having your name than mine, Samuel. There aren't a lot of people in the world who name their children so...traditionally." And smiling, Hoshiko punched her friend in the arm playfully. "It's not like you can walk down the street and hear someone say 'Hoshiko' and a thousand heads turn. If you're really lucky, one does." She laughed for a moment, and then quieted, returning to watch the sky.

"Gosh, wouldn't it be weird if the Hoshiko she was talking about was _you_? Of course...now that I think of it, that's silly. You said all the ladies in your family lived together." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sure you must have known your grandmother in a culture like yours."

"See that's the thing, I did know all of the women in my family...but only on my mother's side." Blinking a couple of times, Hoshiko looked out into the mist. "That's kinda what weirded me out about the whole thing. I never did get the chance to meet my dad's mom..." And rubbing her left arm slightly, Hoshiko turned to look at Samuel. "I find it kind of awkward actually..."

Another strong gust stirred the otherwise gentle breeze into discord, if only for a moment. Somewhere a spearow cawed.

"Well...maybe if you talk to that old lady a bit, you'll learn something more. Of course, it's all just a wild hunch, but maybe if you mention your father's name to her, she'll recognize it. It couldn't hurt to ask. And heck, if awkwardness bothers you, you probably wouldn't still be sticking around me and Ace." He smirked, rubbing his arm where Hoshiko had punched him. "We're pretty awkward I'd say. Especially him."

"No, you guys aren't that awkward..." Hoshiko shook her head, as if to chastise Samuel for thinking something so silly. "You're just funny—not completely normal, but then again I'm not all that normal myself." Laughing at that, Hoshiko's expression went funny. "Unless jumping onto the back of a raging pokémon is suddenly something normal people do."

But then Hoshiko became serious once more. "The awkward is something different. I wouldn't know what to say if she was my grandmother. What if she didn't understand some of the things I do? How I call Koichi by his first name and how she must have felt to be segregated from our community. It would feel like...like the burdens of my culture are my fault. And besides, she might not even be happy with the fact that my mother and Koichi had an arranged Marriage. It was set up by my mother's family."

Sighing heavily, Hoshiko placed her chin in her right hand. "They would pay families an appropriate amount of money for someone that their daughter could marry. It has been going on for years in our family...unfortunately, a lot of poor families would be targeted, and they had no choice but to accept the offer. I don't know if that's how it was for Koichi...but I would feel terrible if I had to find out..."

Samuel's face went grim, and he turned away from Hoshiko, breathing a slow and thoughtful sigh. He didn't have much instruction or advice for the girl, but if there was anything he'd learned...

"You just have to trust your gut instincts then. If you don't feel like you should even mention it, perhaps it's best to not even imagine. Besides...we don't know for sure that she is your grandmother. It could just be an interesting coincidence. But either way, the best thing to do is to do what you feel is best for you and for that lady." He paused for a second and finally looked back to Hoshiko after having apparently studied one particular pine tree in depth. "The only thing that I have to suggest...is that if you do bring up your father, and she happens to know him, maybe she knows where he is. It's just a thought, but if you seriously want to find him someday, you need a starting place to look."

Silence slowly came over Samuel for the next few moments, but before Hoshiko could speak again, something seemed to come to his mind. This time, he looked down at the ground, and played with the torn fabric on the knees of his jeans.

"Did you run away partly to avoid an arranged marriage?" He honestly didn't know why he'd asked. It was far too personal a question to bother someone with, but he was curious he supposed, and his mouth moved faster than his mind at times.

"He's a very severe young man..." Hoshiko replied somberly, not looking at Samuel but staring down at the tiny stones beneath them under the bench. "Maybe he can be kind, but he's too severe..." And then there was a long, deep, pensive silence that seemed like forever. At least Hoshiko felt it so. She wasn't sure if Samuel did though.

"He's probably still waiting for me back in Ecreteak, I doubt my mother would let him leave until I got back. She was determined that he was right for me. And that he could continue the bloodline properly with me. I'm the only chance the family has, even though I have so many sisters. They didn't realize at first that when they chose a husband for my mother that her first one's family was double crossing them. Not until several children later. But me, I'm the last one, Koichi's only child. She had to remarry and Koichi was the choice, I'm their only child and the only one who is considered to have pure enough blood to continue the bloodline." A grim expression was on Hoshiko's face.

"Maybe that is part of why I ran, I wasn't sure what I wanted, and even my fiancée was putting a lot of pressure on the situation. Sometimes he could be quite...mean...but my mother didn't know...I'm sure she didn't."

Samuel's brow furrowed slightly. He tried to imagine what a marriage arrangement would feel like to him. He shied away from the very idea. On one hand perhaps it was a nice thing, knowing that your future is set. But Samuel never was one for having anything decided for him. It was why he never got along with his father. He wanted, somehow, to have some say in his own destiny. And he could admire that in Hoshiko. It made sense.

"Perhaps your fiancée was simply...just as doubtful of the situation as you were. Maybe that was why he was not as nice as he could have been. I can't say for sure. I don't really know. I'm sorry to hear about your family and your situation though...I'm sure it's not an easy thing to think about." He finally glanced over at her. "No matter what, though, as long as you live, whatever dreams you might have, I'll be pulling for you. And I'll try to help you as much as I can. Maybe someday you can go back to see your sisters and the rest of your family again. I'm sure they're worried about you...even if they are upset." Samuel slowly stood up, stretching his back and shoulders.

Hoshiko's eyes were dull at first. Samuel's reasoning about her fiancée was very kind, and Hoshiko really did appreciate it, but he just didn't understand.

"...Perhaps..." She replied in but a whisper, before standing up beside Samuel. "But...I have a feeling that he isn't as bothered about it as I am. He...seems to enjoy the idea actually." But looking away for a moment, Hoshiko digressed from the bleak topic.

"Samuel." She turned back to him. "Thank you; I don't know what to say...Honestly. I've never had someone who promised to stand by me, not like that. Only Koichi, but he has to support me. You're choosing to, Samuel. So it means so much more that way..." And placing a hand on his shoulder, Hoshiko closed her eyes. "I've never had a real friend..."

Samuel looked at Hoshiko's hand, almost nervously. As if he had no idea what an appropriate response to that was. It was unexpected, to say the least, and because he was unused to being around people, having grown up in a fortress, he really wasn't socialized enough to understand some gestures. His cheeks turned rosy pink from the awkwardness he felt at being unsure of himself, but he managed a grin and a reply.

"Sure you have." He tilted his head curiously. "Eevee. And Hanu. They're great friends." His smile got a little bigger. "But I'm glad to be your friend too, Hoshiko. I'll try my very best."

Noticing how uncomfortable Samuel seemed to be, Hoshiko took her hand away from his shoulder slowly and shook her head.

"Yeah, they've been my friends...but it's nice to have a friend who can actually talk to me for once."

Samuel's blush faded and he nodded a silent agreement filled with understanding. It really did make a difference to have someone you could talk to. Maybe that was why he was starting to feel so attached to the Incarnus. He laughed.

"Me and Ace owe you big time." He turned his gaze back down the little road, towards the pokémon center. He knew that by now Ace was probably almost completely out of anesthesia. "Speaking of Ace...we'd better go get the big galoot. He's waiting for us in the pokémon center."

Hoshiko smiled and then looked down the path that they had come from. "You and Ace don't owe me anything. We just do stuff for each other; that's what friends do."

She turned back to Samuel, her smile transforming from sweet to impish. "The pokémon center huh? Well..." Before saying anything else, Hoshiko darted down the path at a sprint.

"Race you there!" She called back to Samuel, waving wildly at him with her right hand.

Samuel's eyes went wide as saucers in his surprise, but once he realized what had happened, he smirked and instantly gave chase.

"Hah!" He panted as he raced forward as fast as his legs would carry him, "Don't think you'll win _this_ one, Hoshiko! Between all the running for my life and racing to complete scout challenges, I think I've got the advantage!"

He laughed aloud and was soon running side by side with the young woman, pushing himself harder and with greater effort to get ahead of her. He cast a sidelong glance at her while they were running, sneering at her challengingly.

"This the best you got?" He teased.

Looking over wide-eyed as Samuel caught up with her, Hoshiko's expression emulated shocked but at the same time there was a smile on her face. She was exhilarated.

"Haha, I think you're right Samuel." Hoshiko looked down at his feet as she started to fall back in the race. "I'M NOT THE WORLD'S FASTEST RUNNER!" She shouted at him as Samuel approached the pokémon center before she did. Once she saw that he was there, Hoshiko slowed her pace to a walk. A look of content happiness glowed on her face as she approached her friend.

"Congratulations! Now we'll have to go in and get Ace so we can celebrate your win."

"We'd better have a grand old party, absolutely chock full of food and games of every-"

He cut himself off and came to a sudden halt as he put his first foot in the building. His spine went rigid, and he couldn't believe that he was looking down the barrel of a gun.

Ever so slowly, he raised his hands in the air. He recognized the man in black. But worse yet, he could see other men behind the desk, surrounding an unconscious Ace with their own weapons drawn. One man was pointing his gun at the nurse in an unthinkable threat of violence.

"Ah Samuel, it's so good to see you. And Hoshiko too. I would have thought I'd see you sooner, but Jamirus tells me that you've abandoned us, my darling."

Samuel suddenly whirled around to face Hoshiko. "What?!"

The breath was taken right out of Hoshiko as she too faced Kaiser Hart standing before them. The girl's eyes were wide and her mouth gaped but she couldn't just stand by and let Hart do this to Samuel, after all she had gotten him into this with that one little lie. That lie...how she wished she hadn't said it. But it was in fear of what the man would do if she didn't satisfy him with an answer.

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Oak." The handsomely dark yet cruelly sinister man said smoothly. "I'll give you your monster back and leave everyone unscathed if you just give me what I came here for."

"What do you want?!" Samuel snarled, turning back to face Hart.

"Just one thing, young man. I need your journal. You see...we must find that hidden lab that was Snap's great claim to fame. You're not scientist material, my boy. You don't even know what you have in your hands. You might as well give it to people who know what to do with it."

"W-Wait!" Hoshiko cried out, staring with unbroken fear at the gun still in Samuel's face. "L-Leave him alone!"

She took a few steps forward and unable to bear this for even one more second the girl dove at the gun that was held at Samuel, attempting to push it away with her one good hand. Coming face to face with Hart, Hoshiko looked him intensely in the eyes.

"Leave Samuel be! I..I...I lied about what was in the journal! I didn't see any of that inside of it! Nothing! I was just scared of what you'd do!"

Hart tensed, and when their eyes met he glared so coldly that he might have been able to freeze her blood. For a moment, he didn't move.

"Well now, I don't know whether or not I believe you, now that you've gone and ditched us after we so kindly let you go. I'd have you dispatched right now, but you're not worth my time." Suddenly, in a frightening display of strength, he threw Hoshiko down to the ground. Hoshiko shrieked.

"Hey!"

Samuel roared, moving to catch Hoshiko, but being stopped by the weight of a huge black boot slamming down on his foot. The cold steel of the weapon in Hart's hand suddenly pressed to his temple. Hoshiko's eyes watered from the pain that shook her upon her impact with the floor. She bit her lip to keep from crying out again. Hart glowered.

"Alright, Oak. I don't know if she's telling the truth or not, but just in case, I've changed my mind. I don't want your journal." Samuel clenched his fists and tried not to even breathe. "I want you. You're going to take me to the lab, and if you don't...Hoshiko and your precious puppy are going to pay the consequences."

The girl was thankful that her pokémon were with the elderly woman, that way they were safe from Hart. And one thing became apparent as Hart held the gun at Samuel's head. It was obviously a bluff. If he wanted information from Samuel he, wouldn't kill him. He couldn't kill him. But Hoshiko, that was a different story. He could and might kill her if he got the opportunity, especially since he was angry with her now. Maybe calling the bluff would confuse the man enough to let Samuel escape and figure out what to do. And then again, if she got the attention turned to herself, Hart wouldn't kill her if he wanted to use her for leverage against Samuel. Shifting the tables in what looked like Hart's favor might just give Samuel the upper hand.

So calling the bluff might just work.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr." The girl hissed through her teeth as she looked up at Hart from the floor. "What are you doing with that gun at Samuel's head? You couldn't kill him even if you wanted to!" She shook her right fist at the man. "He has information that you want. It's obvious that you would never kill him. Why don't you act like you have common sense!" She seethed again, obviously in pain. "I can't believe I have to tell you what to do! I should be your target, you fool!"

A slow, cold grin turned up the corners of Hart's lips, but he didn't take his eyes off of Samuel. "Killing you wouldn't serve much of a purpose either, my dear, except to show Samuel that I mean business. Perhaps I'll do just that. But not yet." He lowered his gun slowly, but then turned it on Hoshiko, still keeping both eyes on Samuel. "So, boy. What will it be? You help us and give us what we want? Or you keep your secrets to yourself and we kill everyone you hold dear...which...is a pitiful few, but it'll have to do. It makes my life easy anyway."

"What the hell do you want with the lab anyway?" Samuel growled, fighting back terror at the thought that Hoshiko might be shot. "You're no more a scientist than I am."

"Ah, but I'm an entrepreneur, and I can PAY scientists. Snap died an untimely death, but I know all too well that he must have had some amazing research under his belt that never came to fruition. His partner Folds never understood the value of real research, and went off pursuing his own little games, like pokéballs. What nonsense! People have developed their own methods for taming monsters all throughout history. A useless invention like a pokéball holds no meaning to anyone. But Snap...Snap was the Commissioner of Green Bays for a reason. He was a millionaire because he had smarts and tools. And I want them."

"Anything Snap had is entirely useless to anyone who wants to make any money. Snap was no genius." Samuel muttered in disgust.

"We'll see about that, Boy. Take me to the lab, and I'll judge that for myself."

Watching the barrel of the gun pointed at her intently, Hoshiko tried hard to focus on what she should do next. But under the pressure of Hart's weapon that wasn't the easiest thing in the world to achieve. So not taking her eyes off of the gun, she contemplated her next move.

With the gun away from Samuel, Hoshiko felt that was more then a start. It gave the only able bodied person in their group a little more room to breathe. Hart was focused on Samuel quite intently; he hadn't taken his eyes off of the young man once even when he was talking to Hoshiko instead.

That's when a crazy idea popped into her head, something that she figured might be the stupidest thing she'd done in her lifetime—and potentially the last, though she prayed it wouldn't be.

Deftly shifting into a crouching position, the girl didn't remove her eyes from the gun, and just as Hart finished talking, she took her opportunity. She lunged forward as savagely as a petite girl could at both Hart and the gun. Reaching to swipe the weapon away from the man, she hoped against hope that it might work out better than the images flashing hostilely through her mind told her it would. She didn't want to die like that...

Hart was caught by surprise, but his grip on the gun stayed firm, and so wrestling the weapon away from him was going to be a tricky and potentially dangerous mission. The man roared out in rage and went to punch Hoshiko, but suddenly Samuel jumped on him from behind and yanked his hand away. With two young people climbing on him, Hart's attention was divided and he couldn't just focus on one or the other, or else risk losing his weapon or his only chance of finding the lab.

Fortunately for him, and not so much for the friends, he had several of his men with him. The man who was behind the counter, holding the nurse and gunpoint, suddenly leaped over the top of the surface and fired a shot at Hoshiko. It just barely missed, but was loud enough and close enough to scare anyone who might have been targeted.

Samuel flinched and looked up, losing concentration for just a moment, when suddenly Hart's free hand slapped against his side and hit the button on the front of one of his pokéballs. In a flash of light, the dangerous man's huge griffin-like beast emerged and tackled Samuel to the ground, razor sharp claws digging into his skin.

"So you want to do this the hard way, huh!?" Hart roared furiously. "Shoot the girl! Or the monster! I don't care which, just shoot one of them!"

Another gunshot fired from the grunt who'd hopped the desk, aiming for Hoshiko.

"No!" Samuel cried, trying to fight Jamirus to get free. But the monster was far too powerful for a human to even match its strength without a weapon of some kind.

In great contrast to the true chaos exploding around them, to Hoshiko it sounded like everyone else in the room had become silent, which in turn made her shriek sound louder and even more clear. Her face distorted in horror as the man shot at her for the second time. Fear made it impossible to move, and before she knew it, the girl was writhing in pain, unimaginable agony written on her face.

She screamed out just to try and release some of the pain as she crumpled to the floor, clutching both of her hands onto the center of her chest. It was hard to tell for the others where exactly the bullet had hit her but one thing was obvious: the pain that Hoshiko was in. Hot red fluid soaked her clothes and seeped away from her pained form, staining the tiled floor. Her mortified eyes watched her own blood spilling out in front of her, too fast to be a good sign. Hoshiko's breaths became even more labored and sharp, filled with desperation.

Meanwhile, the commotion drew the attention of someone outside of the pokémon center. When the gunshots fired, the form of a man passed in front of the glass doors leading in. Tall, thin, and with slightly messy black hair, the stranger peered in with substantial shock as he went to pry the doors open to get inside with his ninetails standing beside him.

Suddenly, every gun in the room was trained on the stranger entering. Samuel had stopped struggling against Jamirus, and he whimpered in defeat, suspecting that somehow the stranger could only be one of Hart's men. With the giant monster looming over him, he couldn't see the reception they gave him.

"Damnit, I'll take you to the lab! Just don't hurt her!" Samuel moaned.

Hart glanced down at him, but kept his gun trained on the stranger for a moment. "Good boy." He holstered his weapon. "Jamirus, let him up."

The creature squawked and hopped to its feet, releasing the badly scratched and bruised Samuel to stagger to standing. That's when the boy saw Hoshiko.

"Oh no..." He whispered, too taken aback to say anything more. He ran to her and dropped down beside her, but Hart grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "She'll be fine I'm sure. Well leave her in the care of these humble little village people. But we're taking your monster with us, just in case you decide to cause problems again."

He looked over at the stranger who'd just come in. "Never you mind anything that's happened here. A bit of business. It's been cleared up."

"No one's going anywhere."

The man who had entered the center didn't seem to care that there was men pointing deadly weapons at him. His eyes were only on the young woman who was lying on the floor with blood pouring out of her chest. He ground his teeth as he dropped to his knees in front of her. The man already knew that his ninetails would be waiting in the doorway for anyone who felt like leaving.

Slipping his shirt off as he landed on the floor, he proceeded to rip it in half, and gently lifted Hoshiko, taking her hands away from her chest revealing the bullet wound that stuck to her bloody clothes. Exhaling sharply as the man took the shirt and wrapped it around Hoshiko's chest tightly, he looked into her eyes that were pained beyond expression.

"I'm going to try and help you...I don't want you to die, this was a terrible injustice. Please know I'm here to help you. Just keep breathing for me, keep breathing."

He watched her face, Hoshiko didn't speak or say anything at all, but she did keep breathing, making a more earnest effort to take in air. The man then proceeded to search through his pocket for some sort of needle and thread.

"I hate to do this, but we're gonna have to stitch that wound up without anything to help with the pain...the risk of blood loss is too high if we don't get it sealed up. I'll get the bullet out after."

Hoshiko's eyes kept trailing to Samuel, trying to make sure he was okay, even though her vision was far from clear. The man picked up on this and without any apprehension looked at Hart for a second.

"Let the boy go...she wants to see him."

And with that, he gently started to open his wrappings, holding his hand over the wound and then starting to open the girl's shirt just enough to get to the wound properly. Threading the needle partially with his teeth, he held the needle over Hoshiko for a second.

"Okay, here goes..."

Hart's grip on Samuel's arm only tightened as he watched the stranger with frustration. Samuel winced in pain.

"Who are you to tell _me_ what to do? I'm the one with the guns and the manpower to outdo you." He glared at the stranger, and then back at the door. "Jamirus, you take care of Ninetails." The man suddenly whirled around, dragging Samuel with him.

"We're going out the back way."

Samuel cried out as he was dragged away, hoping that he could at least offer Hoshiko some sort of hope...some comfort.

"Hoshiko, don't you dare die on me, you got that? I'm coming back for you! This isn't over, I promise!"

Samuel struggled, straining to see Hoshiko for as long as he could manage, but Hart kept him in check and pulled him farther and farther away. Looking up with thickly laden spite, the man attending Hoshiko snapped bitterly as he watched them retreat.

"I'm not afraid of you and you're stupid lackeys!" He growled and then turned back to Hoshiko. "Don't worry, you're friend's gonna be okay, Kid."

He looked off wearily as Hart dragged the boy out of sight. He wasn't sure what to do; he couldn't pursue the man and leave Hoshiko alone. And now Ninetails had that horrible griffin monster to contend with. All that was left to do was stitch up Hoshiko's wound for the time being before he could get more appropriate treatment for her. He pushed the needle through her tight skin with a pop, and Hoshiko cried out suddenly, against her own wishes. Her scream pierced the air, but the stranger persisted to close the small but traumatic wound that could have easily meant death for Hoshiko without care.

Meanwhile, the struggle between Ninetails and Jamirus escalated from a fierce staring match. At first Jamirus had been content to simply stand by and make sure Ninetails didn't try to stop her master, and Ninetails maintained sharp focus on Jamirus until he realized that Hart was moving to escape the back way. The only way to stop him was to go through Jamirus, so she lunged at the griffin-beast, mouth agape and unleashing a mighty blast of scorching fire. She was a well trained, bred and experienced pokémon.

While Jamirus could never easily take on a large team of pokémon, he was fleet-footed and skilled in one-on-one matches. Flapping his wings, he lifted up off the ground, carried above the sudden wash of flames. He flew over Ninetails' head, swooping down with claws extended to towards her back.

Ninetails turned her head around to face Jamirus, her expression was fierce and unyielding. She opened her mouth wide again to release a stream of fire, and with a flick of her tail, she jumped backwards and out of the way, making sure not to collide with either her trainer or his patient.

* * *

Once Samuel lost sight of Hoshiko and the mysterious rescuer who tended to her wounds, his attention reluctantly turned to Ace. It was hard to take his mind off of his friend, but he hoped she was safe now that she had someone capable looking out for her. Now Samuel had to worry about himself and the Incarnus. The beast lay completely unconscious as they hauled his huge body out the back door and into a huge black truck. When the monster was in, Hart radioed his men and told them to evacuate before loading Samuel as well.

"What did you do to him?" Samuel grunted, trying to make Hart's job difficult.

"Oh don't you fret, boy. Your pet is alright. We just had the nurse administer another dose of sedative. Couldn't have him interfering with our plans, after all. He's far too powerful a monster for that." Hart paused and frowned. "Where _did_ you find him, Son? Seems like a mighty handful for a shrimp like you..."

Once in the truck, Samuel frowned at Hart. "He's not mine to control." He snapped. "He's nobody's."

"Oh really?" Hart said in fascination. "Maybe I'll just have to claim him for myself, then."

"Good luck trying." Samuel spat disdainfully. "He only helps the people he deems worthy, and trust me; you don't fit that category."

For some reason, that seemed to bother Hart, and in anger, the man growled and slammed the door to the back of the truck.

* * *

Though stitching the small bullet wound was a simple task in theory, Hoshiko's cries of pain made her caretaker cringe in empathy.

"I'm so sorry." He soothed, trying to ease the pain with his words. "It'll all be finished soon and you'll be okay. We'll get you cleaned up and you'll be alright...it's gonna be okay now." He replied, making sure he didn't stop talking until he finally finished.

His eyes flicked across her face as he wiped his bloody hands on his pants and took the remaining part of his shirt to clean around his impromptu stitching. It wasn't much, and it wasn't a permanent fix, but it stopped the bleeding and would keep Hoshiko alive until he could get her out of here.

Unfortunately, he would have to wait for Ninetails to be rid of the Hart's awful monster before he could safely transport the wounded girl. In the meantime, he stayed kneeling beside her, holding her head gently off of the ground and gripping her wrist between his thumb and forefinger with his other hand to ensure that she still had a pulse. He watched anxiously as the battle escalated.

The birdlike creature flapped its huge wings and created a mighty whirlwind that slammed into a blazing stream of fire from the mouth of the graceful white fox. The force of the wind was so great that it captured the flames in the gust, sending them swirling into a fiery twister. The heat filled the room and cast a terrifying red glow across everything. A second mighty flap sent the heated whirlwind back at the ninetails, and Jamirus let out a screech of rage.

Narrowly dodging the flames, Ninetales growled threateningly, leaping towards her opponent with incredible speed. Her front legs extended out in front of her, claws ready in a lightning fast pounce. If she couldn't beat him with fire, she'd have to best him with physical prowess.

Jamirus hopped backwards one step and didn't even try to get out of the way, knowing that there just wasn't time with the fox was rushing head on at full speed. Instead, Jamirus threw himself backwards and to the ground, catching and bracing himself with his arms and lifting his feet up off the ground in preparation for what appeared to be a kangaroo-kick. But it wasn't quite. Suddenly he thrust his feet at the incoming ninetails with tremendous speed, claws extended, and he beat his powerful wings to form a flaying rush of wind.

Letting out a cry of frustration, Ninetails met the wall of wind and the claws of her enemy with painful force. She tumbled backwards, but caught herself and wound up standing on her feet, facing her enemy with burning eyes. She barred her teeth, angered at how relentless the creature could be. There wasn't much that she was able to do that didn't give him time to counter attack. She knew she had to take a chance, and summoned deep inner strength and focus to ready her body. Within moments, she burst away from the spot she stood, moving so quickly that there appeared to be more than one of her. She circled around her foe, using the power of her mind and her speed to maintain the illusions and confuse her opponent.

Though the commotion was intense, with the men in black gone, the nurse behind the desk had the confidence to rush forward at last. She came out and ran across the tiled floor, dropping to her knees in such a hurry that she practically slid her way to where Hoshiko was.

"I don't have much to offer you." She said regretfully to the stranger who waited beside the poor girl. "I'm trained to treat pokémon. But I have bandages and some medicines that may be of use to you. Just ask." She lifted up a small black bag that clearly contained doctor's kit inside.

Raising his head from looking down at Hoshiko the man nodded to the nurse as she addressed him.

"Thank you very much; you're very brave to assist me. I'm sorry for anything that may have happened to you...I can't believe such a thing has happened in Blackthorn, this place used to be so peaceful."

Eying the medical bag in the nurse's hand he sighed. "I'm a doctor of natural medicine...I doubt there's anything in there that I could use, since as far as I know all of the pokémon center's in Johto use modernized medical practices." Still, in hope, he had to question the young woman. "What are the bandage wrappings inside that case like?" He asked. "And the other medicines...what are they made of, and what are they for? I'm just lucky I had enough material left in my pocket for stitches from my last patient."

"I have gauze bandages." The nurse suggested. "And medical tape. I also have some old remedies that are still used to heal pokémon. Bitter roots and energy powders...Most of them aren't really meant for human consumption though. I have a topical anti-bacterial cream that I made myself. Maybe we could at least use that once she's all wrapped up. Unfortunately, if her wound is severe, she may need surgery to remove the bullet. At the very least I can take her to the back and have an x-ray taken of her chest...just to make sure the bullet isn't threatening any internal organs."

Looking and listening thoughtfully as the nurse explained, the man ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes.

"...Hm..."

He thought with great consideration. He felt that he could have to compromise his own methods of medical practice. But if it meant saving a life was it worth disregarding his personal morals? It didn't take too much deliberation though. A faint glimmer of a shine caught the corner of his eye, and the man turned to see a bracelet on Hoshiko's wrist. It was an herbal medicine and traditional medial practice bracelet. He had hardly ever seen these. They were use to let doctors know in emergencies what the patient wanted.

"...I...I can't. I'm so sorry. You've been very generous." He looked at her somewhat sadly. "I'll have to take some of that bitter root...and some of the energy power too. In a pinch they'll do. She might feel a bit sick when she comes to but that's a lot better then dying." He replied shaking his head. "What's in that stuff you made yourself? The anti bacterial stuff? We'll need to perform surgery, and we have to prevent infection...I'll have to gamble a little bit at where it landed though. At least if it had affected any of her major organs, we'd know. Trust me. I'm used to this."

The nurse looked worried, but quickly moved to help him lift Hoshiko. She took great care just the same, and helped him avoid the violent conflict between the two monsters in the open lobby.

"Let's take her to the back and get her on a table. We have pokémon surgeons here that will at least be able to assist you with the right tools."

She took out some pouches of energy powder and a large chunk of bitter root only once they'd slipped safely into a quiet back room.

"Here. The antibacterial cream is a mixture of antiseptic plant extracts, peroxide, and a large dosage of baking soda. It's more of a paste than a cream really, but it has the same effects." She pulled out a plastic bag that was fitted with a nozzle like a toothpaste tube. "This will help stave off infection at least."

"Alright, thank you, Nurse." He replied, reaching to help the carry Hoshiko to the very back of the room.

They found a free table to place the girl on easily enough. Once there, the stranger opened her shirt a bit more to get at the wound and then taking the paste from the nurse, he started gently smoothed the paste over the damaged skin. He knew that they were just going to open it up again, but this would help keep the area clean and protected even while he worked. It was worth the extra effort.

After that, the man took the root and powder, placing some of it on his finger and opened Hoshiko's mouth to place it under her tongue. He hoped it would dissolve quickly so that she could benefit from the effects, but by now she was unconscious and it was the best he could do.

"Can you get someone in here to help and fine me a few sterile instruments? We're going to have to go in and get that bullet out of her. It's not like we have a lot of time." And, waiting for the nurse to fetch some assistance, the stranger began the prep and further examined the patient to estimate where the bullet might have gone.

* * *

Jamirus screeched in rage and hopped to its feet, wings spread wide as it tried to focus on the very fast moving ninetails. Thinking quickly, it decided there was no time to waste staring dumbly at the speed-blurred illusions. He spat a huge fireball from his mouth when Ninetails appeared in front of him, and again when she appeared to the side, hoping to eventually hit her.

But he couldn't. The fireballs pierced the illusions and dissipated them, crashing into the floor and leaving wide circular burn marks. He tried again, and missed. Nintails was pleased. Suddenly, she sprang at the monster with claws ready and teeth bared to tear flesh.

Jamirus shrieked in surprise as the unexpected force slammed into him from behind. He hit the ground and slid quite a ways under the paws of the white fox. His sharp beak scarped the floor and he extended his claws to try and stop his slide, but at once he felt a sharp pain in the back of his feathered neck as Ninetails sank her teeth in deep. The strange bird creature screamed an ear-piercing screech, one so chilling that it crawled through the body in shuddering waves of discomfort and lowered Ninetails' defenses. Even the humans in the building, particularly in that room, were forced to cover their ears.

Nintales was already preparing another attack while her enemy was down. But just as she raised her head and opened her jaws to exhale a hot breath of fire, the loud screech stunned her to stillness. She clenched her teeth together and flattened her ears, not moving until it was too late.

While Ninetails was momentarily defenseless, Jamirus curled his legs up under himself and used his mighty wings to throw himself into a backwards spinning tackle. With the fire fox on his back already, the momentum pressed her against him as he plowed her backwards. His sharp beak and hard skull combined with the speed at which he propelled himself made the impact completely sense-shattering.

Ninetails cried out in pain as they both hit the white brick wall. Serving as a cushion to Jamirus, she absorbed the full brunt of the collision as well as his weight crushing into her from the other side. Her legs curled close to her belly as she squirmed in sheer agony. Her body went limp, and Jamirus pulled himself away, letting Ninetails collapse onto the cold floor. She couldn't stand. She just looked at him with fierce, burning eyes. The battle was over.

* * *

In the OR, the nurse hurriedly returned with the facility's surgeon and pointed out all the sterile tools, ready for use. The surgeon was tall, and already fully scrubbed. When he stepped in and saw the girl on the table, he was surprised, but not as much as he would have been had the nurse not explained the situation prior.

"I'll see what I can do...It's not going to be easy, but hey. Pokémon can't be all that different from people right?" He moved forward, and grabbed a scalpel.

The stranger studied the tools on the table, getting acquainted with his options while the surgeon spoke. The tools were cold and crude to him—he used all of his own handmade tools. Still, these would do in a pinch. He looked up after a moment, only when the pokémon doctor's nonchalance bothered him into it. Even so, the stranger tried not to show any irritation. Instead he spoke calmly but firmly.

"This is far more important then you're letting on. A human anatomy is different than that of a pokémon and must be handled with such caution. As a doctor myself I advise you to approach the surgery with the utmost care..."

The surgeon looked apologetic as he approached, ready to begin.  
"I'm sorry...I try to keep things light or else my job would become very difficult...you understand I'm sure..."

Hoshiko's rescuer nodded solemnly and took one step closer to the girl. He pointed out his hand-done stitches while briefing the doctor.

"She was shot in the chest, one bullet, but considering it's lodged in her chest she's lucky to be alive. What we're up against here is blood loss while we're getting it out. She's already drained more blood then one would expect out of that wound. I stitched it up, so we're going to have to be careful when we cut it."

The stranger interrupted himself, turning to the table with the instruments and picking up a syringe.

"In fact, I had better start replacing some of that now...since IV is out of the question because of her natural medicine request, we'll have to do things my way." Suddenly, he stuck the needle into his arm and drawing blood from the vein to transfer to Hoshiko.

The surgeon moved to make an incision over the entry wound but stopped when he saw the stranger drawing his own blood.

"Now hold on a minute!" The surgeon said in distress. "We can't use just any blood for the transfusion. If she gets blood that's incompatible with her type, her own body will turn against her and kill her! We have to find out what her blood type is before we even attempt such a risky procedure!"

Looking at the other doctor with a slight smirk on his face, the man took the needle out of his arm and approached Hoshiko with a full syringe.

"Believe me, I know her blood type."

He started, taking the needle and inserting it under her skin and into a vein in Hoshiko's arm. He pushed the plunger down very, very slowly, so as not to explode the fragile tissue with too sudden an influx.

"She has my blood after all."

He looked down at Hoshiko sympathetically. He noticed only then the necklace that he had given her years ago, when she was much younger. Despite how much she had grown, Hoshiko's features still reminded him exactly of last time he had seen her.

The surgeon kept a close eye on the stranger for a moment, but after a few moments, he decided that the best possible thing to do would be to let it go and get to work. Quickly but very skillfully, he made the incision and began his search for the missing bullet. He eyed the damage that had been done, trying to determine how much of it was repairable through surgery and how much should be left alone.

"You are related?" He asked the stranger, if only to help steel his mind against the direness of the situation. "This must be very difficult for you..."

A loud squawk from the other room made the surgeon's heart skip a beat, but he didn't look up. Instead, he calmly nodded once and the nurse knew exactly what it meant. She left the room quickly and entered the waiting room to find Jamirus standing on top of the table with his wings spread. He let out a shrill call, and then beat his wings and took off, crashing through the roof and sending debris falling in heaps of dust while sunlight poured in. The nurse shielded her face from the falling plaster, but turned and ran back to the operating room in a flurry of dismay.

"The creature in the waiting room has defeated the ninetails. It left...but it made its own way out..."

So engrossed in his discussion and watching Hoshiko and the surgery carefully, the stranger didn't even notice when the nurse returned. But Ninetails called out desperately from the other room, in hopes that the nurse would be able to assist her. The whimper of the injured pokémon quickly caught the nurse's attention, and although she wanted to hear more and help out, she knew she was best suited for caring for the ninetails.

"I'll be right back, I promise." She said, quickly turning to go retrieve the poor white fox. The surgeon merely nodded grimly.

As soon as all the blood in the syringe had gone into Hoshiko, the stranger took the needle out again swiftly but carefully. Replacing it back into his arm and taking out more blood. He looked at the other doctor and swallowed hard, nodding his head darkly with a deeply burdened look reflecting in his eyes.

"This young woman you're working on is my daughter." He replied after a minute or so, injecting Hoshiko once again and stroking her forehead gently with his left hand. "Her name is Hoshiko. Since I travel, we haven't seen each other for quite some time..." He chuckled under his breath a bit. "You'd never know I'm her father though. She calls me by my first name, Koichi."

The surgeon nodded slowly.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I know if it was my daughter I just...I couldn't be operating like this." He separated some tissue and then let out a gasp, but it wasn't one of worry. "Aha. I've found it. And it doesn't look like it's gone into any organs. Didn't sever any arteries either thankfully, but it has severely damaged a lot of smaller blood vessels, causing some serious hemorrhaging. I might be able to cauterize it, though."

He removed the bullet carefully with forceps, then changed tools and began to try and cut off the bleeding. Koichi let out a huge sigh of relief as the bullet clattered onto the operating tray and he saw it with his own eyes. It felt like assurance that the girl would be okay, but at the same time it was hauntingly surreal, seeing the object that might have killed her.

"Hmm, I understand" Koichi said broodingly. "I myself hate to be reunited with her in such a way...but I suppose if this is what fate called us to then I'll have to accept it." He murmured, maintaining a steady flow of blood transfer from himself to Hoshiko.

Things were starting to come together and it felt like a huge weight off of the man's chest. "So then the damage isn't too extensive beyond the bleeding...that's wonderful." He replied, obviously relieved. "It won't have any long term effects, will it? I can't get a good view of what you're working on standing here..."

"More than likely she won't suffer any great ill except from the blood loss. It'll take time to recover from that. But aside from that, the damage isn't extensive." The surgeon looked just as relieved as Koichi, and he began to stitch the wound up once he was sure he had done all that he could.

"I don't know why this happened..." Koichi closed his eyes and sighed. "Ah well, it's good anyway. Blood loss is bad but nothing compared to what the bullet could have done. She's lucky to be alive, that much I know. She'll just have to get a lot of rest, I'll give her as much of my blood as I can but there's only so much I can give...she can stay at my mother's house until she's ready to get up on her feet again." Watching Hoshiko his eyes were gentle. "I wish I could stay longer, but my responsibilities are pressing. I had to pass through Blackthorn to get more supplies for my next destination. That's when I heard the gunshots coming from here. But my obligations take me to remote locations that need medical assistance."

At that moment, the nurse came in, having taken care of the ninetails and gotten her to rest. "I've never seen those men before." She cut in. "They're not locals to Blackthorn, that's for sure."

"Nobody from Blackthorn would ever commit such an atrocious crime." The surgeon muttered in frustration. The only people here besides the hikers and those who deal in medicine are the Dragon Clan, and they've been here for centuries. Those men in black we not related."

"No." the nurse agreed. "But they were after that silver-haired boy...the one they took away. They must have followed him here..."

"Hm, yes, they're not from Blackthorn that's for sure." Koichi confirmed to the nurse as she came over and began assisting in cleanup. "I grew up here and I've never seen anyone like those men. But you must be right, that boy had something to do with this. I wish I could have went after them...but I wasn't about to leave Hoshiko...I wonder what she's doing around the young man anyways...Hoshiko would never get into that kind of trouble herself..."

Koichi stopped the blood transfer between him and Hoshiko. He was starting to get lightheaded and dizzy, that meant he would have to stop. He sighed and began to help clean up as well. It wasn't long before the tools were removed and Hoshiko was stitched up again. Koichi put more topical antibiotic on the wound and picked up some bandages.

"Her grandmother is the elderly woman here who owns the apothecary. If you could bring Hoshiko there, I would be eternally grateful." Leaning over, the man kissed his daughter's forehead and dressed the stitches himself so that they would remain clean and free of bacteria. He would have to leave much sooner then he wanted to...Much too soon. He only wished she'd open her eyes. Quietly, after dressing the wound, Koichi got more of the energy powder and put it onto Hoshiko's tongue.

"My nurse and I will take her there straight away." The surgeon assured. "Don't you worry about a single thing. She's in good hands here." He turned to the nurse and nodded. The woman went and retrieved a large stretcher that they carefully slid Hoshiko on to. "Good luck, Koichi." The surgeon offered his hopes. "You came just in time. I hope you will be able to return very soon...for your daughter's sake."

"Thank you so much..." Koichi replied to the doctor, looking at Hoshiko the whole time.

He took the bullet that the doctor had removed from her chest, cleaned it, and wrapped it in his left over stitching thread. He tied it to the necklace he'd given Hoshiko, right beside the frog charm. He hoped it would stand as a powerful reminder of how lucky she was to be alive, and hopefully make her consider more careful actions in the future. Seeing her arm in the cast that he could tell his mother had made, and upon noticing the scarf obviously concealing more damage, Koichi picked his daughter up and worried. He wanted to cancel his previous appointment and stay in Blackthorn with her, never to let Hoshiko out of his sight. But instead, he had to watch helplessly as the doctor and nurse took her from him.

They hoisted Hoshiko off of the table carefully, and began to carry her out the front door, stepping over the debris left behind when Jamirus went crashing through the ceiling.

"Oh!" The nurse looked back once at Koichi as they left. "Don't forget your ninetails." She nodded over to where the creature was quietly resting.

"Of course...thank you so much for tending to my pokémon." Koichi replied mindlessly to the nurse, his only thoughts on Hoshiko.

He gently rubbed the girl's hand that he had held onto while escorting her out, contemplating the circumstances of their reunion and seeing her again after so many years apart. He didn't want to let her go, even as they approached the door, but he knew he had to. His mother would take care of her. Even so, it pained him as he released his hold and watched her fragile hand fall away as the surgeon and nurse took Hoshiko out the door.

Koichi sighed, suppressing feelings of guilt and helplessness. This was for the best. He turned and found his pokémon asleep and looking fairly well for all she'd been through. He recalled her into her pokéball, and walked out.

Outside, a young boy of no more than eight, with bright red hair and a very grim look on his face almost bumped into the doctors carrying Hoshiko. He hopped backwards to avoid being stumbled over, and he watched with curiosity as they moved Hoshiko away from the pokémon center and down the road, towards the apothecary. He raised an eyebrow slightly, but then went back to looking at something in the bushes.

"Hmm..." He chewed his lip intently and began to reach in to grab the item when Kochi emerged.

Startled, he looked up, but otherwise remained crouching. After a moment, the young man thought he recognized Kochi, if only very vaguely. He'd at least seen him here in Blackthorn before. He didn't really know his name, though. At any rate, he doubted Koichi was the source of any turmoil that was seen here. He turned back and reached into the bush again, pulling out a torn piece of black fabric and a piece of paper with some handwriting scrawled on it.

Koichi noticed the child as well, and looked down at him distractedly. He watched as the boy rooted around in the bushes and studied his find.

"Hm?" He looked at the small boy curiously, walking over to him. Koichi crouched down beside the child, and regarded him. "What're you finding in there, Buddy?"

The red-haired kid looked up. His face was a bit dirty, and he had scars on his elbows and knees, probably from getting into all sorts of trouble himself. He wrinkled his nose a little bit and eyed Koichi suspiciously, but then decided Koichi wasn't _much_ of a stranger, even if he wasn't a dragon tamer. He held up the piece of cloth and the notebook sheet.

"This." He said, a little wary of the man he didn't know. Despite his hesitation, he sounded more proud that he had discovered something interesting. "The men that were hiding in the bushes left these behind when they went inside. Before they started all that trouble." He pointed to the pokémon center. "I'm going to track them down." He decided aloud.

Eyebrows raised in interest, Koichi smiled at the child. He was proud of him for finding such important information. Ruffling his hair gently, he reached for the notepad sheet first. The boy was startled when Koichi took the sheet from him, and he reached for it, wanting it back. But when he couldn't grab it right away and when Koichi tousled his hair, the boy made a face and moaned in complaint.

"Mind if I take a look at that?" Koichi asked, although he had already taken it from the child and was engaged in reading it. This was precious information about his daughter's attackers.

The note book sheet that the boy had picked up was wrinkled as if it had been folded in someone's pocket. The top edge was labeled with the date, a few days before. The other corner had a small logo printed on it, reading: _THM_. Scrawled at the header was a short phrase: _Snap's Lab_. And, listed underneath were several columns, one labeled _Jhoto_, another for _Kanto_ and one for a place called _Green Bays_. Under each column header were cities listed from each region. Many of them had scratch marks through them. Some didn't.

"Those men hurt my daughter." Koichi explained to the boy as he read. "They're very dangerous and I don't think you're mother would be too happy with you chasing after them like that..." Shaking his head and clicking his tongue Koichi locked eyes with the young man. "I know I wouldn't be, and I don't think the Dragon Tamers would be either. How about we make a deal? You let me go after them...and I'll send you letters about how things are going?"

"My mom doesn't have to know." The small red-headed boy protested. "And besides, I AM a Dragon Tamer! And I'm in training. That means I have to do things like all the grownups do, that way I can become as strong as them. You're just an old man anyways. You can't fight those guys." The boy crossed his arms stubbornly and looked up at Koichi with a frown as he waited, clearly expecting to have the paper given back to him.

Koichi sighed and curiously noted the cryptic notes that caught his interest. He would need to search out answers to some of his own questions once he reached his next destination. This was a good lead to find out just what Hoshiko had gotten herself tangled up in. Knowing how sheltered she was and how incredibly innocent she'd been raised to be...this was something she obviously wouldn't understand. But there was the young boy to contend with. He was the one who had found this paper, and as Koichi looked back at him at last, he saw the expression on his little mug. He shook his head.

"Sorry Kid." He started, folding up the paper and placing it into his pocket. "I can't let you do that. Those men have guns, and who knows where they've went. I'd be hung if anyone here ever found out I let you go out there. And besides, I'm not an _old_ man. I'm just matured, like a fine wine." He smirked at this. Reaching into his other pocket Koichi took out a cloth wallet bag and dropped it in front of the child. It contained a very fair share of money. Slowly Koichi stood. "This is invaluable information for me. I need to understand why my daughter was shot. I could have lost her easily...So thanks for the tip, Kid."

The expression on the boy's face fell even more, and his annoyance was plain. It was bad enough being told to stay behind, but being called a kid too? Ridiculous. But then something came to his mind, and the corner of his mouth twisted into a mischievous little half smile.

Yes, this guy would get in trouble if he _let_ him follow. But Koichi wasn't technically letting him follow, so if he followed of his own accord, then nobody could be blamed but the kid himself. Fair enough, he reasoned. Plus, the money was a great assurance that he would just have to come along anyway. After all, the kid wasn't about to accept a _bribe_ to stay behind and _watch_ bad guys get away when he could do something about it. No, he would just have to follow Koichi...that way he could give the money back...after he beat the man to the bad guys of course. Extending his little hand, he took the bag and nodded once.

"Yeah, sure thing, Mr. Mature." He grinned even more mischievously and saluted Koichi, stepping back away from the bike to give him clearance. "Good luck, Dude."

He smirked and thought to himself. _You're gonna need it._

Raising an eyebrow at the boy, Koichi looked at him a bit suspiciously, questioning exactly how genuine a boy at that age could be. After all, he'd been young once before himself and all too mischievous, not that that had faded much with age. He still found himself in tight spots more often then a man his age would like to, but between rash decisions and the nature of his work, things just seemed to fall into place.

Not having time to consider the boy's intentions, however, he shook his head and nodded to the child.

"Yeah, well, thanks again for the information." He turned and strode over to his motor bike, mounting it in one swift and fluid motion. The engine roared to life, and he drove off, leaving dust and the boy behind.

The little red-head watched as Koichi disappeared over the horizon, and just before Koichi was out of sight, he reached into his pocket and popped open a pokéball, releasing a vibrava that was just his size. He put his hand on the almost buglike dragon's neck and grinned with eyes alight in mischief.

"Okay, Vibrava, follow that bike!" He hopped on, and the pokémon sped off on rapidly humming wings.


	8. The Unlikely Heroes

**Chapter 8: The Unlikely Heroes**

The sound of hearing your heart beating in your ears wasn't pleasant, it wasn't even remotely nice. It made your flesh crawl and sweat pour off of your body in dripping beads.

Hoshiko knew that all too well, but she wasn't entirely sure why. All she really comprehended at the time was just that, inside, her chest felt tight and all she could see was blood. Blood as red as crimson, and it felt like warm water pouring off of her skin. And the pain, the absolutely crippling pain that could make a person wish they were dead and not dying.

The sound of muffled voices made her mind wander, trying to figure out what anyone was saying. One thing was clear though; one of those voices was Samuel's. He sounded panicked. Maybe he knew what was going on? Why she felt so terrible. What all this red was, why it was so warm and how come it wouldn't stop coming. She wanted to call out to him and ask him why. But Hoshiko found herself unable to even let a word escape her lips.

Then the other voice spoke up. It tried to sound soothing, and was closer than Samuel's. The one that was closer to her must have also been the source of the coolness on her skin. It wasn't that comforting. Suddenly there was pain. Searing pain. And Hoshiko could tell whatever it was, was going through her skin, winding in and out like some wretched, biting serpent.

In a bright flash of white, the whole scene rewound itself, and Hoshiko could see herself standing clear in front of Hart's gunmen, unable to move or even breathe. She watched with horror-filled eyes as the bullet pieced her in the chest—

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Screaming at the top of her lungs, Hoshiko's eyes flew open. She clutched at her chest tightly to feel the stitches, and was jolted sharply by the pain that accompanied them. Feeling as though the air had practically been cut off, Hoshiko found herself hyperventilating.

She had had a dream...

Just a dream...

No. It wasn't just a dream...It had happened. And with this realization, Hoshiko's eyes started to spill over, and she began sobbing from sheer emotional overload and realization of what had happened. She wasn't even sure where she was or why. More frighteningly, she wasn't even sure how she was even alive.

Suddenly, a cool cloth fell softly on Hoshiko's brow, damp with water scented like medicinal herbs. The trickling of the cold liquid from the rag ran down her temple and neck, up under her collar. Perhaps that was where the strange feelings were coming from.

A calm but dry voice sounded, cutting through Hoshiko's panic like a knife.

"You scream like that and you'll bring the whole house down on top of us. She's older than I am, you know?"

When Hoshiko looked to see who was talking, there again was the old woman, as if everything that had happened the day before was just a dream and she had been trapped inside this hut, asleep, the whole time. But then why would she be able to remember the old lady?

"Hoshiko,"

Why would the old lady be able to remember _her_?

"That awful boy you've been following sure is trouble for you. You shouldn't let him drag you into these things..."

The fragrant liquid dripping down her face and neck mingled with her tears and Hoshiko's nostrils flared. If for anything, she just wanted to smell the herbs, to make sure it was real. To make sure she was alive. But before she even had a chance to fully come to her senses, she realized that the woman was scolding her, albeit gently. The log walls of the quiet little house crept into her bleary view.

"W...W-Where...w-where...i-is...S-S-Sam..uel?"

Maybe this was just some strange trick her mind was playing on her? Maybe nothing did happen to her chest...no bullet, no stitches. The whole thing might have just been a bad dream. A terrible dream. Looking down to reach inside her shirt, Hoshiko's eyes fell upon her clothes, soaked in red.

Just like the dream. No. Wait. It couldn't have been a dream then. She glanced at the elderly woman beside her, eyes wide and voice barely able to squeak the question that she really didn't want to ask.

"...W-was I…. D-did I...did...did someone...shoot...me?" The young woman asked. It was obvious in her tone that she wanted to hear no for an answer, but was afraid that she might get a yes.

She felt that a yes might give her a heart attack, especially with how incredibly weak the girl felt right now. The old woman sighed and rolled her eyes slightly, not in exasperation at Hoshiko but more in annoyance at Samuel.

"Yes, you were shot." She said bluntly.

So she _had_ been shot. As the woman spoke, Hoshiko let her hand run over the place in her chest where the stitches were and cringed, partly from the pain but mostly from the discomfort of the idea itself. In that moment, it was like time had froze, and the young woman was left to ponder how close she really had come to death. The ordeal had brought her closer then even riding on the irate ryhorn or any of the other crazy things she had done after meeting Samuel.

Hoshiko at once gained a deeper realization of just how truly lucky she was to be alive, and it left her trying to figure out what exactly had came of the whole thing and how it had come about in the first place.

"But don't you worry, Sweetheart." The old woman said upon seeing the look on Hoshiko's face. "You'll be alright now. And that good-for-nothing little punk must have gotten dragged off by those men in black. Maybe now he won't bother you. You should be grateful that at least you don't have to worry about getting sucked into all this commotion." She took the rag, wrung it out, and dipped it in the cool water again before dabbing it on Hoshiko's forehead once more.

"W-What!? N-No!" It made Hoshiko jolt into a sitting position, but the pain and weakness that overcame her at the sudden movement quickly put her back down. "..I-I...I...c-c-an't l..et...t-t-them d-do that!" She fought against herself, trying to move but without much success. "Who k-knows w-what t-t-they'll ...do to...h-him!"

The old woman frowned a bit, clearly miffed that Hoshiko had reacted and risked further injury to herself.

"Don't concern yourself with him, Dear. If he's gotten you in so much trouble, I'm sure he's been in trouble before without you, and he'll get out of it just fine. But you...you need to rest. You might hurt yourself if you keep thrashing about so carelessly."

The woman went over to the wall, snatched some dried herbs where they hung in neatly tied bundles, and she dropped them into a bowl. Grabbing a mortar, she began grinding them by hand, making them into a fine powder that she quickly added to water.

"Drink this." She said after stirring it. "It's the same as I've given you before. It'll speed your healing and help you to feel better. But drink it all this time." She smirked. "No more throwing it on the ground."

Giving an exasperated sigh, both at over exerting herself and being told, Hoshiko donned an incredibly defiant expression. She didn't want to have to lie there and give into this crazy pain and overwhelming exhaustion. Hoshiko didn't care if there were stitches in her chest to go along with the ones in her head. Samuel wouldn't be able to fare well without her. Not with Ace out of commission. Samuel just couldn't. And it frightened her to believe that he might meet same fate that she almost did. After all, Hoshiko didn't want to lose her only friend so soon after finding him.

"No." She seethed between clenched teeth, caring nothing for the medicine and everything for her missing friend. He needed her. "He c-can't! A-A-Ace can't h-help him r-right now!" She forced out the words before the woman pressed the bowl to her lips to shut her up.

Hoshiko gurgled words in her throat, but was finally forced to swallow the liquid lest she choke. The burning remedy stung and kept her quiet, at least for the moment.

"Shush, now. Dear girl, you're probably delirious." Chastised the old woman. "That boy has too much guts and not enough reason _not_ to get out of trouble. I'm sure he'd do any crazy thing to get himself out, and when you turn around he'll just be back in it again. Boys like him are trouble, Hoshiko. At least for sweet girls like you. You don't want to get mixed up with him." She let Hoshiko have a breath, and then poured the last of the liquid down her throat. "Tell you what? I'll go put some more logs on the fire and bring you another blanket. It's bound to get cold tonight. You just sleep, and I'll take care of everything for you."

Rendered speechless by way of force-guzzling medicine, Hoshiko watched helplessly as finally the old lady drew the bowl away, set it aside, and walked off stiffly to get some more wood and a blanket. The girl was frustrated, angry, hurt and overcome with so many more emotions that it was hard to pin any one of them down long enough to actually identify what it was. The tightness and pain coming from her chest made it hard to think straight. Reaching her hand softly to pick up her frog necklace, Hoshiko brought the charm into view…. And something novel caught her eye—the shine of the newly attached bullet. Blinking a few times in shock of what she was looking at, at first Hoshiko wanted to tear it away from her precious necklace and throw it into the fire.

But she didn't, because upon further meditation, while inspecting the horrible thing, she discovered what it meant to her. It was a sign that she was alive and that the bullet was no longer inside of her. Whoever had attached this to her necklace was a bold person, but also someone who had a put a lot of thought into their actions.

Sighing faintly, Hoshiko placed the necklace back against her sore breastbone and looked down at her clothes. She fought hard, both inside and against her physical pain, just to push herself up, trying to sit. It was difficult and practically crippling, but it was working. One more push...

And she had her feet on the floor, now trembling throughout her body. Just _one_ more push...

Ah ha! Her legs now supported her standing, not straight, not well—she was shaking worse than gelatin in an earthquake—but still...she was standing. Now if she could just get one foot in front of the other. And making one soft attempt—

_CRASH!_

Hoshiko cried out in pain, falling onto the floor in a crumpled heap. She just wasn't strong enough, not even to support the minimal weight of her fragile frame. Skin paler than ever before in her life, her whole body felt tender and broken. Hoshiko felt terrible, terrible and helpless.

"...No! Nononononononononono..." She muttered under her breath, struggling to get herself back up off of the floor.

The crackle of the fire was the only sound aside from the whistling of the wind through the cracks between the windows and the frames. The old woman's footsteps were not to be heard at all, nor her soft mumbling to herself, nor the rustling about she made as she concocted her special medicines. That meant the old lady wasn't there. She truly had left for more wood, and another blanket, and where she had gone, exactly, was a mystery.

But it gave Hoshiko a chance—just a small window of time—to get up and try again. Biting her lip hard as she waited breathlessly for the woman to come, Hoshiko tried to regain the balance within her mind and direct it through the rest of her body. Even on a solid floor like this, the girl was dizzy and found it hard to stay stable or even see straight. Taking one more deep breath, though, as she realized that the woman was still away, Hoshiko tried once more. Just once more.

Maybe this time she would be able to get away. The thought made her stomach turn, despite her eagerness to be on her way, if only because being without any medical help and not really knowing what exactly was going on with her body made it hard to leave her safe haven.

But Samuel needed her help. Forcing herself to her feet once more—this time a little less shaky then before—Hoshiko saw her bag in the corner of the room. The old woman must have recalled her eevee for her. The little monster was nowhere to be found. Shuffling her feet along the cold wood floor over to the bag, Hoshiko bent down and picked it up. The bag felt like it contained the weight of the world. Sitting on the top of all of her belongings was Eevee's full pokéball, safe and sound.

Pushing aside the pain of carrying an additional burden besides herself, Hoshiko kept on slowly, making her way towards the door. It was dark out now. Night hung clear and brisk over the trees and mountains, swallowing them in thick shadow. It was the perfect cover to escape and try to find her friend.

Pushing the door open as quietly as she could, Hoshiko heard the old woman near the back of the house. Sounds of wood cutting and mumbling carried loudly on the brisk night wind. That same cold night air hit Hoshiko in the face and made her want to turn back and settle in the warm house, but she persevered. She stumbled into the blackness, alone and freezing cold.

Hoshiko hurried as best she could manage and made it to the edge of Blackthorn. Giving a deep sigh and once last glance at the woman's cabin, Hoshiko felt bad for leaving her after the woman had helped her so much. But what had to be done, had to be done. Taking out a pokéball from her bag, Hoshiko released her gyarados, freeing him and quickly quieting the massive pokémon as he appeared in front of her.

"I need your help. Samuel is in trouble..." She murmured through chattering teeth.

Hanu sensed his trainer's bodily anguish and wanted to help. Nudging her to help her up onto his back, the massive serpent breathed hard out of his nose to let her know he would help and started to slither away from Blackthorn at Hoshiko's command.

* * *

Samuel woke up with his face buried in soft white fur, his hands curled tightly around it, and an odd sensation of confusion and desperation, even coming out of sleep. It was too dark to see anything in the back of the truck, and he instinctively clung to Ace for comfort while he tried to gather his wits.

How he had fallen asleep he didn't even know, but Ace was still very much unconscious himself. Remembering that they had been abducted, Samuel suddenly suspected they had both been heavily drugged. He groaned and sat up slowly, lifting a hand to rub his face and contemplate what he could possibly do to get away.

Then the truck lurched to a stop. The grinding crank of the parking brake being forced into place and the sound of the front doors slamming alerted Samuel to the approach of the men before the back doors flew open. He looked out into the starry night beyond, and even though it was dark, the starlight seemed blinding compared to the interior where he was being held.

He saw the shadows of the men with their guns, and then Hart reached in and dragged him out. He stumbled, and glared at the man, but didn't protest.

"All right, Samuel. We have to stop here. The mountain road splits and goes in two different ways. We need to know where to go. So where is the lab?"

Samuel swallowed hard. "Look man...there's nothing in the lab that you or anyone else could possibly want...Snap was insane...utterly sick."

"Snap was a genius, and he was rich. That's what I want to be. Rich. Now tell me where his lab is."

Samuel sighed and gave up. "It.s...well...it's not here in Johto...that's for sure..."

Hart suddenly made a face. He tightened his grip on Samuel's vest collar and shook him. "You mean to tell me, you led us away from Green Bays, and you weren't even fleeing _to_ the lab?" Hart glared and Samuel just glared back. Then Hart started laughing. "You know...maybe I underestimated you. You're pretty smart, for a dirty little scout rat."

"Hey! I followed _you_ here when you kidnapped Hoshiko!" Samuel snapped. "And yeah, I'm a scout, sure, but scouts are strong and smart people. We're pokémon trainers, and even though we live day to day, roaming the streets, we're not weak, and we're definitely not scum! You're a trainer too!"

"Take it easy, Boy." Hart said and turned to face his men. "We're going to have to take a detour and try to get through the pass and back to Ecruteak. From there we can go on to Olivine and catch a ship back to Green Bays." Hart laughed and threw Samuel back into the truck. Samuel hissed in pain as he landed awkwardly on the cold, hard floor, and he struggled to sit back up.

"Give another dose of sedative to Fluffy in there." Hart ordered. "We don't want that dog to wake up. It's too strong."

"You keep your hands off of him!" Samuel shouted, jumping forward to try and push the goons away from Ace. Unfortunately they still had guns, and to prove it they fired one into the wall of the truck's cargo hold.

"Sit down, Boy!" Hart roared. "Or didn't you learn your lesson back in Blackthorn?"

Samuel bit his lip and slowly settled back down, but his hand went to Ace's leg. He gripped it gently, wishing he could somehow do something, and his grip got tighter as he watched in pained sympathy while they injected more of that potent chemical into Ace's veins.

Then the doors slammed, and they turned down the path that would take them to Ecruteak.

* * *

"Alrighty. That looks like things are just about wrapped up here then."

Koichi firmly grasped another man's hand to shake it as he showered the doctor in gratitude. The special call on which Koichi so hurriedly rushed off to involved a Tauros stampede that had made its way through a remote village in the mountains of Johto. The scarcely inhabited village had been utterly devastated, and many of the people there had been left with serious injuries that they were incapable of treating for the simple fact that they had no real form of first aid.

After spending time with the victims and treating everything from cuts and scrapes to broken bones and concussions, Koichi left them with enough medical supplies and plenty of instructions for continued care, along with the promise that he would check in again in a few weeks. Thus satisfied, Koichi found it time to leave. After all, that paper he had slipped into his pocket was still haunting him. And once the village official let him go, Koichi approached his bike, getting on but hesitating before starting it up. He pulled out the sheet that the child had found in Blackthorn. Looking it over, the list for Johto caught his eye. Ecruteak wasn't scratched off of the list. With his brow looking serious he refolded the paper back up, and placing his forehead into his hand, he spoke softly to himself, trying to calculate what to do.

"I don't think she'd ever get involved in such matters. It doesn't seem like her nature. Then again, she _is_ your child. There's nothing either of you can do about that. Hoshiko's personality no doubt is a bit like mine was at that age. Rebellious and spirited for adventure. Damnit. Why couldn't she be her just like her mother instead?" But he sighed sadly. "Then she wouldn't be happy..."

It didn't take too much deliberation, if something was going on in Ecruteak and it had to do with Hoshiko, then he would have to check there. Despite his wife's objections. This was more important then tradition. And so, starting up his bike, Koichi sped off towards the very familiar town of Ecruteak with a heavy heart.

From a rocky outcropping in the side of the mountain, two pairs of eyes watched as Koichi sped off. The little red haired boy patted his vibrava's head and then wrinkled his nose in thought.

"Gosh, Vibrava, if he's going to Ecruteak, we have a long way to go. But then... I guess we don't have much of a choice. He took the paper after all, so he's got all the clues." The kid sighed as if the weight of the whole world somehow rested on his small shoulders. Obviously his version of a good game was far from normal.

"Well...we'll just have to follow him. Then maybe we can get that list back. But we gotta watch for those guys in black too, okay?" The vibrava hummed a response. "Good, let's go!"

The insect-like pokémon zipped forward, low to the ground, and buzzed down the slope in pursuit of the bike.

* * *

Up above, in the cold, fluid night, Hoshiko clung to the scales of her massive draconic friend. His long, muscular body swam through the sky as easily as it would the sea, leaving the dark mountain towns behind for the softly glimmering lights of the more populated Johto foothills. Sighing heavily, Hoshiko stared down at the few people she could see in the lighted streets. Cliché as it was, they looked like so many small insect pokémon from this high up.

Exhausted from her plight and the fact that it was terribly late, Hoshiko would have preferred to stay in the warm bed that the woman back in Blackthorn had prepared for her. The thought crossed her mind so many times she couldn't count, but instead she was flying around on Hanu's back trying to see if she could spot anything suspicious.

After hours upon hours of searching the long, lonely roads, the poor girl was ready to give up and fall asleep, but something caught her eye. It was a black vehicle that was speeding along the mostly empty road. It didn't look like any of the others that she had seen along the way. Pointing it out to Hanu, Hoshiko nudged him gently.

"Follow that one, really quietly. Don't be suspicious...We need to lay low. It might be Samuel in there."

* * *

Samuel lay in the darkness, unsure of how much time was passing, and he drifted in and out of sleep until at last the truck came to a stop again. He sat up in an instant and braced himself for a gun to the face. Sure enough, around from the front the goons came and opened the doors. They pulled him out and tied his hands and feet with rope.

"Okay, kid. We're stopping here for something to eat," Hart's voice came sharply. "But we're gonna make sure you don't get away, you hear me?"

Samuel just frowned at Hart. "Fine by me. Maybe you'll choke on your sushi."

Hart raised a hand as if to strike the boy, but then he refrained. "You'll just have to be disappointed then. Sorry punk." He threw Samuel back into the back, closing and locking the door. The men walked off, and Samuel could hear their voices getting farther and farther away.

"Dog gone it, Ace..." Samuel sighed. "How'd we ever get into this mess? I mean...we got enough on our plates as it is...Why's this guy have to be chasing us? What on earth would he want with Snap's old research?" Samuel shuddered at the thought of someone learning about the power of dark matter. "Gosh, we gotta get out of here, Big Guy...but...there's no windows...only the back doors...and they're locked, and I'm tied, and you're knocked out."

He sighed. "Man, I should have never let you go into the volcano alone. Then you wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place, and then you wouldn't have had to go to that pokémon center. And if you hadn't had to go there, you wouldn't be out cold right now..."

Samuel slid backwards and settled against Ace's furry chest, rolling onto his side as comfortably as he could manage and letting Ace's warm fur brush softly against his cheek.

"I'm sorry I let you down, man..." He closed his eyes and rubbed his face in Ace's fur. "I know I'm not always the best kind of friend but... I'll take care of you, you hear me, Ace? I'm gonna help you get out of here, and I'm going to help you complete your mission...whatever it is... I wish you'd tell me the full story. I know you're leaving things out... But, I'd still do anything for you, even not knowing all the details."

Samuel struggled with himself to slip his arms up underneath himself and past his legs so that they could be in front of him instead of behind, and even though his hands were tied together, he could at the very least still use his fingers to touch the fur of Ace's mane.

"I'm not gonna let you down again. I promise... I love you, okay? And don't you forget it."

Suddenly, a very faint grunt and a groggy moan caught Samuel's attention. He realized then that Ace was awake, if only barely. A little bit stunned, he found he was actually hugely embarrassed that Ace had probably been able to hear him, but on the other hand, it wasn't so bad. At least Ace would know he really was going to try his hardest.

"S-Samuel..." Ace's voice sounded parched and scratchy from thirst and thick from sleep. "You...don't know...the depths of...what you'll be getting into...if you...continue to help me."

Samuel had to fight through his embarrassment, but he managed a laugh.

"Man, if we can get out of this, I think we can handle anything. You and I've been through way too much together to _not_."

Ace chuckled slightly as well, but he sounded weak, and exhausted. "You know...you have a lot of spunk... And I'd be dead three times over were it not for you... You're nothing less than the sense of life to me, Boy... But...I can't ask you to keep following me...this is going to get far more dangerous...than you could ever imagine..." He coughed and then breathed a deep, raspy breath. "You...haven't taken the Medallion from my neck, have you?"

Samuel tried to see Ace through the dark, squinting in surprise. "No, I haven't even thought about it, really..."

"Good... Let me tell you something..."

"Yeah?"

"Not you, nor any other human that I do not ordain to hold this must _ever_ touch this artifact, do you understand me?" Ace's voice sounded surprisingly forceful, although strained.

"Well, yeah...but...why?"

"It's the source of the curse in Mt. Arcanine...I cannot believe I did not realize it before... I knew it was there but I did not put two and two together..."

"Wait...the medallion is cursed?"

"Yes, Samuel...with a very dark and deadly power... But do not worry. So long as it is handled properly, it will not bring harm to you nor anyone else."

Suddenly, Samuel's concern leaked into his voice, causing it to break. "Wait, you can't hold onto that thing! If it's full of darkness...it could turn you back into...into that _monster_..."

"No, no..." Ace assured Samuel gently. "Trust me... I can control this power. It's different than what we came across at Tartarus... I'll have to explain it to you some other time...when I am more...up to it..." A soft thunk against the metal signaled to Samuel that Ace had dropped his heavy head.

A feeling of worry and pity washed over the young trainer as he listened to Ace's labored breathing. Somewhat awkwardly, as he contended with his bindings, Samuel slid closer to Ace's head and laid his own head down against Ace's muscular and thick-furred neck.

"Don't worry about it...There will be plenty more time..." He managed to stroke Ace's fur with his fingertips, and he closed his eyes slowly. "Just...stay with me...You gotta come through and get your strength back so we can bust out of here..."

Ace glanced at Samuel, though the boy couldn't see. A cold nose touched his cheek and startled him just a little, but it was accompanied by a very small lick.

"You're a good boy, Samuel...And don't you worry...we'll get through this..."

* * *

The road to Ecruteak seemed endless to Koichi as he rode, the wind hitting his face harshly. Even the frosty air couldn't make his mind veer off of the image of him holding onto his bleeding daughter as it played over and over in his mind. She'd been so close to death that it was frightening. It was way too close of a call for him to even consider it a lucky chance. Even if he _was_ a risk taker, that was fine for him, but as for Hoshiko this wasn't a life for his little girl.

Even if she wasn't happy with the place in life she'd been given, it wasn't fair that to escape from that, the girl had to go through so much pain. And as the scenery blurred past him in mooncast shadows, the man felt his throat tightening as the ancient and quiet village slipped peacefully into view.

Luckily for him, the man arrived in time to see Hart walking into one of the local restaurants. Eyes wide at his luck, Koichi swiped his helmet that he often neglected and placed it on his head. A waste perhaps now that he was no longer driving, but it hid his face sufficiently from both Hart and—just in case—his wife. He didn't want her to know he was in the village. That would spell disaster.

* * *

Seeing the black truck stopped on familiar ground, Hoshiko's bleary eyes went wide. Her stomach clenched as she spotted the distant figure of Hart walking into the local tea and dance house. It was sickening and it struck fear in her to think that he was paying a visit to her childhood home, but she commanded Hanu to lower down into the woods around the back of the quiet village. Sighing heavily, she looked at Hanu before sliding off of him and staggering a few steps away from the pokémon. Hanu eyed her sympathetically, understanding just from her simple glance what she expected. Holding tightly onto her bag she sipped one hand in and worked out the pokéball, holding it up. Hanu disappeared inside without any verbal request. Then the girl quietly went into the town, trying not to attract too much attention to herself.

Hopefully her different appearance and dress would help her hide from her family. The last thing she wanted was to get involved with them when she was trying to free Samuel.

That's when Koichi noticed his daughter staggering like the undead through the streets, holding her bag in front of her as she tried to hide the red stains on her clothes. The man was mortified and desperately confused as to what on earth the child could possibly be doing here, let alone what she could be thinking. All of his instincts told him to run to her and take her up into his arms so he could get her someplace safe. However, if she was here, she had a reason, and if she was anything like him, she was going to be too bullheaded to simply tuck her in bed and leave it at that.

Swallowing hard and trying to figure out what was going on and what he could say, he left his helmet covering his face and went to approach Hoshiko.

Vibrava was exhausted from its long flight, and his frail wings buzzed, then dropped him, then buzzed again to keep him moving forward at a clumsy pace. The little red-haired kid had managed to make it to Ecruteak in record time, having several shortcuts. But that had meant a lot scrabbling over rocks and zigzagging wildly between trees at a tremendous pace for his poor pokémon, and it was beyond worn out. Deciding it best to give Vibrava a break, the boy jumped off of his monster and recalled it, then looked around.

It didn't take long for him to spot the motor bike that the old guy had been riding, parked in the shadow of a silent pagoda. When he came across Koichi, he could see him heading towards a young woman. Slowly, the red-haired boy crept forward towards the bike, to see if the man had left the notebook sheet behind.

So focused on Hoshiko, Koichi didn't notice the child creeping around, but interestingly enough, Hoshiko saw the biker approaching her, and knew that the vehicle had to be his. Once Koichi reached Hoshiko, the girl—obviously not recognizing him from back in Blackthorn—looked at him strangely. She saw her face reflected in the visor of his helmet by the light of the moon.

"I...um..." Confusing his words, as emotion overwhelmed him, Koichi tried to speak to Hoshiko, but she quickly cut him off with her weak voice.

"Hey, I think that kid is trying to steal your bike..." She pointed behind Koichi.

Looking back, Koichi saw the kid climbing all over his bike.

"HEY!" He yelled out at him, turning to Hoshiko. "Stay right there." He urged her before he ran off to catch the child. He snagged the boy and lifted him away from the bike by his shirt collar. "GET OFF OF THAT THING! IT'S EXPENSIVE!"

"Y-aaaah! Hey!" The little red-haired kid flailed. He was no match for the much larger Koichi, so eventually he gave up the struggle and crossed his arms, making quite the pouty face. "I wasn't doin' nuthin!" He cried out. "I just want my notebook paper back. I gotta find those bad guys. He kicked his little feet.

"So put me down! I gotta help catch them! I'm gonna be a dragon master when I grow up, and dragon masters always help people out."

Clearly unimpressed by the child's display, Koichi looked at him sternly, not yet obliging the child's wishes.

"First of all, climbing all over someone else's property is not helping them. Second of all, I have the paper in my pocket, and third and most importantly of all, I've found the men; they're here. I know you want to help out. I know you want to do the right thing, but right now that's letting me take care of this problem. There's a kid somewhere with them who's in trouble and you need to let an experienced adult take care of this."

Shaking his head and dropping the child, he looked down at the boy with a smirk. "And you getting here by following me, that was pretty impressive, Boy."

"I didn't follow you." The boy frowned slightly, although he was proud to be complimented. "I took a shortcut through the mountains. I knew you were coming here so I wanted to get here first. And I did. And I'm still gonna help, because I AM experienced. I even have my own pokémon! He's a vibrava, and he's really strong and fast and smart." The boy looked up at Koichi, determinedly, and was about to open his mouth to say more when Hoshiko came over.

She abruptly interrupted the conversation as she approached the two.

"Wait, you know that someone was in that truck?" She questioned Koichi. "I know him. His name is Samuel. That's why I'm here...but...how do you know about this?"

"You're not even supposed to be here from what I remember." Koichi replied frustratedly. "I'm the one that stitched you up to begin with." His annoyance was plain as he shook his head. "I'm the doctor that forced my way into the pokémon center and you, my dear, are suffering from anemia."

The little red-head looked at the obviously hurt girl for a moment, and then smirked. If this girl was here, it would make it easier for him to help out. All he had to do was get _her_ to agree that he should help. And he was good at making girls like him, he knew. It was because he was little and cute. And while it annoyed him that he was small, sometimes it had its advantages. He stepped forward, towards Hoshiko, and he held out his hand as if he was some very accomplished businessman.

"Hi. My name is Vincent, but you can call me Vince. I'm a Dragon Tamer from Blackthorn. I'm here on official business to stop the men who invaded our city. I see that your friend got caught by them, but don't worry. I'll help you get him back" He adjusted the little collar on his jacket. "You can count on me, Ma'am."

Laughing under his breath as the child tried to make Hoshiko listen to him. Koichi just shook his head once more and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Come on, Kid. Sure you're cute and nice and whatever, but this is serious stuff...those guys...they shot me."

Just speaking of her ordeal made Hoshiko sway uneasily on her feet. She felt faint, but she battled through it. Koichi noticed her unsteadiness and quickly went to her side to catch her. He let his daughter lean on him as she spoke. Hoshiko forced herself to reach down to shake the child's hand, but her handshake was cold, clammy and very limp.

"I would hate for you to end up like this." She said to Vince wearily. "You might be killed and then you'd never get to grow up and do more great things. Right now, I need to save my friend before he ends up like me...but if you want you can help me by thinking of an idea to save him..." She smiled at the child, trying to be kind.

Koichi tilted his head skeptically. But for Vincent, well...at least it was a start. He jumped on the chance and grinned mischievously.

"All right!" He pumped his fist. "Okay, so your friend is in the truck? First thing's first; we gotta try and find out if there's a way to get him out without attracting any attention."

He looked around, trying to spot the truck in the dark, and that was when he noticed it in the shadows of the dance theater. He smirked. "It's right over there." He pointed. "So come on, let's go!" He dashed to the wall, where the shadows would conceal him, and he sidled very quietly along the perimeter of the building until he was close enough to the truck to see that its two big black doors were bolted shut.

"Hmmmmm..." He thought for a moment, wondering what to do. They could break the lock, but that would cause a lot of noise, and probably get the guys to rush out and see what was going on. They were going to need to do something more subtle.

"Psst..." He hissed, waving the two to come over.

Koichi escorted Hoshiko cautiously over to where Vince stood in the shadows. Wondering what was going on in her mind as they approached the dance studio that she had told him of so often in her letters, Koichi recalled that she would frequently run to one of the Towers to hide. In a way, he didn't want his girl here in Ecruteak where she had felt so pressured and miserable. He knew she loved her family, but she was such a free spirit. This wasn't the place for her.

And then there was the issue that _he_ was here. Well Koichi would protect Hoshiko from _him_. This wasn't like when he would have to sit on the sidelines and settle for reading her letters of desperation. Whether Hoshiko knew it or not, Koichi would be here for her this time.

Hoshiko, though, was entirely oblivious to the deep thoughts of he masked father. She coaxed him to let her lean over to listen to Vince, and in her pain the girl tried desperately hard to focus on what the boy had to say.

"...What is it?" She asked. Wishing that she could just tell Samuel she was outside the door…that he would be alright. "Do you have a plan?" Hoshiko tried to urge it out of him quickly. She felt herself growing steadily weaker in every passing moment.

"Yes." Vincent whispered to Hoshiko and pointed to the big padlock and chain on the truck doors. "We have to get the key, or else we won't be able to get in before they get back. But the key is probably with those bad guys, so we're gonna have to find a way to distract them and sneak it away."

He started to creep along the wall again, until he got to one of the windows. He couldn't quite reach it to look inside, but he was able to climb up into a tree and lean over to see. Peering through, he could see the men all gathered at a table. The light inside the theater was soft, and that would be good for sneaking about. But there was more to this than just sneaking.

"They're in there...we need to distract them somehow. Somehow that's not too suspicious."

Hoshiko didn't need to look inside the theater. She already knew what was going on inside and if the kid could see the men in there, there was only one clear path that they could take to steal away the key from Hart, who undoubtedly had it in his possession.

"I can do it." She started. "I'll be able to distract them. I'll go in there dressed as once of the dancing girls."

Hoshiko didn't explain how or why she could do this. She knew the inside of the theater like the back of her hand, but instead dropped her bag on the ground. Using Koichi for leverage, she let herself down onto her knees and began tediously taking out all of the pieces for her Kimono, her make-up kit, and her hair accessories. Sighing heavily, the pained young woman tried to figure how she would even be able to get herself ready in such a state.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The man questioned her, removing his helmet. Much to his dismay, Hoshiko didn't recognize him.

"I have to...It's to save my friend." She replied sounding hurt and tired.

"Alright then." Koichi replied, bending down beside her and taking the make-up kit into his hands. "I'll help you get ready then." He smiled gently. "I used to do this for your mother when we were engaged." And without another word he opened the kit and took out the white cake make-up used to cover her face. With surprisingly delicate hands, Koichi starting to spread it across her face in a traditional manner upon her sensitive skin. He knew it must hurt her even to have her make-up applied so carefully.

"...W-What?" Hoshiko stammered. Her eyes settled on Koichi's face as he stroked color across her cheeks. She felt the tears well up as their gaze met softly.

"Shhhhh." Koichi took her lipstick and painted the deep red onto her lips in the Kimono Girl's favored fashion. "Don't say anything. Don't cry. We'll deal with this when it's all over...Alright, Hoshiko?"

Hoshiko managed only a weak nod of agreement as her mind raced through the entire time they prepared. In what seemed like no time at all, Hoshiko looked like a completely different person, but only to Vincent. Hoshiko was accustomed to looking like this all the time and the tradition of the Kimono was nothing new to Koichi either.

"Wow." Vince whispered. "That's amazing how you can disguise yourself. I'll have to learn to disguise myself someday too. Except in a spy costume or something!" He leaned down again and peered through the window. "We can keep watch out here. I'll have Vibrava ready, just in case."

Looking up at Vince, Hoshiko smiled wanly. It was cute how he called her outfit a disguise. To Hoshiko, her street clothes were more of a disguise than this ever was, and it was unnerving to be walking straight into the Studio with her own Kimono on. She only hoped everyone was too busy to notice her, at least until she could snatch the key away from Hart. Then something occurred to the girl.

"What about my arm?" She asked Koichi quietly.

"Your arm...?" He questioned her, not realizing the full extent of what her plan entailed.

"I can't dance with my arm in a cast like this..." She muttered softly and then looked at him pleadingly, hoping that he would offer to remove it just for the time being.

Sighing and placing his hand on his forehead, Koichi looked terribly discouraged.

"Hoshiko...I...As a doctor I understand the complications that came come along with that...I can't consciously agree to take that cast off for you..." He started, but Hoshiko wouldn't have it and started to pull at the binding herself. "Waitaminute!" With a look of shock and irritation, Koichi reached for Hoshiko's arm and gently took it, removing the wrappings in a much more professional manner. "You know what, you're crazy..." He replied softly, looking at her arm as it was unwrapped. "Please be careful in there..." He said.

"Takes a crazy to know a crazy." Hoshiko smiled before she pulled gently away from her father and started towards the front of the building.

Vince looked around nervously, but he hid the fact that he was a little scared. "Go get 'em." He grinned, and watched from his hidden post as Hoshiko went inside to attempt to snatch the object of their interest.

* * *

Inside, Hart was sitting at one of the low tables, relaxing and awaiting a performance and some tea. He was quiet while he waited, but he was apparently trying not to look too suspicious.

Hoshiko felt weak and terrified. Her feet just barely kept her balanced on her geta, and her knees trembled from both pain and fear. She had a difficult time as she navigated her way to Hart's table. Passing the tea counter on the way, she scooped up a teapot steaming with green tea. Balancing it carefully in her faintly trembling hands, she arrived at the men's table.

Once there, the girl didn't speak a word but bowed low, feeling her head become light. With a gentle rising motion, she lifted the tea pot with her, and started to pour the steaming tea into their cups. When each cup was filled, she replaced the pot at the center of the table. She took a deep breath and steeled herself.

And she started to dance. She hoped to mesmerize all of the men at the table, but she focused her eye contact mostly on Hart. Hoshiko was well trained, and so she knew exactly what to do despite all of the pain and exhaustion that was beating throughout her veins. Her body slipped into the motions with surprising fluidity.

Some of the men took a sip of the tea right away. Others, including Hart, waited a moment, smelled the steam, and only then took a sip before quickly setting it back down and watching Hoshiko expectantly. Hart, of course, did not even recognize the girl in the Kimono. Hadn't even the slightest clue that she was the very same one that he'd left for dead in Blackthorn's pokémon center. All he knew was that she was actually very lovely, and her movements so fluid and graceful that he could not help but be entranced by her. He was a hard man, with few emotions, but like most men, a pretty woman could easily catch his attention. And being that he rarely saw many women while he worked with his team of rough and tumble guys, he was quite refreshed by the change in scenery.

At his side, there was a black briefcase, just sitting on the floor. It presumably had all of his necessary notes inside, but quite probably the keys too. Of course, on the same side rested the holster for his gun, barely visible.

Hoshiko, although dizzy, was pleased to see the look on Hart's face as he watched her dance. She had always had a captivating ability but never expected it to serve her so well or effectively in a dangerous situation. In a way, the whole scene was strange for her, being back in her home and doing the things that she used to do without anyone knowing. It was bittersweet and frightening.

But that didn't affect the dance, or how graceful and light it was. She swayed delicately and turned. With the elegance of a flower bloom, she lifted her arms above her head. She hid the horrendous pain so well behind a contented and peaceful expression that could have soothed any savage beast.

Which was exactly what she wanted to do. Locking eyes with Hart at the height of the dance, Hoshiko made her way to his side of the table, now dancing only to make him focus on her, not paying any attention to the other men. Hoshiko would not take her eyes off of the man. But she was fully aware of the suitcase at his side.

...And the gun...

Hart remained entirely focused on her. The look on his face suggested a tangle of thoughts going through his mind, and all of them less than savory and utterly focused on her. He smirked at Hoshiko, but he didn't say anything. He just continued to watch her, and the closer she got, the more intense his focus became.

The men around the table were all focused as well—perhaps somewhat jealous at the attention their boss was receiving—but nonetheless content enough in imagining the same for themselves while witnessing it with their own eyes. If she danced for too long, Hoshiko might have expected each and every one of them to be drooling over her, lost amid the less than glamorous fantasies of typical men's minds.

One of Hart's hands rested on the table, but the other went to his chin as he very carefully reflected on every one of Hoshiko's movements. His eyes followed the smooth flow of her robes, tracing the contours of her slender but strong figure. Under his breath he made a hushed comment.

"No lady so lovely as yourself has ever shown me such a fine dance." He unconsciously licked his lips. "Dance for me, Little Angel. Remind me why it is good to be alive."

Hoshiko caught the looks of the men at Hart's table in the corner of her eye. She felt a shiver go down her spine; it wasn't a nice place to be in. And worst of them all was Hart himself. It was pure torture but she would never show it, not for one second.

By now, she was in extreme pain. At this point in the dance, there wasn't an inch of her that didn't ache with every fiber of the girl's being. She wished desperately that the dance would be over and that she could steal the key and leave. She wanted to go lie down. But most of all she wanted to talk to Koichi and save Samuel. The fact that her father was with her and in Ecruteak was numbing, absolutely stunning, and the idea of her friend trapped inside of Hart's truck kept her going.

Smiling softly, Hoshiko bent down closer to Hart as he addressed her, looking even more intensely into the man's eyes and making sure that she was the only thing he saw. She said not a word, but instead made a warm breath on the man's face as she carefully and silently with her foot, pushed Hart's suitcase under the long folds of her Kimono that well reached the floor and flowed out onto it. But just not to be suspicious she remained there in front of him, lingering for a moment.

* * *

Outside, Koichi was getting impatient. Unable to see the window as it was too high for someone even of his height to reach, he used Vincent as his eyes. Looking up at the child, he ran his hand through his hair, huffing slightly.

"What's taking her so long?" He started. "Can you see her? What's going on in there, Vince?"

Vincent peered through the window from his tree branch and wrinkled his nose. "Eww...she's getting so close to that ugly old man." But then he paused, and gasped. "No way!" He whispered loudly. "She just snatched the guy's case with her feet. Wow...I wish I could be that fast." Still watching, the young boy continued to relay the information as he saw it. "The creepy guy is still watching her...he didn't even notice she took the bag. Now if she can just get out of there..."

"She's close to him?!" Koichi was obviously engaged. "I'LL KILL THE MAN!" He growled, punching his first into the back of the building out of frustration. The noise of his own actions reminded him to calm down. He shook out his hand and told himself wouldn't be long before they would see Hoshiko emerge.

* * *

Hart smirked at Hoshiko as she stood so very close to him. "Never have I seen such talent, nor focus...nor beauty. You make me feel as if I am the only one you have ever danced for...Oh...If you would but come away with me..."

The lights started to dim, signaling that soon a dance on stage was to begin. The soft tune of flutes suddenly filled the theater, and momentarily snatched Hart's attention as all of the Kimono Girls that had been serving tea began to file towards the stage.

Somewhat disappointed by the end of his private act, Hart slumped back in his chair, but decided that it would be just as enjoyable to watch all of the Kimono girls on stage.

"He's not paying attention anymore." Vince whispered, his little hands clinging the tree branch so tightly in his excitement that his knuckles turned white. "Now's her chance!" He slid out of the tree. "Come on, we have to be ready to open the truck!"

Hoshiko's face was an inch from Hart's, and she watched his eyes for a second more. Then she slowly pulled back, bowing low to the man and walking off, shuffling her feet like most of the girls did as she walked back to the front of the Theater. It allowed her to keep the case between her feet without too much difficulty. She waited until she saw Hart focus completely on the stage girls before she herself made her exit.

As soon as Hoshiko got outside and out of view of the patrons, her eyes spilled over with tears. By the time she got back to Koichi and Vincent, the poor girl was sobbing in pain. She took a step back from the suitcase, and Hoshiko dropped to her knees.

"I...got...it..."

She exhaled shakily, opening the case and locating the keys quickly. Forcing herself to stand, Hoshiko went over to the back of the truck, not letting Koichi help her despite his obvious desire to. He followed behind her all the way to the truck, but stayed back in the shadows. Koichi wanted to give Hoshiko her space as she did what she wanted to do. The girl had, had too many people breathing down her neck during her lifetime. If he couldn't give her some space, then all hope was to be abandoned for their family. He was interested to see what would happen too, in a way, to see how his daughter would handle the situation. He watched, intrigued but helpless, as she used her right hand to turn the key. The lock released and the chains fell away.

Trembling, Hoshiko opened the doors, letting light wash in on Ace and Samuel. In too much pain to think of anything else now that her task was complete, Hoshiko just stood there and watched them, forgetting that she was probably unrecognizable to both Samuel and Ace.

* * *

The gentle flood of moonlight disturbed Samuel's uncomfortable rest. Huddled close to Ace, curled up in a ball against the big dog's chest, the young man looked surprisingly small and vulnerable. The light that urged him out of his slumber made him squint his eyes harshly, and he tried to lift his head to see what was beyond the door.

There, in the dim lights of the gas street lamps, was the figure of a dancing girl. She was such an odd sort of rescuer that at first Samuel had no idea if he was dreaming or not. But when he felt Ace wriggling underneath him, he looked down at the big dog, and the creature sat up, barely able to keep his head off the metal floor.

"I'll be darned." Ace's voice trembled slightly from weariness, but as he lifted his nose to the air and sniffed it was clear that he was very much alive, despite his exhaustion.

He drew his legs up under himself and shakily pushed himself to his feet. It took him more than a moment to get his balance, but once he did, he gave a good shake of his thick white coat and almost knocked Samuel over. Normally the young man would have protested loudly at Ace, but he was so stunned by this strange scenario that he could scarcely move.

"Whoa!" A little voice that Samuel didn't recognize called out. "That's the biggest pokémon I ever saw, besides gyarados!"

From the shadows, a small little kid with bright red hair and the rascaliest little face appeared.

"Well this is just great." Samuel bemoaned, "Now I can tell everyone I had to be rescued by a dancing girl and a five year old."

"HEY!" Vincent cried out in dismay. "I'm way older than five! I'm a whole eight years old!"

Samuel smirked and slid his way to the edge of the truck, his feet dangling over the polished stone pavers. Ace followed him and jumped out, landing with a loud groan and barely keeping himself from falling over when he hit dirt. He managed to turn around and face Samuel as the young man held out his hands and showed the bindings to his rescuers.

"You don't get paid unless you hack the cords, Milady." Samuel sneered at the well-disguised Hoshiko.

Ignoring Vince for the time being, Hoshiko stared Samuel in the eyes. She was annoyed at how blunt and ungrateful he was but it didn't surprise her, in a way. He obviously didn't recognize her, and that was better for the time being, until they could get out of the open. She hoped they could flee to one of the towers for safety so she could rest.

Barley able to stand, Hoshiko silently pulled a small, ornately decorated dagger from inside the folds of her kimono and taking Samuel's hands into her trembling left hand, Hoshiko took the knife and cut off the bindings from Samuel's wrists and then crouching down she cut the ropes at his feet. But at bending so low, Hoshiko found it too hard to stand back up. Collapsing to her knees at Samuel's feet, Hoshiko couldn't even find it in herself to look up any longer.

Samuel blinked in surprise when Hoshiko fell with her head practically in his lap, and at first he didn't know what to think. He certainly wasn't aware that she was in pain, and if he had he would have been much more graceful. But as it was, he was simply shocked. With a nervous laugh he looked down at her.

"You know I'm not paying extra for _that_, right?"

"Samuel!" Ace's voice was surprisingly reprimanding for having been unconscious for hours.

Despite being weak and now irritated by Samuel who she had worked so hard to save and protect from Hart, Hoshiko was too weak to even say anything to him. Instead, folding her right hand into as much of a fist as she could manage, Hoshiko raised her arm slowly, reaching for Samuel's arm and giving it more of a gentle tap then anything, but it was too reminiscent of Hoshiko's signature gesture for him to mistake.

At least she hoped it was, so he would let up on the annoying comments. Closing her eyes, Hoshiko let her hand drop back down limply after she had done what she wanted to do.

Suddenly, Samuel's face turned so red that even in the dark it was obvious. He sat there for a moment, looking down at the girl in disbelief and in his own embarrassment. Swallowing a huge lump of nerves in his throat, he murmured quietly in his own disbelief.

"H-Hoshiko?"

He leaned forward and put his hand under her chin, carefully lifting her head to try and see her face. The make-up thickly covered her features and made it nearly impossible for him to recognize her, but he tried to look into her eyes. When his gaze met her amber-gold return, his face went from being flushed to going pale with the realization that it was indeed the girl he'd been traveling with for so long.

"By the Legends..." He gasped in an astonished whisper, so dismayed with his own behavior that he couldn't help dropping down from the edge of the truck and onto the ground beside Hoshiko. He held her up, as best he could, while he looked at her face. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't..." He swallowed and looked away, ashamed and apologetic...it was a surprising difference in his demeanor, especially for someone as smug as Samuel. "I...didn't realize it was you..."

Hoshiko's shoulders slumped as Samuel held her up, she didn't even have the energy to even stand or move he head. She simply let Samuel look into her make up covered face. Her eyes traced up to his though, trying to convey to him that she forgave him for his previous comments. Only one thing bothered her: the potential for Hart to come out while they were still here. She had to muster enough energy just to tell Samuel to get out of there.

"...The...Tower..." She sputtered the words, her face wrought with pain.

"I think she's trying to tell us to get to the Tower." Koichi stepped out from the shadows and stood over the group of young people. "Which I greatly advise." Waving the three humans and Ace along, he started towards the Burnt Tower where no one would be watching for them. "I'll lead the way; no one will suspect us there." He stated.

Samuel stood up, hoisting Hoshiko up into his arms. He made sure that he was balanced before he tried to walk while carrying the girl, but once Koichi moved off and Samuel saw Vince go bolting after him, Samuel hurried to try and follow. Ace walked at his side, stumbling a little drunkenly, but managing to keep up.

"Are you sure that you can carry her all the way?" Ace asked in concern.

"Yeah, she doesn't weigh nearly as much as you do, you furry oaf."

"Just thought I'd offer to carry her for you." Ace rolled his eyes.

"What, so you could trip and drop her? I don't think so, man."

The awkward bunch slipped through the dark streets, towards the back of the city, where the Burnt Tower's broken shadow loomed even darker in the night. Samuel hesitated as they approached, wondering if it was even safe to go inside, but he assumed that Koichi and Hoshiko knew what they were doing. So once the man and the little boy went up the steps and slipped through the front door, Samuel and Ace followed, side by side, all the while with Samuel carrying Hoshiko in his arms.

Once inside, Koichi lead the group to the back of the ancient, scarred Tower where there was a safe spot for the group to rest in the shadows. They had to step over piles of debris and holes in the wood floor, but they made it safely enough. Taking a little flashlight out of his pocket, Koichi turned it on so that they could have a little light until the dawn came.

"Well, I guess that went as well as it could..." He replied, sounding exasperated. "What happened in there, Hoshiko?" He asked his daughter as Samuel approached with her. "That man didn't get too close to you, did he? He didn't say anything, right? Because if he did, I swear, I'll kill him with my bare hands..." He sounded all worked up over the ordeal, even though he was speaking in hushed tones.

With her eyes now closed, Hoshiko was completely limp in Samuel's arms, but at hearing her father address her, the girl managed a quiet response. "He was.,,,a,,,t-t-typical...man..." She breathed out before opening her eyes once more to try and see Samuel through the dim flashlight's light. He looked to be in fine health. That was good. Samuel frowned slightly.

"Wait, what happened? Heaven knows a typical man is a dirty-minded scum. What did he do to you?" Samuel growled. He slowly lowered Hoshiko as gently as he could and used his pack to prop her head up so that she could rest easier.

"Need I remind you, Samuel, that you are also a typical man?"

"Man yes, typical, no."

"Oh? So how far are you willing to go to prove how atypical you are?" Ace inquired with sly interest.

"Unlike you, I do not have my mind in the gutter twenty-four-seven." He flashed a glare at Ace, but the big dog just sat down and yawned.

"I guess that means it's not up for negotiation, Kiddo?"

Samuel glared again.

"What are you guys talking about?" Vince asked in complete confusion. "What do you mean, 'typical guy?'"

"Nothing." Samuel shooed the boy away. "You'll understand someday." Samuel reached into his bag and pulled out some more of the herbs that he picked up around Green Bays. Slowly, he held his hand out to Hoshiko.

Koichi sat settled beside Hoshiko, sliding back the left sleeve of her kimono and reaching for her arm. It lay there, limp and too tender for him to truly touch with any amount of pressure. Hoshiko was only lucky that it hadn't come completely back out of place. It had suffered some displacement, though, and it was not particularly comfortable to have Koichi working on it. Still, it needed to be done. And as he tended to her arm, the man explained what he knew of the situation to Samuel while Hoshiko took the herbs that Samuel readily offered her.

"She went in as a Kimono Girl to get the key from your kidnapper here. I was outside, so I couldn't see what happened. From what I gather, she danced for your captor and managed to get the briefcase away from him during the process by sliding it under her kimono with her foot. It was actually a pretty smart plan." Koichi said, hiding his annoyance with behind his pride for his daughter's resourcefulness.

Hoshiko then looked up at Samuel once she'd swallowed the last of the bitter herbs. Her unfocused eyes searched his face as best they could. "...I...d-danced...for...H-Hart. H...He...f-flirted w...w-with...m-me...But...h-his...e-e-eyes...s-said...more..t-then...he...e-e-e-ever...did...and...t-the...e-eyes...o-of...h-his...m-m-men..." She sighed deeply and painfully after speaking.

Samuel made a face and shuddered. "Ugh...that good for nothing—Man, I'll mess him up good."

"No, Samuel." Ace warned gently. "What we need right now is for you to be composed and quiet. Don't go off in one of your 'heroic' fits. It'll only get all of us caught. And _then_ who will save us? That man is right. Hoshiko's plan was smart, and it worked, so that's all that matters, for now. We owe her a lot."

"...Your friend there is right." Koichi replied, looking from Samuel to Ace and then back again. "We won't accomplish anything by getting angry. Trust me, no one's madder about this then I am, but I've got to be wise about the whole ordeal. What's over is over, and as long as that man didn't do anything to Hoshiko, that's what we have to be grateful for." He spoke as he finally secured the wrappings and set the arm in place. The girl shuddered, biting her bottom lip to stop from yelping out in pain.

I know..." Samuel sighed, looking down at Hoshiko. "Just rest, okay? We'll all keep watch for you."

At that, Vincent spoke up. "I can go outside and hide in the trees where nobody can see me. That way I can keep an eye out from another viewpoint. I'll be able to get back into the burned tower if I jump from the tree branches to the roof."

Samuel blinked. "Who is this kid again?"

Ace laughed. "He's got as much spunk as you do."

"Hey now, I got way more."

"Is that so?" Ace replied with a curiously sinister smile that suggested more than he was willing to say. "Don't be jealous." He said at last, more mildly. "You've already won a place in _my_ heart." The dog chuckled, but quieted down when the little boy came over and looked up at him, reaching out a hand to lightly touch his face.

"Wow..." Vince said in an awed whisper. "I've never seen a pokémon that talks before... How did you teach it to do that?"

"I didn't." Samuel said matter-of-factly. "But whoever did was a moron. Watch out. He might bite you."

"Oh hush." Ace scolded Samuel, and then looked down at the young boy gently. "You've no need to worry. I will do no such thing."

It took a second, but Hoshiko managed to gain enough composure to speak for herself. "...I'm just...glad...everything...i-is...a-a-alright." She tried to force a smile behind the pain. Samuel and Ace's bickering made her feel like at least something was normal again. "I...told...y-you...guys that...I'd...help...out..."

"Hehe, you're too much, Hoshiko, you know that?" Koichi replied, shifting so that he was even closer to her then before. He reached for the top folds of her Kimono. "Let's check out those stitches for your bullet wound." Koichi ran his hand over them gently. "...Hm. You pulled them, didn't you?"

"K-Kinda...W-When I...would...bend..." The girl replied hesitantly.

"Okay. I hate to have to do this to you, but we're gonna need to tighten them." And looking up at Samuel he looked the young man in the eyes. "I'll need your help. You're going to have to have to make sure she doesn't make a sound. It'll blow our cover. And second, you'll have to hold the area around the wound taught while I tighten the stitches. We can't risk this thing re-opening. You could start bleeding again, Hoshiko."

Hoshiko didn't say anything, though it was clear from her expression that she didn't like the idea. She was already too weak and tired to want to deal with the situation. Instead she just nodded gently and closed her eyes.

Samuel's face was overcome with a look of pity and concern. He could scarcely bear the idea of putting Hoshiko through anymore, especially when she had saved him—

_twice_—at her own expense. But he knew that what had to be done, had to be done. Slowly, he scooted up closer to Hoshiko's head and put his knee underneath her neck, giving him the angle he needed to lay his hand over her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Hoshiko..." He said, quietly, waiting for the doctor to part her kimono to where he could assist in holding the wound together. "It'll be alright though..."

From the side, Ace watched with concern. He honestly felt terrible for the poor girl, and he knew that she would have never gotten into so much trouble if only she hadn't decided to come along with them. The frustrating thing was that if she continued following them, she was likely to be in harm's way until it killed her... Ace, for one, did not like that plan. His grim musings were interrupted when little Vince suddenly jumped up and ran towards an old, burned ladder.

"Hey, where are you going, Son?" He asked, ears perked up.

"I'm just gonna climb to the second story so that I can get onto the roof and hop into the tree branches." As if that were an everyday game that all children played.

Ace frowned at the boy. "You're going to hurt yourself." He warned.

"Don't worry, I know what I-whoa!" After climbing halfway up the burned ladder, one of the rungs under Vince's feet gave way and the kid slipped, causing the ladder to sway back and forth. Ace jumped to his feet and stumbled over to try and catch the boy, but by the time he got there, the kid had jumped off of the falling ladder and grabbed onto a column nearby. His legs and arms wrapped around it tightly.

"I told you it was dangerous!" Ace growled. "Hold on, I'll try and help you to get down."

"No, no." The boy said, surprisingly calmly, although somewhat breathily. "I got it."

To Ace's surprise, the boy shimmied his way up the column until he was able to reach out with his foot and touch the floor on the second level. He climbed off of the column without further incident, then waved down at everyone.

"Okay, I'm going outside now!" He practically sang out, before hopping through a burned hole in the wall and disappearing.

"Wait!" Ace cried out...but the boy was already gone. "Oh for crying out loud." Ace sighed and flopped down onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Hoshiko opened her eyes and settled her head back against Samuel's knee. His hand over her mouth was warm and strong. She breathed a warm breath against his knuckles, trying to let him know with her gaze that she appreciated his help. Even if the outcome was painful, it was all for the better in the end. And Hoshiko knew that.

Looking down at his daughter hesitantly, Koichi parted the spot in her kimono over the wound to view the stitches. Then, snipping the ends of the stitches, Koichi heaved out a breath he had been holding in and started to remove the lacing slowly and carefully so he would be able to reuse it due to a lack of material at hand.

Hoshiko's body went cold at the feeling of the stitches sliding out, and she tried her very best not to scream or cry out in pain. She couldn't fight back tears, though. Wet drops started to roll down her cheeks, trailing over Samuel's fingers.

Samuel kept his hands precisely where the doctor wanted them to be, and he didn't budge, though he almost wished that he had more arms so that he could try to comfort Hoshiko while she underwent this horrific process.

"Shh..." Samuel soothed, as best he could. "It'll be alright, don't you worry..."

What seemed like countless hours went by in only a few moments, but when the stitches were all tightened, Samuel breathed a huge sigh of relief. Carefully, he let go of Hoshiko and laid her head down so that she could rest.

"You're a trooper." He said with a very faint smirk. "Dunno if I could have handled that without causing enough commotion to get the National Guard down here..." He relaxed a bit, and then his smirk turned into a half smile. "Now, you just try to rest. It won't be the most comfortable night we've had on record, but by morning you should feel a little better..."

Samuel made sure that Hoshiko's head was laying comfortably against her father before he got up and slowly made his way over to Ace. He flopped down and used the big dog as his bed. Ace opened one eye. He had been trying to rest himself, but when Samuel plopped down on him he whined softly in discomfort. After a moment though, he was able to re-situate himself and close his eyes again, leaving everyone to spend the rest of the night as they would.

Hoshiko slept, although peaceful rest eluded her. Her chest rose and fell in brief shudders, and she was obviously in pain even in her dreams. She was safe, though. Koichi watched over her all night long, over his beautiful child all done up like a porcelain doll and huddled on the floor as if a child had played with her and broken before abandoning her for something new. As she slept, he undid her hair so that it fell down by her ears. He ran his hand through the fine raven tresses, astonished at how she had decided to cut it so short.

"...My poor little china doll..." He whispered gently, placing a kiss on her forehead. He wouldn't sleep all night. No, he would keep watch. He couldn't lose his child. Not that he had found her. He wouldn't let them take her away from him again.

* * *

The next morning rolled in with a cool breeze that whistled through the holes in the burned building. Songs of avian monsters waking up to a new day sounded like they were right inside the room, although the actual creatures remained in the trees outside.

A sharp little jab in Samuel's side made him wince and squirm. He rolled over to try and ignore it. It stopped...and then came about again, stronger this time. And now it was accompanied by a voice.

"Hey, Mister." The hushed whisper of Vince's voice breathed in his ear, startling Samuel awake. He accidentally knocked the kid over, but the boy didn't seem fazed. Only annoyed. "Hey! Watchit."

"Sorry..." Samuel groaned, stretching and yawning. His shoulders and back felt stiff from sleeping on the floor, but other than that he felt pretty well rested considering the ordeal of the night before. "What's up, kid?"

"Call me Vincent."

"Sure, Vince." Samuel messed up his hair, much to the kid's dismay.

Vincent tried to smooth it out, and then crossed his arms. "The men in the vans drove off last night, but they started an uproar that got the cops patrolling the streets. They left when the officers arrived, but then I saw this really big bird-like pokémon come down from the skies. It caused quite a stir, and the police went chasing after it, but they can't catch it. It's still out and about in the city, and it seems like it was looking for something." Wince wrinkled his nose. "It was the same bird pokémon that escaped through the roof of the pokémon center in Blackthorn..."

Samuel swallowed nervously. "Jamirus..." He put his hand on Ace's shoulder and shook the white wolf awake. "Hey, you. Get up."

Ace opened his eyes and growled at Samuel threateningly, but Samuel knew not to take it seriously.

"Get up, you big furry idiot." Samuel slapped Ace's shoulder and the dog growled louder, but slowly lifted his head and yawned, exposing all of his sharp teeth. "We can't stay asleep forever."

"Yeah, yeah..." Ace slowly lifted his backside off the ground and stretched, as dogs do. He yawned again, then stood up and shook out his fur. His ears swiveled to see if they could catch sounds as he woke himself up.

"Jamirus is here, in Blackthorn. He's probably looking for us or his master. Or both. That Vincent kid says he saw the hunters leave last night, because the cops showed up."

"Great." Ace glanced down at Samuel. "If they're gone that means that we can fight Jamirus, no problem. He's weak when he goes up against all of us."

"Yeah." Samuel agreed, "But what if Hart and his goons are still somewhat close by? A battle might attract them back to Ecruteak, and then we'd be in a real fix..."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Ace asked, sitting down and slouching forward a bit, paying attention but clearly annoyed.

"We need to get out of Ecruteak, and fast."

"We have to get going anyways." Ace pointed out. "Don't forget my problems didn't end when we visited Mt Arcanine."

"Hmm..." Samuel sighed, and then looked over at Koichi and Hoshiko. "We should wake them up..."

"No." Ace shook his head. "Maybe we should go on without them. Hoshiko is safe now. She doesn't need anymore trouble from us..."

Samuel tensed. "I'm not just going to leave her here, Ace."

"You can't leave me here either." Vince protested. "I want to help."

"No." Samuel and Ace said at the same time.

Koichi wasn't asleep, but it certainly looked like he was. He heard Samuel and Ace and didn't move. He wanted to hear what they had planned.

So...the creature didn't want to put her into any further danger? That was noble...and considerate if anything. After all it seemed as though Hoshiko had helped them more then once from what he had heard. Taking a deep breath, Koichi opened his mouth to announce the fact that he was awake, but the sound of footfalls entering into the Burnt Tower from outside cut him off.

"I heard there was a wayward Kimono Girl in the Studio last night." A strange voice spoke as his shadow spilled in from the front of the building. "I thought I might come here and see where the missing girl might be."

He stepped into a shaft of light pouring in through the damaged roof. He was a fairly young man, about the age of Samuel and Hoshiko. Taking a few steps towards the group, he eyed everyone with impunity. He saw Hoshiko behind the group but choose not to say anything. Instead he simply smirked. The man looked to be of the same racial decent as Koichi and Hoshiko. Koichi's eyes widened at the sight. So, _he_ was just how Hoshiko had described him.

"Well, isn't anyone going to tell my if they've happened to notice her? She must be around here..._somewhere_." And slowly the young man's hand clenched into a fist.

Ace's ears flattened against the back of his head, and he glared at the newcomer, but he didn't bare his teeth. He sensed something that he didn't like about this man. But he just let his gaze bore into the stranger, wondering who he was and what he wanted. Samuel on the other hand stood up. This didn't look like one of the hunters in black, but he couldn't be too careful.

"Look, dude." Samuel started walking forward to meet him. "I don't know what you want, but I don't think you'll find what you're looking for in here." He glared. He clenched his own fist, and stood protectively between Hoshiko and the young man. "You should get out of here. You're going to cause trouble."

Suddenly, a little voice from Samuel's side piped up. "We're all trainers in here, and we don't want any problems, okay? I'm sure you don't either so maybe you should just let us be."

"Shush." Samuel grunted at Vince, but the little boy seemed all too intent on presenting himself as a hero to care what Samuel had to say.

The imposing form of Ace slowly came up behind the two boys, and he looked down at the stranger with a fierce gleam in his eyes. He didn't say anything. Didn't trust the man enough to reveal that he could speak. But he did stand to prove that he would be the backup that the boys called upon, if the man didn't leave them alone.

"No, you look, Punk!" The young man replied only to Samuel. He didn't seem to care about Vince or Ace enough to even glance at them. He had already seen Hoshiko behind the group and folded his arms indignantly. "You're not very good lairs. I knew she was behind you the whole time." He rolled his eyes, and pushed his way past Samuel not at all disturbed by Ace, only to find that Koichi was beside Hoshiko, kneeling protectively near his child.

"Stay away. I've heard things about you." He started, looking up at the young man with hostility.

"Really? Has Hoshiko told you about me? She's certainly told me about you..." He smirked. "Koichi."

Samuel's eyes widened when he heard Koichi's name, and he couldn't believe for a moment that he was facing Koichi's father. Suddenly, he felt even worse for the comments he had made the night before, but all of that faded away in an instant.

Stepping closer to the two, the stranger saw that Hoshiko's hand was lying open on the floor and taking his foot he stepped on her hand.

"You're not safe here." He eyed Koichi mercilessly. "Your wife saw you escape into this Tower and sent me to tell you to leave..." Looking down at Hoshiko he added, "And to collect my missing property."

"DON'T YOU DARE TREAT HER LIKE THAT!" Koichi roared at the young man.

At once it dawned on Samuel. This was Hoshiko's intended, and he seemed to be even more of a jerk than Hoshiko made him out to be. At first, Samuel just wanted to tell him off, but when he stepped on Hoshiko's hand and called her "his _property_" it was too much.

Being the rash and very determined young man that Samuel was, he ran forward, grabbed Hoshiko's fiancée by the shoulders, and slammed him hard against one of the tower's columns. With plenty of pent up frustration from all of the chaos he'd been through lately, Samuel opted to take it out on this despicable young fellow, despite Ace's warnings in the background. Raising his fist he gave the man a good solid punch in the jaw and released him to let him stumble away or fall to the floor, preferably _away_ from Hoshiko.

"I don't know where you get off acting like that but I'll be damned if I tolerate it from the likes of YOU!" Samuel raged.

A low growl came from nearby, but didn't approach. "Samuel..." Ace warned, knowing that Samuels' brash personality could sometimes get him into a lot more trouble than he bargained for.

The beast gave up on trying to mask the fact that he could communicate with humans, as he felt that the need to potentially defend Samuel was more important.

Meanwhile, Vince stepped back and out of the way. Much as he liked a good dose of action, seeing bigger people start fighting each other with fists instead of pokémon was intimidating, and he didn't want to accidentally get caught up in it.

With all of the shouting going on, Hoshiko's eyes fluttered open and she awoke to a feeling of pain in her hand. But with the sound of Samuel's yelling, Hoshiko sat up, turning her head to see Samuel punching her would-be husband. She shuddered at the sight of him, but was even more disturbed by what Samuel had done.

Laughing under his breath, the fiancée shook his head and wiped blood from his lip.

"You're pretty stupid, you know that? There are police swarming around here and if they knew what you just did, you'd be in huge trouble. And besides, whether you like it or not." He glanced at Koichi with a chuckle. "And whether YOU like it or not, she is mine. Her mother gave her to me and that's all there is to it."

He went over to the girl and bent down to her with a small little smirk on his face. "And you've had your fun, haven't you?" He asked her softly. "Now I get mine." And pulling her head closer to him, he forced the girl into a deep kiss.

Obviously Hoshiko wasn't pleased but she felt forced to oblige, embarrassed in front of both her father and Samuel to be made to kiss her betrothed in front of them. Samuel's face went white with disgust and then red with fury. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was all well and good for this punk to threaten him with the law, but if that kid thought that he could intimidate him with the idea of being put behind bars, he had another thing coming.

Maybe Koichi would accept the situation, but Samuel wasn't about to. Running over, he grabbed Hoshiko's fiancée by the back of the collar and jerked him roughly to his feet. "Engaged or not, _nobody_ has a right to treat anyone else like objects!" He shoved the man away from Hoshiko and got up in his face. "You touch her again and I'll mess you up, you got that?!"

"Samuel!" Ace roared. "That's quite enough. You're going to attract attention!"

"If the coppers come, then at least we're safe from Hart and his goons." Samuel kept his irritated gaze on Hoshiko's intended. "And besides. Someone needs to have a little sense knocked into him."

A small voice called out behind Samuel. "Come on! That's no way to act. You should settle this with a pokémon battle or you're no better'n he is, going around punching people's lights out." Vince crossed his arms and made a face. "Sheesh. I'm eight years old and even I know you shouldn't go around doing _that_."

"Yeah, well he deserves it." Samuel snapped, looking back at Vince. "And he deserves another good one too, for the record." His gaze flashed back to Hoshiko's fiancée angrily.

It wasn't that Koichi didn't want to do anything; at first he was too stunned to do anything. He hadn't expected to be thrust into the world that Hoshiko had written to him about so suddenly. He was infuriated, and by the time he was able to find himself to move, Samuel had beaten him to it. Eyes wide, Koichi watched the two young men, but he didn't stand by idly. He rose to his feet and walked over to them just as the fiancée answered Samuel.

"I don't care what you say, Punk. You're not even involved in this family so you have absolutely no say in what happens." He scoffed at Samuel and his uproarious personality. And looking at Vincent he rolled his eyes. "And you pipe out of this, Shorty. I've got more rights to this girl then anyone else does."

Once more, he irritably went back over to Hoshiko and reached for the girl who said nothing and simply let the young man hoist her to her feet, jerking her up by her wrist. "We're going now. I'll be seeing you sometime. Maybe you can invite your friend to our wedding, Hoshiko." He lifted her face back to his and looked into her eyes. "Would you like that?"

Shifting her eyes away from him, Hoshiko nodded. "Yes, I would..." She muttered softly.

"That's a good girl." The cruel man replied, forcing another kiss on her before he started to stride out with Hoshiko in tow.

Looking to Samuel, Koichi seemed more helpless now than ever.

"If I go out there, no doubt I'll be thrown out...and if I go near him, he'd probably attack me...You're lucky yourself. The young man has a black belt. He did most of his training in Saffron City in the next region over..." Although he tried to hide it, Koichi was battling tears.

"What?!"

Samuel tensed, but this time he restrained himself. He hadn't known that the kid was a trained martial artist. And while Samuel had some street experience and had won a few brawls, he was certainly not trained in any discipline. He resolved that someday that would have to change...

"Hoshiko!" He called after her. "You're not just gonna let him bully you like that, are you?!"

"What choice does she have, Samuel?" Ace asked, walking over to his master and sitting down beside him. "She's too weak to stand against him, and even if she wasn't, he clearly could manipulate her however he liked..." Ace hung his head. "It's a cruel world, Samuel, but face it...at least he will be able to protect her. She won't have to worry about getting hurt anymore, and she won't have to be caught up in our grievous mission."

Samuel glared at Ace, but then turned and watched as the young man escorted Hoshiko out of the building.

"Maybe it's none of my business, but she at least deserves to be free to make her own choices." Samuel growled. "I was cooped up in my dad's stupid fortress, locked away in a cell, and hidden from the world for so much of my youth. And even if this isn't the same exact thing, it's the same principle. She doesn't deserve this, Ace. Don't you see?"

"Samuel...we have other things to do...things that affect the entire human world. Even though she is our friend, if we waste time pursuing her, we may lose our only chance to seal any rift that might be opening up between here and the dark world. Then what good would rescuing her be, if suddenly the entire world was blanketed in evil?"

"Wh-what? Whole world? Blanketed in evil?" Vincent looked up at Samuel worriedly. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Ace looked down at Vincent and sighed. "Your family knows a great deal of the past. If you ask them to tell you of things that have transpired that still affect us today, they will let you know."

"My family? How do you know my family?"

"The Dragon Masters..." Ace closed his eyes quietly. "Descendants of heroes. Masters of Lore..." He shook his head slowly. "I have known them...a very long time." He looked down at Vincent. "And you, my boy, should go back to them. This is no time for a youngster like you to get involved in the affairs of men. You'll have your chance someday, I'm sure...but right now, you need to go back home to your mother."

"What?" Vincent looked appalled. "No! I don't want to go! I can help you! I know I can! Please don't make me go back..."

Samuel ignored Ace and Vince and watched as Hoshiko was dragged farther and farther away. He felt like his hands were tied. Even from here, he could see that Hoshiko's eyes spilled streams down her cheeks. She was crying hard as she tried to walk as slowly as she could. Or at least for however long her fiancée would allow her to drag her feet. Hoshiko finally gathered herself enough to call out one last time, not caring what he thought of it or what his response would be.

"KOICHI! SAMUEL!" She called out to them as she disappeared down the steps of the tower. "PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T LET ME BE ALONE!" Hoshiko was aware that Koichi couldn't visit her, but Samuel could. "COME AND VISIT ME SAMUEL!" She shouted one last time before there was the distinct sound of a slap and Hoshiko yelping out in pain.

Now, even Koichi couldn't fight back the tears any longer. They trickled down his age-roughened face. It was only the sight of Hoshiko's bag beside his foot that shocked him enough to pull himself together and speak.

"It's her bag. She didn't get it." He lifted it and handed it to Samuel. "I can't bring it to her...but you can. And...I...I think she'd want you to. You're her friend, Samuel. She really appreciates that and needs it...maybe more then you know." And then looking away he wiped his eyes discreetly. "I'll lead you home Vince. We can go together. I think I'd like to visit my mother in Blackthorn so it would be nice to have a traveling companion." He offered the little boy.

Vincent looked sad at the thought of going back home, but this time he realized that he was out of his league. Respectfully, the little boy bowed his head and nodded at Koichi.

"I...I guess it would be alright..." He walked over to Koichi's side, and Ace smiled at the child.

"That's a good boy. Don't worry...I just know you'll get plenty more chances for adventures. Your life has a long way to go yet before it's over, Son."

Vincent tried to smile, but he couldn't. So he just joined Koichi in silence.

Samuel reached gathered up Hoshiko's bag, clutching it tightly to his chest and sighing. He looked up at Koichi.

"Koichi...I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to really know you better. But I can tell you're a good father and...I know it meant a lot that Hoshiko got to see you again..." He squeezed the fabric of Hoshiko's bag to ease his own emotions. He didn't want to cry, even though he certainly felt like it. "I know you'll get to see her again...but for now...I'm just glad that she got to see you last night. I promise I'll be sure she's safe...and I'll try to help her be happy, if I can." He swallowed hard. "Good luck, Mr. Koichi...and...thanks for everything."


	9. Wedding Crashers

**Chapter 9: Wedding Crashers**

The time crawled so slowly and with such difficulty that Hoshiko could hardly bare it. Things went back to the way that they were before she had left Ecuteak, and she felt like she could suffocate from the clash of emotions raging inside of her. She was cut off from all of her friends, and because she had run away, her family became little better than a bunch of wardens. Her fiancée, Osamu, became less kind, even worse than she had remembered.

And today, today felt like the worst day in her life as she stared at herself in the elaborate mirror standing before her. Traditional. That's how she looked. Her face was white as a sheet, makeup for a Kimono Girl bride painted thick upon her face. Her kimono was arguably the most beautiful and luxurious of all the kimonos that she had ever seen or even those that her sisters had ever laid eyes on. The heavy material hung from her in waves of white, stitched with pearly silken blossoms floating down the folds. A headdress nested atop her fine raven hair, which she had been forced to re-grow in the tradition of her family.

Silently, the young woman swatted away her mother's hand once in awhile as she fussed with the headdress. Hoshiko pushed her sister away while they tried to get her obi to stay straight and even. It was obvious by the desolate look on Hoshiko's face that she didn't want to be in this place, she didn't want to be helped, didn't even want to exist at this point. Reaching deep into the folds of her kimono Hoshiko grasped the frog charm and bullet that Koichi had put on her necklace for her.

"I do not wish to be married..." She whispered quietly.

One of Hoshiko's sisters stopped trying to help for a moment and looked at Hoshiko sternly.

"It does not matter if you do not wish it, Hoshiko. You know that it is important for our family that you do. Honestly..." She went back to work, being slightly rougher this time, as if to prove a point. "You are so selfish sometimes. When will you learn that it's not all about you? It's about all of us. That you ran away is bad enough, but we can forgive you. Just be good now and don't cause us anymore grief. You will grow to like Osamu, and you will have a daughter someday. Then you will realize just how important this all was, and you will thank us. Right, Mother?"

* * *

Samuel sat atop Ace's back in front of the Dance Theater, staring quietly at the door and rubbing his chin. He hadn't been to Ecruteak since he had left Hoshiko's bag with her. And, he felt guilty about it. But there hadn't been anything he could do. Short of causing an uproar that would have the entire town after him, he couldn't set her free. And the needs that Ace had were pressing. The creature was very persistent in pointing out the risk of leaving their tasks undone, and so Samuel had been forced to oblige.

Now, at least, he and Ace had a short break in their own personal journey to come and visit the trapped Kimono Girl for her wedding, just as he said he would. Of course, Samuel wanted a bit more than that.

"Samuel. You're not going to be able to get her to come with us. And she shouldn't. It's too dangerous for her. You know that."

"Well..." Samuel grunted, sliding off of Ace's back and patting his neck solidly as one would a ponyta, "We'll just have to see about that." The young man started up the steps, towards the dance theater doors.

Ace rolled his eyes and called after him. "Just what are you planning, Boy?"

"I'm just gonna go in and say hi. You stay out here, okay?"

"You'd better not get into any trouble." Ace growled, planting his backside right in the street.

Samuel waved Ace off casually, and stepped quietly through the front doors. He entered in time to catch the argument. The family was gathered in a corner of the dancing stage, under the bright lights. They all clamored about, making quite a fuss. Samuel stopped and stood to watch, hesitant to interrupt.

* * *

Looking at her sister with a bit of spite, a certain amount of venom laced Hoshiko's voice.

"Maybe I do not want to like Osamu! Maybe I do not want to be married and have a daughter! I wish to be free! I do not love Osamu, I never will and neither will he ever love me. I wish to be free!" Finally she looked down at her sister who was roughly helping her wither her kimono. "I do not want to live your lives out for you!"

She finally pushed her sister's hands away from her and took a step back, turning her gaze out across the empty tables filling the Dance Theater. She had heard the door open, and her eyes automatically darted to it nervously. Hoshiko had learned to fear Osamu.

But this wasn't Osamu. It wasn't any member of their family. This was someone else. Samuel! Her heart skipped a beat and for a moment, and Hoshiko was rendered completely speechless. That was when the girl's mother stepped in, purposely blocking her view and bringing her back to the mirror so they could continue their work.

"You're sister is right, Child." She turned the girl's face to look into her eyes. "You must marry Osamu, if you enjoy the idea or not. We must make sure that the family line is in tact and you are the only one that can do this. There is no chance if you to do anything different. You are born to submit to the wishes of our family."

Hoshiko's sister shifted her shoulders smugly, but she didn't say anything. She knew that she had already won when her mother backed her up. Hoshiko would do as she was told, or else suffer the discontent of everyone around her. And the girl wouldn't have that.

The quiet young man in the doorway watched the exchange between mother and daughters, and he took another cautious step forward, closing the door behind him. He held his closed hand up to his mouth and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Excuse me..." He ventured boldly, looking up at the three of them. "I hope you can help me out...I'm here to talk to Hoshiko?"

Samuel may not have recognized her in her makeup and traditional clothes, but he knew her voice. Asking for Hoshiko was simply a formality that he hoped could get him an audience, but even if they threw him out, he didn't care. He was more stubborn than they could ever be.

"Oh." The eldest sister frowned in slight disgust, "It's you."

She recognized Samuel from when he had come to drop off Hoshiko's belongings some fair time ago. She didn't approve of him. After all, he was a rascal and a troublemaker, with no manners and no sense of tradition, family, or even a pedigree of any sort. She was aware that he was the reason that Hoshiko had been returned to her family broken and damaged.

Gracefully, but with a frown, the woman got to her feet and practically floated over to Samuel.

"You can't see her anymore. She's going to be married today, and it would be improper for her to meet with another man on her wedding day."

Her sister's denial and tone toward Samuel made Hoshiko angry, and she turned her eyes to her friend, looking at him pleadingly as if simply by seeing her he could save her and protect her from all of the terrible things that the day held in wait. Just as she was about to open her mouth and speak, her mother cut in quickly and sharply.

"You are to leave this very minute! You trouble maker! Hoshiko doesn't need to associate with people of your...upbringing." She finished on a disgusted tone. "And as she says, it would be a scandal for the girl to meet with a man on the day she is to be wed. Osamu would be infuriated!" She rose to her feet and looked down at Samuel intimidating. "Leave this instant!" With a dramatic flourish of her hand, the woman pointed her hand to the exit of the Theater.

Hoshiko would have none of it. The girl slid herself over the side of the stage so that she could drop down in front of Samuel. Now standing in front of him, Hoshiko took Samuel's hand with her own powered white one.

"Samuel..." She spoke desperately.

Samuel cast an annoyed glance at both Hoshiko's sister and mother. He didn't say anything to them, but his expression radiated defiance. Then, when Hoshiko grabbed his hand, he looked at her and his eyes softened, if only a little.

"Oh man, Hoshiko...what have they done to you?" He sighed. "They've stuck you in someone else's skin and now they want to stick you in someone else's life..." He leaned in close so that he could whisper to her in her ear without her family hearing what he had to say. "Do you want to come with me, Hoshiko?"

The desolation written across Hoshiko's face was heartrending as Samuel spoke to her. Her eyes looked like they might pour over if she didn't have the exercised discipline to prevent her make up from getting ruined. It was true; everything that he said was true.

"Yes..." She whispered back softly. "I would die to leave this place...I want to go Samuel...Please...please help me..." She tried her best not to let her voice shake but her efforts went in vain.

Before anything else could transpire though, Hoshiko felt a rough grip at the back of her Kimono's collar. She choked slightly, and was forcibly pulled back against the stage. She found herself facing her enraged mother.

"You will come back here this instant and not make Osamu wonder if his bride is a loyal woman." She replied sharply, looking from her daughter to Samuel. "And I asked _you_ to leave!"

"Please come to the ceremony!" Hoshiko begged, her mother taking grip once more on the back of her kimono to try and stifle her words, but Hoshiko fought. "Please come, Samuel! I don't want to be alone at my wedding! Please! Please! Don't leave, come to the ceremony! It's at the Tower I showed you from the lighthouse in Olivine. Where the Golden pokémon roosts." She pleaded on, "...Please...Please Samuel." At that point, whether or not she cared about her make up, Hoshiko started crying.

Meanwhile, Hoshiko's mother enlisted her other daughters to help restrain Hoshiko. The eldest sister grabbed both of Hoshiko's arms and held them tightly together, keeping the girl from moving forward at all. She spoke with a voice as cold as ice.

"Stop this utterly deplorable behavior! You should see yourself, putting on such a show! What would your dear Osamu think of you if he saw you now?!"

Samuel glared at the two women who were trying to cast him out, but he restrained any desire he had to tell them off. He was angry, but he didn't want to make them be any more aggressive towards poor Hoshiko. He glanced at the girl and nodded.

"I'll come, Hoshiko."

"It is not your choice to decide whether you come or not." Hoshiko's sister protested. "You are not a member of this family, nor even a friend. Osamu would not have you at his wedding. He deserves to have the utter and undivided attention of his bride, and you shall not ruin that. See how you already have her all worked up? You should be ashamed of yourself. Go now, as my mother wishes, and don't come back."

That was the last straw. Samuel folded his arms and stared at Hoshiko's sister with a fiercely stubborn gaze. One that would put a tauros in its place.

"You think _I'm_ the one who has her all worked up? You're the ones pushing her around, making her do this and that and what have you! What about her freedom?! What about her happiness?! Does any of that matter to you at all?!"

"This is not about her." Hoshiko's eldest sister repeated what she had told Hoshiko. "This is about our family, our honor, and our future. She needs to learn not to be so selfish. She will see in time that Osamu is the husband that she has always needed. She just does not know it yet."

"I don't blame her for not wanting to marry that...that bull-headed, heavy handed, son of a bitch! He's cruel to her! Treats her like she has no life of her own! Like she's some object that he can just use like _he_ wants to!"

"How dare you speak such utterances against her husband!" Hoshiko's mother turned to Samuel. "You are nothing compared to him, a small speck in the atmosphere of existence. And that is nothing that my daughter needs." Her arms folded in front of her.

"Don't listen to her Samuel...it's not true. We know the truth. I'll be heartbroken if I can't have a friend at my wedding...it'll be the only solace I can have for the rest of my life..."

"SHUT HER UP!" Finally Hoshiko's mother snapped, looking back at her sister, wanting the girl to obviously heed her command. The eldest tightened her hold on Hoshiko's arms and pulled her back. Hoshiko's mother turned to Samuel. "Get out!"

"He's coming!" Hoshiko thrashed against her sister, despite all of the heavy clothing she had on she tried her best to shirk the older girl away from her. "I want my friend there! Samuel is coming! He's coming to the wedding!" She growled, trying to hide the tears that kept wanting to roll down her cheeks.

"If you don't stop this right this instant, Hoshiko, you will regret it greatly." Her mother started, stepping in front of Hoshiko, between her and Samuel.

"NO! I already regret all of this! I don't care what you think. I can not even ask one thing for my own wedding!? You have to take my whole life from me; can you not give me just one favor?" She begged her mother. "Samuel is coming to the wedding and he will be wel-Agh!" Hoshiko squeaked in pain as her mother's open palm passed across her cheek in a swift slap.

"STOP IT NOW, HOSHIKO!" She looked at the girl with such distaste and anger that it was unbelievable.

"...Please, don't listen to them..." Hoshiko's head finally drooped, defeated. Still, she wouldn't relent, even with her mother standing over her in rage."...Samuel, you'll come for me, won't you?...I...I can trust you...I know I can."

"Come on, let's go." Hoshiko's sister strained against her, nearly having to drag the poor girl towards the back of the theater, towards the backstage studio. "He will not be at the wedding and you will _not_ be resentful. You will be on your best behavior for Osamu or Mother will have your head." Her sister warned angrily as they left Samuel behind with Hoshiko's mother.

"Mother can have my head!" Hoshiko seethed at her sister behind clenched teeth, trying to escapes the woman so that she could go back. "After today, I do not want it! There's no reason for me to live after you have stolen my life away. Why can you not give me one request!? I just wish my friend to be there! Osamu has invited his friends!" But before Hoshiko could go any further, she was pulled completely back stage, the studio door closed, and she went surprisingly silent.

Samuel clenched his fists and held them at his sides furiously. "You don't even have a CLUE about the universe and existence itself." He stared down Hoshiko's mother bitterly. "You've never even been outside of this wretched Theater, I'd bet!" He spat. "I've seen things that your mind could never even begin to comprehend, and I've come closer to understanding this world than you, or your mother, or your mother, or your mother's mother, or your mother's mother's mother!"

Samuel flashed the pokéballs on his chain and narrowed his eyes angrily. "I'm a scientist, an inventor, and a pokémon trainer. I've done things you'll never do. I've seen things your short-sighted, narrow-minded family politics will never allow. And now Hoshiko understands more than you do too, and there's _nothing_ you can do about it. She's tasted reality and life beyond the prison walls. She'll never sing as a caged bird again, and one day you'll regret having locked her up!"

Hoshiko's mother though wasn't finished, and with his words she only grew more disgusted and furious.

"You disrespectful whelp! You know nothing of the life that our family upholds. You have not one inch of tact in your body to say things such as these to me about my own child. I do not wish to know who you are or what you think you are. The only thing I wish from you is to never see your face again and for you to leave my daughter alone!" She abruptly reached for the boy, grasping his right ear tightly and pulling him towards the front of the Dance Theater. "And I do not want you at Hoshiko's Wedding. You are not welcome, no matter what the girl says."

Once at the door, Hoshiko's mother threw it open and shoved Samuel out with surprising force for a woman.

"Do not come back!" She shouted, before slamming the door shut and retreating back to her daughters. The Wedding was to take place soon, they would have to finish their preparations quickly.

* * *

Samuel fell on the ground right in front of Ace. The large, white monster looked down at the boy and sighed with a slow shake of his big, furry head.

"It looks like things went well."

Samuel growled and pushed himself off the ground, dusting off his clothes. "Oh yeah, everything went great. Super smooth, I'd say. Hoshiko's wedding is tonight."

"Mm." Ace closed his eyes and folded his ears back. "And she invited you."

"But her mother officially _un_invited me. Thinks I'm some sort of rapscallion."

Ace laughed at that. "Well don't be mad. You sort of _are_."

"Oh shut up." Samuel glared at Ace. "The point is, they're torturing her, and then they're going to tie her to the heels of that horrible man where she'll be bound for the rest of her life." Samuel leaned his back against Ace, using the canine creature as a brick wall for support. He ran his fingers through his own hair and sighed.

"And I suppose _you_ could offer better for her?" Ace raised an eyebrow, standing still so that Samuel wouldn't just fall over.

"I could at least take her away from here and give her free choice for how she wants to live her life from there..."

Ace laughed quite heartily. "You would take her away from here, would you?"

Samuel glared and pushed away from the Incarnus, walking off down the street, towards the one still-standing tower that watched over Ecruteak. Ace followed.

"I can try." Samuel persisted.

"And just what do you think you'll do?"

"I'm gonna bust her out of prison, just like I wished someone woulda busted _me_ out once."

"Samuel, you can't just walk in there and take her away."

Samuel stopped right in front of the shining tower, looking up at it and frowning.  
"Maybe not..." He agreed. "But you can't just walk into a prison and remove the prisoner either. You've got to have a plan."

"Oh boy..."

* * *

The sun was setting bright red, illuminating the tower that rose above all of its guests like a dazzling host. The ornately trimmed pagoda was decorated from bottom to top with golden streamers and carefully crafted paper lanterns. It gave a warm glow of its own that even the sun had a hard time matching. Flowing tassels of beautiful blossoms hung from bamboo wind chimes that sang hollowly as the cool evening breeze stirred. Everyone gathered in bright spirits to witness the wedding of Hoshiko and Osamu. Soft chatter rose up into the sky from the crowds lining the path to the Tower—the very path that was to serve as the aisle for Hoshiko to walk down to her groom. Osamu stood just inside on the first floor of the tower with the grandly carved doors open wide, as though they might swallow Hoshiko up.

Standing anxiously at the back of the path, Hoshiko nervously scanned the guests on either side of the aisle, looking for Samuel's distinctive platinum blonde hair among the sea of dark heads. Wringing her hands, Hoshiko bit her bottom lip, trying to hide her sheer horror of the moment. This Tower that she had once fled to as a child for solace was now becoming the very place that she would throw away her entire life, into the hands of a cruel, cruel man.

So wrapped up in her thoughts, Hoshiko jumped when her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. Turning to look at her mother, Hoshiko started at the woman with contempt behind her veiled face.

"Do not look at me like that, Child. It will not take away my resolve." The woman spoke to the girl irritably. "Your eldest sister will give you away to Osamu."

"No!" Hoshiko protested, not wanting to be lead down the aisle at all. "That's Koichi's job!"

"Do not speak his name to me!" Her mother spoke angrily as she did her duty and lifted Hoshiko's veil from her face. Then she passed the girl to her sister.

All eyes were now on Hoshiko, but the girl's gaze kept wandering. She felt as though her heart might fall out of her chest and flop, dying to the ground if she didn't get to see her friend one last time before she was thrust into the arms of Osamu.

* * *

"You know this has bad idea written all over it, right?" Ace growled in a very quiet whisper as Samuel climbed up to a higher branch in the tree that was closest to the tower. He tried to remain hidden in the foliage as he crept to the edge of the roof.

"Don't worry about it." Samuel said casually to the monster below. "Everyone likes a little bit of confusion."

"_You're_ going to cause mass mayhem." Ace grunted.

"That's the point, King Optimism." Samuel reached into his bag and pulled out some large jars of honey. He set them all out on the roof in front of him and then took out a pokéball. "This is going to rock so much." He popped open one of the large jars and stuck his finger into the golden, sweet liquid. Then, with his other hand, he released the contents of the pokéball.

A beedrill popped out. It was a pokémon that he had spent the afternoon looking for and capturing, but now it was time for action. The hornet-like monster buzzed upon seeing him. It didn't much like Samuel yet, being freshly caught, but Samuel didn't mind. He held out the finger that was dripping with honey so that the beedrill could smell it. The large bug buzzed quietly and clicked its mandibles, using its mouth parts to clean off Samuel's finger. It buzzed in delight.

"That's good, huh? You like honey? I'll tell you what. There's gonna be a whole feast of this stuff all over the place soon. Go get your beedrill friends, and bring them back here if you want to party."

The beedrill looked surprised, but decided that it liked that idea, and quickly flew up and out of the tree, speeding off into the distance.

"Now..." Samuel grinned mischievously when the giant wasp left. "Take this jar, and walk all along the perimeter of the path. Stay in the woods, but be sure that you get all the honey emptied out."

He tossed the open jar down to Ace. The beast caught it in his mouth, and walked off while the golden ooze started to drain slowly. Samuel took another jar, popping the lid and sneakily crawling out of the tree so that he could drain this jar's honey on the eaves of the Tower. If the entire wedding place was dripping with the good stuff, no doubt the result would be better.

He'd also made very careful efforts to switch out as many bunches of flowers as he could with flowers that were more attractive to beedrill pokémon. Now, with the tower dripping with honey at the very edges, and the whole path lined with the sweet, sticky stuff, Samuel just had one thing left to do.

Climbing down slowly, he kept the last jar close to him and sat down at the base of the tree, giving himself a moment to pull out Osamu's scarf. He had stolen the strip of cloth while nobody was looking. Now he popped open the last jar of honey and stuck his finger inside, scooping out enough that he could spear it across the cloth and rub it in without saturating it and making it too obvious. All honey in place, he folded the scarf back up and returned it to the place he had stolen it from, knowing that Osamu would put it back on in only moments.

"Perfect."

Samuel smirked, then scooped up the honey jar and crouched in the bushes by the stairs of the tower. All he had to do now was be sure that this area was covered, and he'd be set. He stuck his whole hand in the jar, grabbed a bunch of the flowing goo, and literally tossed it onto the stairs.

He did it again and again, each time aiming for a different part so that the buildup would not be obvious. Then he tucked the open jar of honey just out of sight, right next to where Osamu was standing.

Finished with his task, Samuel slipped back into the woods, cleaned off his hand with his own scarf, and cast the item aside, close to where the path was. No one had expected or even perceived any of the things that Samuel and Ace had done, too focused on the moment of the wedding to even be distracted from it for a second. As soft music signaled the start of the ceremony, Hoshiko didn't want to submit, but her sister started pulling her down the aisle to where Osamu waited, looming at the end of the path. With her eyes still wandering the crowd, Hoshiko felt betrayed by the fact that Samuel didn't show up.

She was sure that Samuel wouldn't have heeded her family's request for him to not show up. He would have wanted to be there for her, after all of the times that she had tried to help him and Ace. Hoshiko thought it was such a small thing to ask, but Samuel was no where to be found and it left Hoshiko feeling like the loneliest person on the face of the planet as she walked along with her sister. Everyone watched and whispered about how beautiful she was or how she would make a perfect wife and a lovely mother.

Hoshiko didn't want any of it, not yet anyways. She was too young for all of this... She didn't want to be a wife and a mother. Even if after their first child, Osamu would have to leave, she would have a child to tend to. And after an allotted time, he would return and she would have another child. This could keep happening for however long her family dictated. Hoshiko had no say in it at all.

But even with all of her thoughts floating down the path with her, they were overshadowed. Literally. Looking upwards, Hoshiko saw a dark swarm of countless beedrill descending slowly in thunderous cloud. The buzzing rattled the very air, and vibrated deep down in the ground.

Quickly, people started hopping out of their seats at the spectacle above them, and even Hoshiko's sister gasped in shock and stared into the sky, though she wouldn't relinquish her hold.

"There's...thouands!" Hoshiko cried out above the roar of insectoid monsters. She was quickly hushed by her sister though, and went silent once more.

Meanwhile, Osamu still waited at the end of the path, his eyes on the ominous shadow. They came down from the sky in whirling droves, and the young man discovered that he was the target of choice. He jumped back and nearly tripped over the jar of honey at his feet. As he caught himself on one of the ancient columns of the Tower, it dawned on him then, that something was amiss. He violently batted away the persistent bugs as they swarmed him, wings aflurry and awful mandibles clacking and crunching strange noises that crawled into his ears like so many unwanted parasites.

Furrowing his brows, Osamu whipped off the scarf from his neck while the bugs pulled and gripped it in their mouthparts, and he wadded it up in his hands with a great deal of wrenching and twisting to free it from the snags of dozens upon dozens of legs. Several monsters closed in and tried to pry apart his fingers with their twitching, furry feet. Osamu hurled the scarf as far away from himself as he could, and the beedrill automatically followed it and collected in a mass of quivering bodies where it settled on the ground.

Coming down the front steps of the tower, he roared over the ear-hammering thrum.

"WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!?"

By this time Hoshiko was trying to take advantage of the confusion and tried to pull away from her sister although the girl was fully aware of her and wasn't planning on letting her sister escape.

The hornet creatures continued to descend. The sky seemed to constantly give birth to more. They landed all along the path's edges and crawled their way between the legs of terrified guests. They swarmed the eaves of the tower, covering it as if it were a massive hive. Landing everywhere there was honey, the monsters seemed intently focused on one thing: The feast. And they didn't care for the humans that were getting in the way.

Some of the guests started to scream and try to chase them off with wildly waving arms, but the gestures only infuriated the amassing hoard, and their behavior changed from docile-but-hungry to raving mad. The buzzing became twice as loud, and many of the beedrill soon began chasing after people, trying to drive them away from their giant honey pot.

Osamu's loud voice attracted them to him, and they perceived him as a source for all of the commotion because of it. A number turned and flew at him. Eyes wide as she witnessed the attack, Hoshiko watched in shock and some measure of vindication. Maybe he would get a taste of his own medicine. However being trained in self-defense, the young man held his own fairly well. He only became more and more enraged, just like the wasp monsters themselves.

All the while, Samuel crouched in the bushes, slinking along the edge of the forest, and scanning the chaos for Hoshiko. Then he saw her. Stuck to her sister's side, that was not something he had wanted. He had to find a way to distract her sister from the girl. The question was..._how_?

Then he spotted his own beedrill nearby, sucking the honey out of his scarf as it lay on the ground. It seemed to be avoiding the greater masses so that it could get more honey for itself. Or maybe it just happened to like Samuel's scarf.

"Psst, Beedrill," He hissed. "I just need one more favor from you, and then you can go back to eating..." He pointed through the trees at Hoshiko. "Go out there and grab that girl. Carry her into the forest, and then you can go back to whatever it is you want to do."

The hornet pokémon looked up with its huge compound eyes, then took off, hurrying in pursuit of the poor victim of the wedding. The yellow striped monster came down on Hoshiko suddenly, swooping in and catching her with his long, spindly, but powerful insect legs. His wings beat fast and hard, giving him enough strength to pull her away from her sister. When he took off and dragged her with him into the forest that was perhaps the moment of reckoning for Samuel. Sure enough, the few people who saw Hoshiko abducted and weren't caught up in the raging swarm started trying to chase Beedrill.

Osamu noticed the change in the crowd, and when he saw that they were chasing his abducted bride into the forest, he sensed there was more to this ordeal than met the eye. Deciding he had to play his cards right, he battled through the still-angry beedrill and slipped away from the Tower, keeping his eye on Hoshiko.

"Dangit..." Samuel hissed through his teeth and hopped onto Ace's back like the creature was his own personal horse. Ace shifted a little, but didn't protest. "Alright Buddy, let's go catch her and get out of here before anyone catches us! RUN!"

* * *

In the unusual grip of her captor, Hoshiko was a bit concerned, to be sure. She'd never been carried off by a hornet pokémon before, and it wasn't the type of thing someone would easily get used to. Out of the corner of her eyes, however, Hoshiko saw a white flash in the forest, and she knew instinctively who it was that had caused the entire uproar. She couldn't say his name. People could never know who had done this. But Hoshiko was happy to know that it was Samuel, or at least that's what she preferred to believe until she knew for sure.

Samuel leaned forward, holding tightly to Ace's mane and urging the beast forward with his words and his body movements. He could hear the buzz of the beedrill swarm fading out behind him, but it was soon replaced by the growing sound of a lone hornet pokémon's rapidly humming wings.

"He's on his way, Ace. Keep running, and we'll meet up with him after we pass the bounds of Ecruteak!"

Ace nodded once and threw all of his effort into running, dodging low tree limbs and leaping over fallen trunks. The branches whipped past with loud snaps, but they didn't intimidate Samuel. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a glimpse of yellow.

"There he is!" Samuel pointed the beedrill out to Ace. "Come on! Come up under Hoshiko and we'll catch her on the run!"

"Sometimes I wonder about you, Samuel, but you seem to have this under control. I'm impressed."

"Less talking, more running."

Samuel urged, and the two of them whipped around and came up right below Hoshiko. They ran with the wasp monster as all of them emerged from the forest and onto the path leading out of Ecruteak.

"Okay beedrill! Let go!" Samuel called up. "Ready, Ace?"

"You bet." The Incarnus nodded, leaping up to catch Hoshiko in midair as the hornet dropped her.

Looking down with a mix of elation and slight hesitation, Hoshiko braced herself. Thankfully, Ace wasn't too far from her and she landed right behind Samuel in her usual spot. The girl dropped her arms over Samuel's shoulders and her head hit his back. From her irregular breathing patterns it was obvious that she was out of breath from the sheer chaos, but she wasn't hurt or damaged, just shocked from the whole experience.

"You came!" Her voice rang brightly with a good deal more cheer than when Samuel had last heard it. "Thank you Samuel! Thank you so much!" She felt her heart beating out of her chest, exhilarated. They had come for her, Samuel and Ace. She almost couldn't believe she was free. "Thank you too Ace" She quickly added, patting the monster gently on his back.

Yet, a thought occurred to Hoshiko, and it made her feel sick. It was something that she didn't want to talk about, didn't want to tell Samuel about, not until later. But the thought made her instinctively grip her friend's shoulders tighter than before. She was happy just to get away.

Of course, even though the group was out of the woods literally, they certainly were not figuratively. Standing along side the path, waiting for the trio to pass him, was Osamu. Samuel let out a sharp gasp when he saw the man, but he had no intention of stopping. He urged Ace to go faster and leap clear over the man's head, but it didn't work as planned.

Osamu watched and immediately saw the flowing white robes of Hoshiko's kimono. He reached out his hand and snatched them, giving a great yank to pull Hoshiko off of Ace's back. Hoshiko resisted, and held to Samuel fiercely, dragging Osamu along.

"Get back here with my wife, you crooks!" The raging man shouted at Samuel as he used Hoshiko's kimono to fluidly mount Ace along with the group.

At the sudden extra weight, Ace let out a vicious snarl and whirled around in a full 180, skidding to a halt. His sharp claws scraped against the stone and he bared white teeth at the man who had jumped on him. In the sudden change of direction, Samuel was thrown to the ground. He looked up at the canine monster, and realized what had just happened.

"Hey, you let her go, you bully!" Samuel shouted, staggering to his feet as Ace whipped around again to try and grab any part of Osamu between his sharp teeth and powerful jaws.

Shocked not only by the jolt and Samuel's falling away, Hoshiko's eyes went wide as the familiar rough grip of Osamu snared her around the waist to keep her from falling too. It wasn't out of compassion, but sheer possessiveness. She looked down to see his fingers laced together in front of her so that she couldn't get away. But as Ace started to thrash against Osamu, the young man had a different idea. Throwing both him and Hoshiko off of the white dog's back, he landed on the ground with a thud, pulling Hoshiko as close to him as he could so that the dog couldn't attack him without getting through her first.

"Osamu!" Hoshiko growled his name, their faces only inches away from each other. She pushed against his chest uselessly.

"I see what you've been up to, you scheming little bitch!" The man growled at Hoshiko, grabbing her arm and pulling her up with him so there would be no way for her to escape his grip. And looking to Samuel, Osamu laughed at Hoshiko slightly. "And you enlisted your ragtag group of friends to save you. How pitiful. But don't worry Hoshiko, I'm here to save you, and you know exactly why you'll have to go back to Ecuteak with me...don't you?"

Hoshiko looked away silently, not wanting to satisfy Osamu with an answer.

"Why not tell your friend? You seem so fond of telling him all of your secrets after all." Osamu smirked.

"No." She simply stated, still looking away from Osamu.

"I said, TELL HIM!" The young man shouted in Hoshiko's face, twisting the arm that he had held in his hand until Hoshiko burst out crying. He held it in that position until he got what he wanted out of the girl.

"Alright!" She cried out. "Samuel..." She craned her neck to view Samuel, her face pained and sad. "….We're already married!" Growling in pain as he pulled harder on her arm after saying this, Hoshiko seethed at her husband.

"That's right, the ceremony is only a formality, isn't that right Hoshiko?" He leaned to kiss her cheek forcefully.

"...He's right..." Hoshiko exhaled painfully. "In our culture, you can't have a ceremony until the couple is legally married..." She finished, tears streaming down her face, cringing in pain from how Osamu refused to stop twisting her arm.

Samuel's expression fell, and he stared at Hoshiko for a long moment, his mouth hanging open slightly. Hoshiko wore her heart on her sleeve, finding that the stress of the day had worn down on her too much to hide it any longer.

"I'm sorry Samuel!" She winced as Osamu's hold tightened on her arm. That would stop Hoshiko. "I didn't mean to not tell you!...I was...I was scared." She choked a sob and her gaze pleaded for forgiveness.

Ace turned to face Hoshiko and Osamu fully now, and he was growling fiercely, the hackles on the back of his neck and shoulders raised and his head down with his ears back. But he didn't attack. Only because he didn't want to accidentally hurt Hoshiko in the process. He waited for an order from Samuel, or for an idea to pop up in his own mind.

Samuel, meanwhile, finally snapped out of his stunned state and took a step forward, cutting his hand through the air angrily. Although at first he had been upset that Hoshiko hadn't told him before, suddenly any of that anger was redirected at Osamu.

"You know what?!" Samuel shouted. "I just decided that I don't _care_. She clearly _doesn't_ want to be married to you, and the way you treat her, she doesn't _deserve_ to be. So as far as I'm concerned, you're no husband of hers! You're just a pompous pain in the ass!" He pointed his finger at Osamu and Hoshiko, knowing that his next move would be a bit drastic, but also knowing that Hoshiko would probably forgive him if it managed to get her away from Osamu.

There wasn't a lot of time for Osamu to react to what Samuel said to him. But he didn't need to speak for it to be obvious that his distaste for Samuel only grew as the boy insulted him so openly and bluntly. Too proud to show anger at the other young man, Osamu simply chose to say nothing. He felt he had the upper hand.

"Ace! Thunder Wave!"

Ace hesitated for only a second, a little bit worried about harming Hoshiko, but then he decided that even if Hoshiko did become paralyzed, the affects would heal with time. Ace's shoulders hunched forward as he put all of his energy into forming a ball of white electrical energy all around Osamu and Hoshiko, letting it implode on them with literally stunning force.

At first, Hoshiko stared at Samuel in shock and confusion, but as the thunderclap slammed her eardrums and numbness raged through her body, it dawned on her the that this could work out in her favor. Hoshiko closed her eyes against the surge of electricity that still coursed through her nerves. And her body went limp. Then, she felt her limbs go stiff. It was reminiscent of when Hart had used his paras to paralyze her...but this in fact felt much worse. Of course, Ace was a much more powerful monster then the paras was or ever could be. Expectantly, Hoshiko shifted her eyes to see Samuel and Ace, hoping that what she had suspected was indeed correct.

Through it all, Osamu was forced to let go of Hoshiko,as he too crumpled to the ground. He strained against the involuntary muscle spasms in his limbs, but simply couldn't force himself up again. He was infuriated, but there was nothing the young man could do except turn his eyes to Samuel and think things that were better left unsaid.

Samuel waited until the electricity sparking across their bodies had diminished, and then he ran forward, grabbing Hoshiko's arm and hoisting her up over his shoulder. He ran back to Ace and slung the girl over the big dog's back. He hopped on right behind her so that he could hold her in place and keep her from falling off.

"Hoshiko, it's not your fault, so don't feel bad about any of this." He said, knowing that even if Hoshiko couldn't respond, she would at least hear him and know that he meant it. His attention turned to Ace. "Alright, Buddy, let's get out of here, and fast. When they find Osamu and take care of him, we're gonna be in a heap of shit if we aren't miles away."

"Got it." Ace nodded once, leaping into the air and literally flying out of Ecruteak, over the gate and off across the sky.


	10. Never the Same

**Chapter 10: Never the Same**

Samuel's feet hit the soft, loamy soil and squished the leaf litter that covered the landscape in this fairly thick forested area. The sharp, clean smell of pines was very strong, and the gusts of wind blowing in from the south made the treetops tremble and shake their needled boughs.

Ace lay down slowly, so that Samuel could slide Hoshiko off without the risk of dropping her, and Samuel eased the girl onto the ground with care. Then he looked around. There were a couple of small log cabins around, and fire pits for cooking. This seemed to be more of a camping retreat than anything, but Ace had assured them that there would be someone here who could help them find what they needed to help Hoshiko recover from the paralysis.

"An expert camper is always in the area," Ace had told them. "He knows everything about wild berries, and he picks them daily for meals and to grow his own."

Samuel wondered how Ace would know something like that, but then figured that the monster was even more well-traveled than he himself was. Ace even went on to say that the man had made a berry _guide_ for campers interested in gathering wild treats. It was an interesting fact. Samuel just hoped it was right.

Thankfully, he didn't have long to wonder. Soon after the group arrived, a loud slam came from one of the cabins behind the trio. Low grumbling followed, and a few heavy footsteps came down the path that led from the house.

"WHAT'RE YOU YOUNGINS DOIN' ON MAH LAWN!" An elderly man's voice shouted. Quite immediately, Samuel's felt a plethora of squishy berries hit his back as they were whipped from a basket that the berry man was carrying. "GIT! THE THREE OF YOU!" He ran to them waving his arms like he was trying to get rid of an annoying flock of birds.

Samuel's eyes widened, and instinctively he flinched and covered his head, expecting the old man to come out brandishing a stick with which to whack him upside the head. He figured most crazy old people would probably be the same when they freaked out at him. When he was only pummeled with more berries, although he was dismayed by the explosion of juice, he was at least relieved that it didn't hurt his skull

Of course, Hoshiko couldn't do anything about the man, but her eyes were fixed on him with some level of interest and alarm. Ace on the other hand, got up slowly and walked towards the fellow, not really intimidated in the slightest. His ears perked up and he wagged his fluffy tail in a friendly greeting, stopping right in front of the stranger and sitting down, despite the flailing of arms.

"Well hello there!" Ace said, surprisingly cheerfully.

At first the man was too busy getting angry to even notice anything in particular about the group. But as soon as Ace approached him and spoke, the man stopped in his tracks and drew close to Ace's muzzle, staring at him with astonishment.

"I'll be..."

He muttered softly, reaching for the monster's muzzle and pulling it open, he practically stuck his head inside of Ace's mouth, looking up and down and as far back into his throat as he could see. And then taking his head out and letting go of Ace's snout, the man shook his head, clicking his tongue.

"We didn't have to have creatures that talked when I was young! Now everyone has to have these new fancy shmancy pokémon that talk and dance and do all sorts of tricks! They're all crazy!" Looking past Ace, he saw Samuel and went up to the boy, roaring in laugher. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And kids these days, decoratin' themselves will all sorts o' crazy things; they look like a buncha decorated Christmas Trees! And you, boy, have to be the craziest I've ever seen in mah life!"

Last but not least he looked at Hoshiko and eyed here curiously. "What's that kid's trouble? She been dancin' all those new fangled dances and got herself all wore out?" He asked, trying to mimic the contemporary style of dances that were nothing like the kinds he did as a child. "What in the name of a Tauros' horn is she wearin'!? Gettin' all done up in make up and rouge, trying to impress the boys! That wasn't they was we did things when I was a boy, oh no!"

Samuel crossed his arms and frowned at the Berry Picker irritably.

"For your information, she's a traditional dancer, not a contemporary dancer, and _why_ she's dressed up is no concern of yours. My buddy Ace brought us here because he says he's heard all about you. He says that you pick berries, and that some of the berries you gather might help heal her paralysis." He rubbed the back of his neck, a little hesitant to say how she'd gotten that way. "She uh...accidentally got caught up in a pokémon's attack and needs healing..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, you've come to respect the true power of...BERRIES!" He yelled, shaking his berry basket, losing a few of his precious cargo. He smiled a wide, toothy grin that showed how many of his teeth were missing.

Striding over to Hoshiko the man bent down and took a good look at her. He poked at her and tried to move her stiff limbs this way and that, then, deciding she was definitely paralyzed, he took out a berry from the basket and examined it carefully. Opening the girl's mouth, popped it between his fingers and let the juice squirt into her throat.

"Just let it melt in your mouth, girly, it's one of the tartest berries in the forest but it sure packs a punch!" He pumped his fist in the air for theatrics and added an enthusiastic _whoop_. But then giving Hoshiko a stern look, he shook his head. "Don be so reckless girly! Gettin' in the way of pokémon battles is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad news!" Once he was done scolding her, he approached Samuel holding out his hand. "That'll be $1,000 dollars, Sonny!"

Before Samuel could so much as protest, Hoshiko felt sensation roaring back into her limbs. It was painful at first, but it left her free to move, and once she recovered from the initial discomfort of getting her senses back she managed to stagger to her feet. The man wasn't kidding when he said that the berry was effective. Although stumbling on her long kimono, Hoshiko ran over to Samuel.

"I'M SO SORRY SAMUEL!" She cried out far louder than necessary, tears streaming down her face. She buried her head in his shoulder, sobbing. "I didn't mean to not tell you, I was just so scared! Osamu has been so terrible!" Lifting her head, Hoshiko took one of her white hands and lifting her kimono sleeve, wiping away some of the white make up on her arm, revealing dark bruises on her porcelain skin. "Thank you Samuel! Thank you! I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

The Berry Man looked away as soon as Hoshiko started crying. "Women!" He complained loudly. "Always gushin' about somthin'! Ruinin' perfectly decent deals with unsuspecting strangers!"

Too distracted by Hoshiko's sudden healing to even care about the attempted swindling, Samuel had to catch himself to keep from falling over. He was so surprised by her reaction that at first all he did was stand there, stupidly. After a moment though, as he heard her sobs, he put an arm around her and gave a nervous little chuckle.

"Hey, it's no big-" Then he saw the bruises on her face. "...Oh Hoshiko..." His tone fell to a low voice, hushed by sympathy and sadness for the poor girl. "Look what he's done to you..."

Ace sat by, just watching. But he felt the undeniable urge to show gratitude to the Berry Picker, and even though it was a bit out of his nature to be so outgoing with strange humans, he licked the unsuspecting man on the side of the face enthusiastically, then sat straight up and went back to watching Samuel and Hoshiko. The Berry Man's face contorted in quite a humorous manner, and he turned to the creature beside him, pushing his muzzle away. Once again, he roared in laughter.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" His belly shook enthusiastically as he continued on. "Yer okay ya big oaf!" The man commented, nudging Ace appreciatively.

All the while, at hearing the tone is Samuel's voice, Hoshiko almost felt bad showing him the marks on her skin. Then again he would have to face it sooner or later, and Hoshiko needed to get it off of her chest. Hoshiko finally spoke, still finding it too hard to control her crying.

"...Yeah..." Her head lowered. "We were actually married about...a week ago..." The young woman choked back on her sobs a bit. "...I wouldn't listen to him, I wouldn't listen to anything he told me, anything he wanted me to do..." Her eyes closed and she looked like she might be shaking underneath all of those clothes, but it was hard to tell on account of them. "So instead he got angry...The night after we signed the papers...that's when most of this happened..." And slowly Hoshiko removed her headdress, taking off her wig also, abandoning the clothing onto the ground beside her. Her hair fell down onto her shoulders, much longer then it had ever been when Samuel had seen her. Then Hoshiko slid off the top layer of the Wedding Kimono, revealing just how many more layers were underneath her outer shell. "...Samuel, I was so frightened. I thought he might kill me...and no one would believe me! Not even my family, they wouldn't believe he did this to me..." All Hoshiko wanted was the security of having Samuel and Ace with her, two people that understood, that cared, and that would believe her and show concern. After all, it wasn't just her face that had bruises; it appeared that any part of her exposed skin had the same display of cruelty that Osamu had shown Hoshiko.

A soft whimper came from Ace's direction, but the big dog didn't say anything. Instead, he lay down and rested his head on his paws, looking up with big, sad eyes at the master he'd claimed for himself and at the young woman.

Samuel hugged Hoshiko gently when she'd finally shed all of her dancing clothes, but he tried to be careful, afraid he might hurt her in this fragile state. The he took a step back and looked her over. She didn't look good, and that made him furious, but he had done all that he could do, and now at least she was away from that horrible man. But now she was pretty much homeless. She couldn't go back to Ecruteak now, certainly. Samuel hadn't thought her family would be so rigid, but when he found out that they were, he realized exactly why she hadn't wanted to go back in the first place.

And now there was one more reason not to go back. The bruises all over her body testified to that. But as he looked at her, an image came in his mind...a memory of how she had been when he'd last seen her before this day. She'd had a broken arm...and a bullet wound. She'd been slammed around and all manner of abuse dealt out to her. And it was all his fault. He hung his head at the realization and looked away.

"Hoshiko... Ace and I...we have to go soon. We have some business to take care of, but it's...it's not pleasant." He wrung his hands, sickened by guilt. "I can't ask you to come with us...if you did...you're probably fare no better than if you'd stayed with Osamu..." He swallowed hard. He hated the idea of leaving her behind, but he had to force the words. "Maybe even worse."

He glanced back at her, quietly. "It might be better for you if you stayed here..."

Hoshiko was obviously crushed as Samuel started to speak. She wasn't one to act callous or hide her emotions and maybe sometimes that served her quite badly. Holding her hands together gently, rubbing her palms together slightly, Hoshiko stared at the ground, trying not to let Samuel see her face—to see the pain she obviously felt at what he had said to her.

In a certain way it hurt more then the broken arm and the bullet in her chest. Hurt more then Osamu's beating and even the cruel things he said to her, only because Hoshiko trusted Samuel more than anyone she'd ever met. He was supposed to be her friend. And now he wanted to leave her behind.

Taking one of her palms and brushing away some of her tears, Hoshiko tossed back the long locks of hair that rested on her shoulder, crowding her face. Swallowing hard, she spoke.

"Being with Osamu, I'd rather be dead. If I get back into his hands...I'll die. I don't care Samuel. It's not worth it, I realized that when I was walking down that aisle. Living to satisfy his needs and have his children...it makes no sense to me. And so if they won't let me live my life, then I won't." Shaking her head Hoshiko suddenly looked up. Her eyes flashed. "This was just the first week! Don't you understand! I'd rather suffer a thousand deaths then live for my husband to practically kill me every day! I want some purpose. Staying here won't give me any purpose..."

Samuel felt his gut clench at Hoshiko's reaction. He knew it had been bad for her, and he never wanted her to suffer.

"You're not going to have to go back to Osamu..." Samuel promised quietly. "But if you were to come with me, you'd be just as badly hurt, even though it's not my intention. It's the nature of what I have to do...where I have to go..." His voice was sincere and strong, even though he felt terrible. "You could just as easily die if you came with Ace and I... You know it...You've seen just how dangerous it can be."

He looked away. "And it's only bound to get worse, not better. I'm learning and seeing things I never knew, every day since I left you in Ecruteak... I never told you where I went for these months..."

Ace sat up, suddenly. "Samuel... she does not need to know some of the things we know...not yet. It's just too much for her, at least so soon after so much trauma."

"Don't tell me what I need to know and what I don't need to know! Maybe the trauma I went through was to prevent something worse from happening! I'm not weak!" Hoshiko snapped.

She obviously felt like being more graceful with her words around Samuel. Ace assumed too much about the girl, and sometimes that made Hoshiko feel annoyed with him, even though the girl did have a certain respect for the creature. Crossing her arms and turning her back on the two, Hoshiko's head dropped once more.

"If I'm left on my own there's not doubt that Osamu would find me...and I don't have any means of really protecting myself from him anyways. Let's assume he doesn't, though. I don't have anything better to go to. I don't know where Koichi is right now and I wouldn't even know where to find him. But that's fine. If you want to leave me behind, Samuel...I guess that's that." Her voice trembled with hurt. Then, her expression changed. It took only a second, but it was as if something had dawned on her. Hoshiko straightened up a little, took a deep breath, and pushed aside her heartache, planting her feet firmly.

"But you know what, Samuel Oak? You might not be able to ask me to come with you...You can't stop me from coming though. And on our way to Acranine Mountain I told you I was going to make sure you fulfilled your promises to those kids in Olivine. There's only one way I can do that, Mr. Oak...So you better get used to having some company on your travels...because you're not leaving me anywhere."

She kept her back to the two, and inside Hoshiko wondered what the look on Samuel's face might be like.

Ace frowned slightly at Hoshiko's stubbornness, but he didn't say anything. He knew all too well that a stubborn kid would do what a stubborn kid wanted to do, and there was no talking sense into them. He cast a glance at Samuel, hoping the boy would be able to convince her that it would be safer to stay out of trouble, but when he looked he saw that Samuel was actually smiling.

"Don't even think of it, Samuel. You know she'll only get hurt again..."

Samuel just smirked and glanced at Ace. "The girl is right. We can't stop her from trying to keep a promise. Who are we to say that she shouldn't keep her word?" He grinned mischievously.

"Samuel, don't be reckless." Ace scolded. "It's too dangerous."

"A little trip to the museum wouldn't hurt her." Samuel shrugged.

"The museum is only one stop on our long trek, and you know it. We may not even go there first."

"Well she seems eager for travel." Samuel crossed his arms. "And wherever we're going is definitely travel. Far from Osamu."

Ace sighed, and looked away for a long time in thought. When he finally spoke again it was clear that he was a bit irritated, but he relented with a huff.

"Fine...she can come...but we warned her about the danger, and she knows of some of it first hand. At least she cannot say she wasn't aware."

Hoshiko remained with her back to the two and listened. Ever so slowly, a smile crept to her face. Samuel worked for her cause. She was pleased that he was trying so hard to convince Ace to let her come. It meant that Samuel wanted her company just as much as she wanted his. They were friends and that's what Hoshiko wanted them to stay...and being separated from Samuel like she was with Koichi only meant one thing: once more losing the people who cared for her.

After months of suffering in Ecruteak, Hoshiko wasn't about to let the opportunity of traveling with Samuel and Ace pass her by. At last, Hoshiko turned around with a smile on her face. Despite her battered outer appearance, Hoshiko looked like she hadn't been happier in her life. The girl ran up to Samuel and threw her arms around him in a hug, although she winced at the feeling of her painful skin touching his shoulders. It didn't matter though.

"SAMUEL!" She cried out happily, but quickly the girl reached into the scarce inner folds of what was left of the kimono she had been wearing and took out the scarf that he had given her. Holding it out in front of him, she let go of the embrace. "Can you put my hair up for me? I hate it when it's this long!" She complained, with a grin. "I'm so glad," She went on as Samuel laughed and took the scarf, promptly tying her hair up in a bun. "I would have just hated to be left here!" Hoshiko then glanced at Ace and spoke before the canine could argue with her enthusiasm. "Don't worry Ace, I know what I'm getting myself into. And I couldn't be more pleased. I'll admit that I didn't know 100% from the start but I didn't mind it one bit once I found out. And I haven't complained at all...and I still won't."

Samuel smirked at Ace while the beast simply rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh. Despite the show of resistance, Samuel knew that somewhere deep down, Ace was happy too.

"You kept my scarf." He murmured finally, once he was finished putting Hoshiko's hair up. "Never figured I'd see it again, so I got myself a new one. That I...left behind for the beedrill swarm." He chuckled. "I guess I have to go shopping again soon."

His hand slowly slipped away from Hoshiko's fine black hair and fell upon her shoulders softly. He turned her around to look at her. When he saw that she was smiling, he was instantly glad of his decision, even though her traveling with them would be dangerous for her. He didn't want to admit it with words, but it was obvious in his mannerisms; he had missed her.

"Of course I kept it," Hoshiko replied warmly. "I wasn't going to let them take that way from me. This scarf is important."

* * *

Samuel made sure to thank the Berry Picking Man thoroughly, not wanting to impose on him after all the help he had given, but once that was said and done, he led Ace and Hoshiko to one of the empty log cabins so that they could plan their next route.

He led them up the wooden steps, to the door, and he opened it slowly. It creaked as it budged, and the musty smell inside greeted them. Through the shafts of light coming in through the windows, free floating dust sparkled almost like snowflakes drifting on a breeze. It was dark inside, but Samuel led them in anyways and located a gas lamp, which he quickly lit after closing the door. As they entered and looked around, Hoshiko marveled at the simplicity of everything around them. She went to the window and looked out at the quiet woods. In the light of the gas lamp, he reflection stared back at her. She sighed.

"You know, I think both of us had better go shopping soon because I'm not going to go around wearing the inner shell of my kimono from now till kingdom come..." Hoshiko would have kept talking but the stillness of the small cabin silenced her. Until she looked down at herself and realized she was missing something.

"My pokémon!" She yelped out, mortified that her beloved companions had been left behind in Ecruteak during the whole uproar and her kidnapping. "Samuel, my bag...it got left behind in Ecruteak...what...what're we going to do? I can't just leave my bag and my pokémon there. Who knows what might happen to them? Once Osamu tells the rest of my family that the kidnapping was on purpose...well I could never go back anyway but that'll just make matters worse..."

Samuel's eyes widened in a look of horror, and he gasped aloud. "Oh no! I can't believe it." He looked back over his shoulder at the door, as if contemplating running back there. "Now we'll _never_ get it back..."

He wandered over to the dusty old couch and flopped down, almost sneezing when he did so. He started fumbling with the front of his pack, and he opened the top flap, reaching in and digging around inside. At first it looked like Hoshiko might cry. Those pokémon were her friends too. They were so special to her, and leaving them behind for Osamu to do what he would with them just seemed so incredibly sad, like abandoning close, dear friends. Seeing Samuel's reaction wasn't much help to her either, it made Hoshiko fall deeper into desperation over the whole ordeal.

"There's just no way we could ever, ever hope to reclaim it..." The young man went on. He slowly drew a familiar object from within his own sack, paused, acted like he was going to push it back inside, and then he finally pulled it out completely. "Unless of course you mean this bag." He held it up for Hoshiko to see.

Hoshiko shrieked with joy.

"SAMUEL YOU GOT IT! How did you manage to get your hands on it!?" She ran up to him, and taking the bag into her hands, Hoshiko looked to Samuel with relieved tears in her eyes. She automatically peeked inside to make sure it wasn't a dream and that her pokéballs were indeed carefully tucked where she had left them. And they were. The shock wore off then, and Hoshiko realized what Samuel had done and how he had tricked her. "HEY!" She shouted, pulling her hand out of her bag. "That was a dirty, rotten trick, Samuel!" She looked and him with fierce annoyance, and even despite him being sprawled out on the couch in front of her, Hoshiko bent down and gave his arm a good whack with her fist.

"Don't you ever scare me like that ever again!" She wasn't as angry as she seemed, just more surprised at how Samuel had the audacity to tease her.

Samuel yelped in surprise, but he certainly wasn't seriously hurt. Just enough to feel minor discomfort as he rubbed the area with his hand.

"Well now that's not very lady-like, Hoshiko." Samuel laughed. "Smacking me after I _clearly_ did you a favor." He grinned mischievously. "I figured you would need your bag, so after everyone left for the wedding preparations at the tower, I snuck in and picked it up for you. I mean I could _always_ take it back if you _wanted_ me too." He closed his eyes and ran his hand smugly through his hair.

Placing her chin in one of her hands and holding her bag close with the other, Hoshiko looked at Samuel with the same smug look he was giving her.

"Well, well, well. Since you're offering to play delivery boy," Hoshiko tossed the bag at her friend and placed both hands on her hips. "Maybe I do want you to take it back to Ecurteak! After all, you've stolen my property from my house. And besides, I'd like to see what would happen when you go back anyways. They'll probably torture you with ancient techniques passed down thousands of years in our family until you tell them where I am..." There was a mischievous look in Hoshiko's eyes that made it obvious she was kidding...and also obvious that she was enjoying herself. "...They might even kill you once they find out! At least it would be..." And suddenly Hoshiko beamed humorously with one hand dramatically over her heart. "An honorable death!"

Samuel caught the bag and clutched it close to his chest, surprised at first. However, that didn't last long, and suddenly the young man burst out laughing.

"Never once did I put anything on my business card about wanting an honorable death." He laughed harder. "But you got me there. He reached over the side of the couch and laid the bag down gently on the floor. "Heck if I'm going back into that crazy madhouse again. Rescuing the damsel in distress was one thing any knight would do, but I never once read a story about a knight who put something back after recovering it."

"Well maybe that was the part that came after happily ever after..." Hoshiko laughed just as hard as Samuel, sitting down on the little edge of the couch and looking down at Samuel's feet for a second. She shook her head. "Besides, if the damsel really wanted it, then I'm sure her knight would oblige!" She smiled, shaking her head. This was what life was supposed to feel like, at least at Hoshiko's age. And she was happy to at least have a taste of it.

Samuel smirked. "Yeah right. You wouldn't want me to go back." He folded his arms confidently behind his head, leaned back against the couch, and closed his eyes. "You'd be too afraid you'd never see me again."

Hoshiko sobered. "Of course...I don't want you going back to Ecruteak...the only reason I'm alive myself is because Osamu couldn't kill me. He wanted a wife so in order to keep that privilege he couldn't possibly kill me..." Hoshiko paused. "At least that's what he said...and I don't doubt it." Then, shaking her head again, Hoshiko started to play with the material at the bottom of Samuel's jeans. "I still can't believe I'm actually married...I feel like I could stop breathing if I focus on it too long..."

Samuel opened one eye and looked at Hoshiko quietly for a moment, flexing his toes back and forth inside of his shoes.

"Well then, whatever you do, don't think on it much. Breathing is too much fun to stop." He stretched comfortably. "Besides, what I said to Osamu, I meant every word. As far as I'm concerned, based on his atrocious actions against you, he's no husband to anyone. Do you know what the word 'husband' means, Hoshiko?" Samuel closed his eye again and laid back, content to be where he was but not letting that stop his explanation. "To be a husband is to manage, care for, and be a good steward of one's wife. He might have been trying to MANAGE you alright, but I think he missed the memo on the other job requirements. A husband is supposed to protect, love, and honor his wife. Even I know THAT, and according to most I'm not even husband material. So I don't know where that 'husband' of yours got his qualifications."

Hoshiko watched Samuel's face carefully as he explained his thoughts. She hadn't ever been taught the concept of a husband or even what his place in a woman's life was supposed to be. All she knew was that Koichi would have never treated her mother this way...and so it simply sent her the message that what Osamu was doing was clearly wrong. But Samuel seemed to clarify what exactly it all meant.

"...I don't think job qualifications mean anything to Osamu." She finally said. "He just wants what he wants. The real problem that we had was an argument about..." Hoshiko hesitated, feeling a bit nervous about bringing up the topic. "About children."  
Watching Samue's shoes instead of his face now, she went on playing with the lose threads of torn material on Samuel's jeans. Hoshiko seemed tense. "...I don't want to have children right now, Samuel. I don't care if Osamu thinks I'm wrong or doesn't want to give me a choice! I don't want children yet...Is that so much to ask?

"I don't want to go through that yet. It doesn't mean I never want children; I just don't want to have a child _yet_. It just seems like the wrong thing right now. It would tie me down completely. And only the night after our wedding? It's all too soon! I don't even love him..." And then shaking her head, Hoshiko looked to Samuel's face. "Nine months...then having raise Osamu's child by myself...and I know it wouldn't be long for him to come back again. He already told me everything he wants. He wants a lot of children.

"Not me. I don't have it in me Samuel." Suddenly, she stopped herself, realizing she was going on. She felt her chest heaving as she got worked up, but she sighed shakily and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry Samuel...I shouldn't be making you listen to this kind of thing..."

Samuel finally opened both of his eyes and pushed himself up into a semi upright position with his elbows. His back against one arm of the couch, he raised an eyebrow. "Well, no need to fret now." He said with surprising and much-needed calm. "Nobody _here_ is asking you to have any kids." He laughed and pointed at himself and Ace. "But I can't say that I blame you anyways. It's not a task to take on lightly, and it really should be done with someone you care about...that way you don't have to go through it alone, and that way your children don't have to go through it alone either."

Samuel shook his head. "I don't know why my mother died, really. I just know what life was like with my father. He wasn't ready for me. His mind was on his work. He treated me like a prisoner in his own home, and because his home was a fortress...well I literally _was_ his prisoner most of the time." Samuel frowned at the memory and tied it with his thoughts on Hoshiko. "Life with Osamu for a dad's no life for a kid at all. And it's no life for you being bullied into things by him. Frankly, whatever he wants, I don't care." Samuel smiled a crooked and rather roguish smile. "I just showed him that he can't always have what he wants. Maybe that'll teach him."

"You're right, I think it's my fear that I'd have to go through it alone and just being pregnant. The thought right now seem appalling. Especially with Osamu's baby. I wouldn't let him make me and I don't give a damn if he was furious." She paused and despite the weight of the conversation that they were having, Hoshiko smiled. "Thank you Samuel..."

Hoshiko started. "You probably don't understand just how much this does mean to me. When you left me in Ecruteak I kept wishing I had someone to talk to...someone I could trust. I wished you were there." And pausing, Hoshiko reached over the side of the couch and grabbed her bag. "Actually," Reaching in, she pulled out a small paper box with a string tied around it. "These are for you." She replied, handing the box to Samuel. "Inside are letters I wrote, I didn't think I'd ever see you again after the marriage...so I was just going to keep adding letters to the box, but now that we can speak again...you can have them. I wrote them to you over the past few months...I have a box for Koichi too." She paused placing her bag back on the floor. "Read them whenever you feel like it...if you ever do feel like it."

Samuel looked down at the box quietly, and it took him a moment for him to take them. He received them gently, and held them as if they were very fragile, and could be easily damaged. He held them as if they were treasures in their own right. Then, slowly, he moved to tuck them away in his bag. He would have felt too awkward to read them in front of Hoshiko, but he knew when he had a moment to himself, that would be the first thing he wanted to do.

"Wow..." He said softly as he sealed them away. "Thanks, Hoshiko. I...don't really know what to say. But I'm honored you'd want to keep in touch with me at all." Samuel laughed a bit. "I'm not usually the kind of guy people try to keep up with..." He closed up his bag and set it down, then sat up straight and looked at the ceiling.

"I couldn't think of anyone better to keep up with." Hoshiko smiled, but then looked at Samuel's face and apologized. "I'm sorry. I've been talking so much about myself. Please...tell me what's happened to you and Ace over the past while. I have a feeling I missed out on a lot..."

"I don't mind hearing about you, Hoshiko. I know you've been through a lot, and I know you've been lonely. It doesn't bother me at all for you to talk." Samuel laid his hands on his bare knees, over the spots where his jeans were torn wide open. "It certainly has been hectic while you've been gone though..."

Hoshiko smiled. "... I have a feeling..." And staring up at the ceiling with her hands held together. "Well...I have a feeling that I found my best friend." She said quietly. Almost so that if Samuel didn't want to say the same he could pretend he didn't hear her, and if he did then he would be able to reply. "Thank you...because I could never expect someone to listen to me and actually not mind it. I mean...I thought it would be terribly irritating for anybody to hear me go on about myself and all the stuff that's happened."

Samuel smiled at Hoshiko, looking at her quietly. The very thought of being considered anyone's friend amazed him. After all, for the longest time his only real friend was Ace. Perhaps that was why he was so very close to the monster, but that didn't downplay the fact that he cared quite a lot for Hoshiko, and now he felt the need to protect her. It was an odd feeling, because Samuel had always been a loner, but he couldn't deny that he felt a strong connection to the young woman.

His eyes told the story; one of gratitude at her friendship and a softness in them that seemed to return the feeling. But he didn't say anything. It was obvious he'd heard her, and that he appreciated her words though. A moment of silence passed between them, and the young man's eyes wandered slowly to the floor. When at last it was broken, Hoshiko was the first to speak.

"So...you mentioned the museum?" She asked, trying to see why in the world they would be headed for a museum other then for Samuel to do research on pokémon.

"Yes," Samuel answered, refocusing his thoughts, "There is a museum and research center in a place called Pewter City. It's on the other side of the mountains." Samuel lofted his chin in a pointing gesture at Ace. For a moment his gesture might have been confusing, until he spoke again. "That medallion that he's wearing...It's a very...dangerous object..."

Ace came forward slowly and sat beside the couch, looking down at the two of them.

"Samuel is right. It's not something that we should be carrying around with us. I was hoping to take it to the museum to have them put it on display, but under very tight security."

Hoshiko found her eyes trailing to the chain hanging around the neck of the Incarnus. She might not have known it's capabilities...but if it was just as dangerous to keep as it was to get, then she had a good idea of the damage it might cause.

"...Pewter City..." Hoshiko turned to Samuel. "That's in Kanto!" Her face seemed to light up at the idea. "That's perfect. I don't mean to seem selfish but going to Kanto is ideal for me." And then trying to make herself seem more serious about the topic, Hoshiko nodded slowly. "But of course, it's more important to go there so that we can get that medallion safe. If it's as much trouble as it was to get then they'd better have the best security in all regions to watch over it..."

"Indeed." Ace answered with a slow nod of his head. "It will be safest at the Kanto Museum over anywhere else in the world. However, because of the power it contains, we shall need to ensure a way to prevent it from ever being handled by human hands or from ever being moved or left unattended. But at the same time, we cannot tell anyone of the power it contains. Or else it might attract too much attention. It is a very complicated situation."

Samuel's eyes met the medallion around Ace's neck, and he stared at it for a long and quiet moment. He felt the need to explain what he had learned about the peculiar item.

"Ace calls it the Master Medallion... He says that it has the power to control all monsters, wild or tame, your own or those belonging to others, no matter how strong they are. He said that the power comes from the fact that it's a cursed object. According to legend-"

Ace cleared his throat. "Boy, it is no legend. It is fact. I witnessed the creation of this medallion with my own eyes."

Samuel frowned. "My mistake." A quiet sigh, "The Medallion was once a sword that belonged to a legendary hero, thousands and thousands of years ago. It was created in holy fires and blessed by priests, making it a very mighty and very pure blade. The hero passed the blade down to his daughter, who took it up and used it to fight a demon king who threatened the vitality of the land."

Samuel leaned back against the couch while he recalled the story in the details he could remember from Ace's telling. "The blade was so pure that it did indeed slay the evil being, but it also drew the demon's dark spirit into itself, cursing it with the demon's power. The hero was meant to destroy the sword by throwing it into the fires of the volcano in the center of the world...but as it was her father's heirloom, when she got there she did not have the will to obliterate it. She drove it into the rock in the mountains and let it stay there, to mark the location of a portal to the dark world. But at that she left it, and the power was allowed to grow in her absence."

Samuel rubbed his hands on his knees and continued with a dismayed shake of his head. "Eventually the blade was found by a young man...one that Ace calls an outsider. Ace brought him here from another dimension...or at least that's what he led me to believe. The young man realized the danger in the sword and could see that gateways tended to open around it. And so he wished to find a way to limit the power of the sword. He always meant to take it to Gaia to have it destroyed, but when he found out that its destruction would mean the possible death of his friends and the monsters he had grown close to, he decided on a different path... He melted the sword down and had it forged into a medallion. It's said that he used the power of an angel's feather to place a seal on it, to try and keep the darkness inside of the object in check."

Samuel rubbed the back of his head in nervous thought. "But he realized that the power of the darkness could keep growing continually, so he took it to the volcano and melded it into the stone doorway blocking the entrance into the dark world... He left it there in hopes it would never be seen again."

Ace scowled and cut in. "That is correct. But he did not know that the power would grow exponentially and eventually the angelic seal he place on it would be to little effect. Now the power is so strong that possesses monsters and drives them to attack. You saw it in the rhyhorn. That creature was no ordinary pokémon. And neither were the arcanine on that mountain. They were all possessed. By the medallion.

"Unfortunately...for a human to take this object could also result in their possession. At the very least, the curse would be extended to them...and they'd be doomed to death. That is why it cannot be left in the hands of just anyone. I must find the person who is meant to carry this burden and wield it to dispose of the darkness once and for all. But until I find that person, this object must be kept safe and out of the hands of would-be thieves."

Hoshiko wore a grim look on her face. "...Wow...that's a very serious story and a serious responsibility too." The girl shook her head, looking at Ace and then to Samuel. "I don't know exactly what to say or even what to think about it right now. It's a lot to take in at once." Pensively, after a moment, Hoshiko looked at Samuel's hands on his knees and mimicked his position.

"You know what though? It's okay if I don't know what to say...because I can tell that being able to help will really be an honor. I felt honored helping when I didn't even know what the real reason was, but now that I understand what the whole thing is about...well it's kind of overwhelming, knowing that I could be part of something to huge that it could effect the entire world. I never thought I'd do anything like that..." She smiled sheepishly and then watched her hands. "Thanks for letting me come along guys...I just know, no matter what we have to face, this whole thing will be incredible."

Samuel smirked at Hoshiko, throwing his arm around her shoulder and using his other hand to gesture wide across the room. "Our names will go down in all of history! We'll be the heroes they talk about a thousand years from now."

Hoshiko laughed and looked out over the invisible world, starry-eyed.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Possibly, but that is only _if_ we find the Chosen in time to stop the events that are slowly coming to fruition."

"Hm." Hoshiko turned to Ace. "Of course you will. With a team like Samuel and I helping you, there's nothing that we can't achieve together." She smiled reassuringly at the monster. "I know that you have a lot of burdens, Ace, but we're all in this together and I know I might not be a lot of help to you in your quest...but I'll do what I can to relieve as many of your problems as I can. Whatever I have in my power to do...I will."

The young woman's earnest words stirred Ace's heart, but something still seemed to be bothering him. He glanced at Hoshiko with gentle eyes. "Even with what Samuel has told you, there is still far more left unsaid. Some things you will have to see with your own eyes to grasp the true depth of what we face." He turned and looked at Samuel quietly. "Perhaps we should go to Orre first."

"...Orre huh?" Hoshiko turned to Samuel curiously. "What's there?"

"Well..." Samuel pulled his arm from around Hoshiko's shoulder and used his hand to rub the back of his neck, somewhat vigorously. By the gesture, it was clear that he was a bit distressed. "There's nothing there anymore. That's...the problem."

Ace closed his eyes solemnly and bowed his head in silence as if to honor someone who had fallen. When he spoke again it was in a low tone, as if concerned that someone might be listening.

"Few people who were not born there have ever been to Orre, but I have seen it with my own eyes. It was a lush and verdant land, covered in thick forests, a haven for pokémon and people alike. It was one of the most hospitable places north of the mountains that you could ever hope to find... However..."

He trailed off and looked down at his paws. "When Samuel and I left Ecruteak, Orre was one of our first stops. I wanted to investigate the region, as I had sensed something...much the way I sensed the darkness coming from Mt. Arcanine. When we arrived... There was simply nothing there..."

Looking shocked, Hoshiko obviously felt terrible. She didn't fully understand, but the idea that something so prosperous and plentiful could simply vanish was simply horrific. Sympathetically, Hoshiko stared at Samuel and Ace with a look that perfectly reflected her feelings.

"...I'm sorry to hear about that….. It's absolutely terrible. I think you're right that would probably be the best place to go. Maybe if we find the root of the troubles there, will be some way to save Orre from its destruction...? Or at least to rebuild it." Hoshiko asked softly, trying to be an optimist about the situation. "I hope you don't think it childish of me to think like that Ace...I guess I'm just hoping for the best, that's all."

She started at the door wearily, trying to picture what might be waiting for them. A barren region? What kind of dangers lay in wait for them in a place like that? Now having experience in Ace's dealings, Hoshiko decided it best if she try to mentally prepare herself for problems. That way she might be able to come up with more rational solutions instead of the first thing that popped into her head.

"It isn't childish to bear hope. But I fear that hope may be too much to hold onto, given the times we live in."

Ace said as everyone rose, gathered their things, and started for the door. Ace walked close behind Hoshiko. When the door opened, he let her pass through first, then followed her down the steps and into the piney woods, darkened by night. Hoshiko breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the silence of the uninhabited forest. Even with the Berry Man there, this place was far more peaceful than most she'd been to.

When Ace broke the silence, his words were as gentle as the crisp leaves. "At least I have the comfort of knowing that I do not need to face these trials alone. I pity your souls, Samuel and Hoshiko, for coming with me into the horrors of reality, but my selfish nature cannot help being gratified by the knowledge that you both are here."

He stepped onto the soft bed of leaf litter and turned around, finding himself facing Samuel eye to eye. Samuel smirked and roughly scruffed the top of the large canine's head.

"Believe me, Ace. I wouldn't be happy if I had to sit back and leave you to this on your own."

Ace laughed and lay down, allowing for Samuel and Hoshiko to mount easily.

"...Well I'm glad everyone's agreed then. We'll keep hope." Hoshiko smiled softly and climbed up onto Ace. She waited patiently for Samuel to join her.

"The both of you are so very bold and stubborn. But perhaps that is just what I need to keep me going. Come on. Let us see if there is anything left we may do for Orre. We can explain to Hoshiko the rest of our findings on the way."

"Samuel and I will be just as stubborn as ever! Don't you worry Ace, we'd never let you down."

The girl smiled to herself and watched the scenery around them one last time, taking in the last of Johto's air that she _hoped_ she would breathe for quite some time. Maybe her next return would be more amiable. Until then, there was a lot to look forward to and a lot to hope for.

"I have a feeling no matter what we can or can't do in Orre...it'll never be the same after we've been there. Isn't that right Samuel?" Hoshiko went on, poking her friend in the back.

He agreed with a laugh.


	11. The Gatekeeper Versus the Gate

**Chapter 11: The Gatekeeper Versus the Gate**

The scarred and broken landscape of Orre lay as gray as charcoal under the soft, blue sky. Forests that had once blanketed the region lay in ruin: nothing but piles of ash as far as the eye could see. The few trees that did survive were weak and broken sticks, charred to cinder and black as oil. Not a speck of green stood out anywhere in the wasteland. Hoshiko's eyes scanned the wilderness sullenly. She simply couldn't believe the sheer magnitude of the disaster that had unfolded to level such a vast scope of land. It was sad, thinking of all the people who must have lost their lives. Maybe Hoshiko was a lot luckier than she imagined. Maybe it was more than just a privilege to serve the Incarnus' mission.

Speaking of, Ace flew above the tragic sight with his precious passengers, his shining blue eyes searching for any sign of life that he might have missed before. But he knew it was all but impossible. Months of searching had yielded nothing. Not one of the humans living here had made it to tell the tale.

"That's it, down there..." Ace said with a weary sigh. "A once glorious land, now nothing but rock, smoke, and ruin." He shook his head in dismay.

Samuel spared Ace the burden of retelling the things the two of them had seen upon their first visit. Much of it was mentioned cursorily before, but this time Samuel brought up the sinister details.

"While you were in Ecruteak," He began, to Hoshiko, "Ace and I headed here to investigate and see if we could find a gateway into the underworld that might be alerting his senses. We were shocked when we saw...well...this. When we realized that something had happened here, our first effort was searching for survivors. We scoured the whole region, but we didn't find anyone... Not one monster or human to be seen. When we were certain there was no way we could help anyone here, Ace and I went back to searching for the gate. It was...easy to find."

He recounted in his mind the frightening image he had seen, and did his best to relay it with words. "The gate was close to the heart of Orre, and it was the biggest gateway I'd ever seen. It spread across the ground like black water, and it was swirling and swirling... You could feel the darkness pouring out of it and you could feel it trying to suck you in... It was horrifying. Ace faced it with his own power, and for the first time I got to witness him actually seal a portal with my own eyes. I was...very impressed..."

Ace chuckled mildly. "I am glad that you admire my power, but as a gate keeper of the dark world, it is simply my duty."

"It was still amazing to see that huge swirling mass of emptiness disappear." Samuel insisted.

"Well, it didn't exactly disappear. Yes the gate is sealed, and will not easily be reopened, but the gate is still there. It is likely that its presence will poison this land forever...as it did to Tartarus, and as the gate in Mount Arcanine has made the mountain bare and lifeless except for the shadow pokémon that roam there." Ace swooped low and was soon flying just over the surface of the rocky wasteland, his feet nearly close enough to touch ground. "But I would like to see if there is any way that this land can be restored. I may have to employ powers that I have not allowed myself to use in a very long time, but if it means saving the lives of the people here...then so I shall."

His feet hit rock with just a slight jolt, and he quickly kept running forward, the wind blowing in his mane and through Samuel's hair. The boy naturally leaned forward and scanned the grim horizon. From behind him, Hoshiko's tremulous voice murmured weakly in his ear.

"It's so sad that all of this happened. I can't believe all of the destruction these...problems...have been causing. So many people's lives lost. So many pokémon lost. It's just unimaginable." Looking to Samuel and Ace, Hoshiko shook her head and her voice rose with conviction.

"There must be something that we can do! Anything. It would be heartbreaking to have to leave here without even being able to do a little something to make it better...to try and bring Orre to its former glory..." A fire burned in Hoshiko's eyes that radiated her feelings about the injustice that all those people had to suffer. "It's just not right..."

Ace slowed down to a steady walk, his gate gentle but strong as he continued moving forward. Samuel's hands gently stroked the fur on the back of the beast's powerful shoulders in idle contemplation. His own sadness was as plain as Hoshiko's.

"What can we do?" Samuel asked softly. "Everything...everyone perished when the gate opened... This disaster was far worse than even the one that afflicted Green Bays..."

"It is, Samuel Oak... This is the most devastating opening of a gate that I have ever witnessed. Even thousands of years ago...nothing compared to this; nothing that could swallow a whole continent in seconds. My heart bleeds for the people who lived here. But, if we can attempt to restore it...then it will be to everyone's benefit."

He slowed to a stop at the edge of a deep and impossibly wide crater. Smoke was rising up from the distant center, blackening the air and the sky. Hoshiko's gaze wandered out across the empty scape and she wrinkled her nose at the sharp, lingering smell. She glanced at Samuel to see if it had the same affect on him. He simply sat stoically, his eyes surveying.

"This is where the gate rests. It opened explosively, judging from the marred landscape it left behind."

Ace lay down to let Samuel and Hoshiko get off, and then the large canine rose again. Hoshiko knelt and reached down slowly, brushing her fingers through the ashen land beneath their feet. Ace watched, then hung his head and closed his eyes solemnly.

"I do not know that the damage can be reversed... But if I can devise a plan, I may be able to make a small difference."

"What will you do?" Samuel asked, hesitantly.

"If I can manage, I will attempt to go back in time...to the point that the portal was created, and simply seal it as it is being formed. In theory it is a good plan...but...any number of things may happen. I will need to be very careful and very precise about how I maneuver myself... I typically do not allow myself to time travel, simply because of the danger it poses to the past, the present, and the future."

Surprise and concern crossed Hoshiko's still tragic expression. "That's really possible?" Hoshiko asked softly, unsure if it was a silly question to ask, even if it wasn't something a normal person would hear everyday. "And what kind of threats does it pose? What would happen to Samuel and I? Do we get left behind here? I hate to be asking so many questions...I...I guess I just want to make sure everything will be alright. I do trust you though, Ace."

Ace looked over at her, his ears falling back softly against his head in a submissively caring gesture. He gave a light swish of his tail and breathed in deep.

"As a gatekeeper, I can form portals of my own, and use them to travel through time and dimensions. The difficulty arises when I potentially alter something that should not be changed. A being can only ever exist at one point in time. When you move from one point to another, it can change where you were at critical moments in your life. That is why I must be cautious." He looked out into the empty crater as a gust of wind blew through his thick white fur.

"But I won't be going far back...just far enough to attempt to stop this disaster." He looked back at his two friends and tilted his head. "I would ask that you both stay here... Until I get back. It shan't take long. I promise."

Ace moved forward, towards the edge of the crater, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and the worried voice of Samuel halt him.

"Ace...don't do anything crazy...please..."

Ace blinked, and then smirked ever so slightly. "You needn't worry. I will come back, one way or another. I only that I hope I come back with good news. You will know if I am successful. The world around you will change if I accomplish my goal."

Samuel clenched his teeth, nervously, trying to keep from saying anything that he might regret. "Just...be careful." He let out a rushed breath at last.

"No worries, Boy." Ace nodded his head. "I will not bid you farewell." He gave Samuel a knowing wink, and then turned towards the crater. Lifting his head to the sky, a light started to form around him, creating a glistening bubble of time that rippled like the skin of a soap blossom. Then, the gleaming field imploded, and Ace was gone.

Hoshiko battled a grim sense of dread as she watched wordlessly, but sensing how worried Samuel was, she had to find it in herself to try and lighten his mood, even if she herself wasn't sure that it could work. She tossed her hair back and turned to her friend, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling softly.

"So, Samuel, we have some time on our hands I guess..." She paused, trying to think of something to say that could distract him from their current problems. "One good thing did happen when I was in Ecruteak. I got to learn more about my dancing." She tried to sound happy about it, even though it wasn't anywhere near as nice as she was making her voice try to sound. "I'll have to show you sometime what I've learned. I think it's pretty impressive. And Eevee has gotten stronger too..."

Samuel glanced at her for a moment, but deep in his eyes stirred weariness and frustration that couldn't be quelled. As much as he appreciated Hoshiko's attempt at comforting him, it didn't help much, especially so abruptly trying to pull some sort of cover over the current situation. Unable to ignore both their feelings, Hoshiko looked down awkwardly and sighed a deep sigh, placing her other hand on Samuel's shoulder so the friends faced each other.

"Ace will be okay...and I'm sure he'll be able to save Orre too. He's so powerful, I mean….time travel? We have to believe in him. After all, maybe that's the only thing we can do to help him in this. I've heard that thoughts and feelings can affect things too. And so...we might be able to be part of his work. Even just a little."

Looking away from Hoshiko and off to the side, Samuel nodded slowly. Letting out a long, heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and nodded his head, before putting his hands on Hoshiko's shoulders as well.

"You're right." He said, finally finding it in himself to look her in the eye. "Ace has been doing this a lot longer than we've been alive... It's just that...well..." He hesitated and swallowed nervously. "Ace hasn't always lived through his confrontations with the darkness..."

He stared at Hoshiko for a moment, his brow furrowed in dismay. "He's powerful, yes, but the force he opposes is stronger. He knows it and I know it. It's all we can do to hold it off...for now. He...well he hopes to find someone who can change that. Someone who will turn the tide in our favor. The problem is, we haven't come across the person he needs yet. He tells me that we'll know when he finds them, whoever they are. But...there's not been any sign of the one he calls the Chosen. And, if we don't find them soon, chances are that we won't be able to fend off the evil that's coming over this world...it's happening way too fast."

Biting her lip and not taking her hands off of Samuel's shoulders, Hoshiko studied the depth of emotion in her friend's face. She didn't want to let go of him because she knew he needed her, and Hoshiko hoped he wouldn't let go of her either. She needed him just as much.

"...Well, even if we're both scared and Ace's mission is even harder than I know right now..." She wasn't sure what to say. There wasn't much _to_ say, in fact. Not a lot of comfort that Hoshiko could offer aside from a simple strong silence that they could give one another. But she'd try her best.

"Maybe we can figure out a way to find this person for Ace, of course with him. But maybe if we put our heads together we'll be able to come up with something that'll find them faster. A way to save everyone from such an evil force. Three heads are better then two. I can't say I'll have much insight to offer but maybe I can add a perspective of someone who hasn't been involved in this for as long as you and Ace have."

Samuel smiled, even if it was just a little bit. He admired Hoshiko's positive attitude, even if he felt like it was unrealistic sometimes.

"I think that would be good." He said after a moment. "We can both use all the help we can get, I'm sure you've noticed by now."

As if in answer to Samuel's words, suddenly a loud shrieking and rushing roar permeated the air, slamming the eardrums of both young adults with such force that Samuel's hands instantly went up to cover his ears. His eyes snapped shut, and he felt a fierce wind against his face, coming from the direction of the crater.

When he looked over, he could see a swelling orb of blackness, growing and flashing a consuming shade of light-sucking purple, black lightning dancing across the surface. Instinctively, he reached out, grabbing Hoshiko by the arm and dragging her down to the ground. He put himself over her and looked up into the growing sphere, his heart racing. He honestly didn't know what to do, and he had the worst feeling about the situation. He could just see his life flashing before his eyes.

Hoshiko threw her arms around Samuel, clinging to him tightly for fear of being swept away by the unearthly, yowling wind. Even thought she was frightened, she was more scared for him than anything. The girl couldn't see exactly what was going on—could only hear it—but she looked up at Samuel's face and could only wonder what was going on to strike such mortifying fear in her friend. As she looked up at him, all she could think was that she didn't want either of them to die like this. Especially not Samuel; Hoshiko didn't think she could carry the burden of watching her friend die while all she could do was stare into his face helplessly. Desperately, she wished they were back in that quiet cabin in the woods, away from everything.

Then, interrupting the all-too-rapid reflection on his own life, another flash came, this one from the physical realm. The white light was so bright and blinding that Samuel lowered his head and closed his eyes. The sound of electricity surging around them and sizzling through the air made him buckle down harder.

Then came the explosion, and the rush of air that was as cold as ice with a potent feeling of sickness pouring from it. He couldn't explain why he felt it, but the sensation he got was in his gut and in his throat: a sensation of such terrible horror that it made him nauseous.

And suddenly, all was silent. When he lifted his head, the crater was still there. Everything was the same, but there was no sign of the orb. He looked down at Hoshiko and pushed himself up and away from her.

"You alright?" He asked, worriedly.

Hoshiko watched as Samuel moved enough for her to see everything around them. Immediately, she could tell that nothing had changed.

"...I-I...I think so, Samuel." She replied, obviously not hurt, but more mentally shaken up then anything. She watched his face carefully for any sign of painful injury that he might have incurred.

Samuel was shaking, terrified out of his mind. His adrenaline was still pumping and his heart had yet to stop hammering out of his chest. But he had the presence of mind to gather himself and stand up, helping Hoshiko to her feet.

"Are you alright, Samuel?" She asked him quietly, nervously even. Slowly the girl crumbled back into a sitting position and stared at the landscape around them.

"I-I'm alright..."

The young man answered, his voice breaking slightly. His hand was still clinging to Hoshiko's and she would be able to feel him trembling, despite the brave front that he forced. Samuel didn't want to let her know just _how_ terrified he was though, so he did his best to swallow it. He had some sense of how strained Hoshiko was, and he hated to pull her back to her feet a second time, but he felt drawn. He gave her time to get up, but urged her with gentle tugging. Together, they started walking towards the edge of the crater.

"Nothing happened to Orre..." She whispered. "But that was the scariest thing I've ever felt...I think I understand the darkness you were talking about..."

"I don't know what that was..." Samuel admitted quietly, "But it was definitely related to the darkness anyway. Possibly to the gate. But it's obvious that Ace didn't manage to reverse the gate's opening...otherwise—"

Samuel cut himself off and froze in his tracks. There, in the center of the crater, Ace was laying on top of the rough rocks, slumped in a heap, and not moving at all. Samuel felt his heart almost stop and his stomach sink down into his toes. Swallowing hard, Hoshiko tried to hold Samuel's hand firm so he would know she was there to support him. But inside, she had to admit that she was just as scared as he was. Samuel's voice escaped his throat even before he could think about it, and he cried out Ace's name, thoughtlessly jumping down into the crater and sliding down the rim of the bowl. Hoshiko was shaken from numbness as their hands slipped apart.

"Samuel!" Hoshiko called out after him.

There was nothing else to do but follow. So, running down just as Samuel had, Hoshiko found herself sliding down, losing her footing and ending up spending half the way down on her knees. It was painful, but the girl didn't even notice. Her mind was too consumed with what was happening.

Samuel reached Ace in moments, but as he drew near and dropped to the ground to try and help him, suddenly a clear bubble, much like the one before, sprang up around the dog's body, glistening strangely in the ash-gray light and deflecting his advance, making him fall backwards onto the ground. He landed in a sitting position, his hands holding himself up as he stared in confusion. Before him, inside of the bubble, the form of Ace began to flicker and fade. Samuel gasped in terror.

"No!" He cried out, crawling on his hands and knees to the edge of the bubble and pressing his hands against the rippling surface.

"Samuel! Ace!" Hoshiko stumbled over and almost hit Samuel as she landed behind him, gripping tightly onto his shoulder and watching Ace inside of his gleaming prison. Whatever was happening wasn't good, but Ace did make a promise to Samuel.

"He's not going to leave you." She reminded Samuel, gripping his shoulder tighter as she struggled to catch her breath. "He promised you that he wouldn't. He promised!" She felt her eyes beginning to sting with emotion as tears started to trickle down her cheeks. "It's gonna be okay. I'm sure Ace knows what he's doing..." She tried to comfort Samuel. "He did promise he wouldn't say goodbye. I know he wouldn't break a promise to you, Samuel. Ace couldn't!"

The peculiar surface of the bubble flickered, and at once its solidarity diminished. Samuel's hands hit the dirt and he scraped his fingertips along the rocks, clawing at them in desperation. He couldn't see Ace through the strange time bubble any longer. All he could see was the shimmering surface. Samuel could feel the tears spilling down his face, although he tried to hide them. He didn't want Hoshiko to see that he was afraid, although no matter how hard he tried, it was obvious.

When the time bubble started to fade away too, Samuel's head snapped up and he let out a gasp, but he didn't dare speak. He knew he wouldn't be able to hide his sobs if he tried to talk. He watched as the bubble flickered, and then it was gone. Samuel reached his hand out to where it had been, but all he could touch was empty air. His head fell, and he almost choked. Though Hoshiko's words were gentle and reassuring, Samuel couldn't help being afraid. With what had just happened, he doubted it could possibly be good. He'd never seen something so terrifying before.

Hoshiko was starting to feel just as sad and desperate as Samuel was, unable to even conjure up anymore positive words or thoughts. She didn't know what to say or what to do... all that Hoshiko could find within herself was more tears to cry, leaning her head on Samuel's shoulder, she soaked his shirt with her tears.

Just as the young man felt all hope was lost, a voice from behind Samuel and Hoshiko spoke softly, sounding for all the world like warm, soothing water.

"The girl is right, Samuel...you should know by now...I would never abandon you." Samuel sat up abruptly and looked over his shoulder. There behind them, stood Ace. He looked a bit drained, but completely alive and well.

Hoshiko raised her head at once. She looked back, her heart pounding, and standing there behind them was Ace. Grabbing Samuel's shoulder Hoshiko pulled both of them up to their feet and ran over to Ace with Samuel in tow. When she reached the wolf monster, Hoshiko let go of Samuel and threw her arms around Ace, now soaking his white fur with her tears.

Even if she and Ace had come upon their differences, Hoshiko still found herself moved to emotion as she held onto him tightly. No matter what they had disagreed on, Hoshiko still loved Ace.

"You're okay!" She cried out, still sobbing into Ace's neck.

The moment Hoshiko let him go, Samuel had moved forward of his own accord, and at Ace's other shoulder, opposite of Hoshiko, he buried his face deep within the large canine's mane and clung to his fur with shaking hands. He didn't let Hoshiko nor Ace see his own tears, but he couldn't hold them back.

"Ace, you big jerk. Don't ever scare me like that..." Samuel quivered, holding tightly to the beast and refusing to let go.

All that Ace could do was laugh softly at the two youngsters as they held onto him. Gently, he nudged the side of Hoshiko's face with his big muzzle, puffing warm breath in her ear through his snout.

"You would think that I had died and come back." He turned his head just enough to nuzzle Samuel's neck. "You should see yourselves."

Feeling a bit foolish at how she was gushing over Ace, Hoshiko's cheeks were red when she looked up at him with tear stained cheeks. Samuel pounded with a weak fist against Ace's shoulder to get the dog to stop teasing them, but just as soon as he did, his arms were around Ace's neck, and he embraced him closely enough that his fingertips touched Hoshiko's arms on the other side. She felt Samuel's arms reach around Ace's shoulders to hug him and she did the same, wanting to feel the security of the huge creature now that they knew he was alright.

"What happened to you?" Samuel ventured, still holding onto Ace as if his whole life depended on it. "...All we saw was an explosion and the most awful darkness I've ever seen...and then you...you were..."

"Dead?" Ace finished. "Not quite. Mortally wounded, certainly, but...fortunately I was able to reverse time again and undo my assault on the gate. To put it bluntly...the effort failed...miserably. I went to stop it as it was forming, but there was something there that prevented me from doing so. A power far greater than my own. The gate itself was vulnerable, but someone or something was guarding it as it opened..." Ace shook his head slowly. "It may as well have been the demon king himself for all the power it wielded. It attacked me and drove me back... attempting to destroy me before I could return here. I was hit by such intense power that I nearly succumb. Yet I had the strength in me to once more reverse time, before it was too late. I never left this place. Never left your sides."

Trying to find a chance to talk through her sobs, Hoshiko finally found her voice to speak. "Ace! I can't believe all of that happened in such a short time." She choked back the faint traces of fear and sadness still caught in her throat. "I'm just so glad that you're okay! You're okay Ace!"

The Incarnus gently licked Samuel's cheek and then turned again to Hoshiko and pushed his cold nose into the crook of her neck, tickling her. Hoshiko giggled. His nose was cold and wet; usually Hoshiko would have protested, but she was too happy to even say a word about it. Of course, the cheerful reunion had a more solemn reality to it. Ace's tone went low when he spoke again.

"Unfortunately, though I live, it is clear to me that the gate cannot be stopped in its creation."

"All of this, it's so terrible." Hoshiko's murmured as Ace's words sank in. "If we could find a way to defeat all this darkness, maybe everyone could live in peace. I can only imagine, if this happened to Orre, what could happen to the other regions." Sniffling back the last of her tears, Hoshiko placed a gentle hand on Ace's muzzle.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you Ace..."

Ace closed his eyes, surprisingly content to have the affection of these two humans. It was something that he himself never would have imagined finding comfort in. For all his efforts to prevent humans and monsters from bonding, it struck him as ironic that he himself should have people who loved him the way these two did. The thing that tore his heart out was that he loved them too...more than anything.

"I'll be alright." Ace assured quietly. "And, all of it happened to me in no time at all." He chuckled slightly. "When you control time, sometimes it is easy for others to forget that it doesn't apply during the time you were actively controlling it." He smirked ever so slightly, but then grew somber again.

"At any rate... It is possible for more gates to open...so I must be ever vigilant and detect them before they can lay waste to any more of the human realm. Or else it will dissolve in darkness as the Forest of Beginnings has, but much, much faster."

He paused, then sat down, calmly accepting the embraces of Samuel and Hoshiko for as long as he dared before sitting up straight to signal it was time for something else.

"Before we settle the Master Medallion into the Pewter Museum, we must ensure that it will not be found by whatever it was that caused the gate to open so quickly. Ace looked around for a moment and lowered his tone. "I believe that I have an understanding of what may have done this to Orre. We met it in the mountain...a creature from the darkness. A creature that _is_ the darkness, every bit as much as I am, if not more so."

Breathing out a heavy breath that ruffled Ace's fur so close to her face, Hoshiko's eyes closed. Recalling the encounter in the mountain was never a pleasant thought, but what had to be done, had to be done. And picturing what she had seen in her mind's eye, images flickered in her mind,

"Well, if we were to find this...creature, where could we start looking? The world is huge. We couldn't expect to find it back at the mountain or even here in Orre. It's already done its damage in those places. Unless you can sense it..." And pausing, pensive for a few moments, Hoshiko looked like she had an idea.

"What if we were to lure in somewhere that we wanted it? That way we could at least have some advantage against such a formidable foe. We can use all of the help we can get." Opening her eyes, Hoshiko looked to Ace to see what he thought but peeking over his neck, she was almost more interested to see what Samuel made of the idea.

By now, Samuel had managed to get his tears under control, and he'd wiped his face to hide the evidence. He was strangely silent now though, staring off into nothing and seemingly lost in thought. He idly curled one long piece of Ace's fur around his finger as he considered the possibilities.

"There must be a reason why the creature attacked Orre over Kanto and Jhoto..." Samuel decided in a soft voice, trying to piece things together. "If it came from the mountain it could have just as easily gone to either of the other two regions instead..."

Ace pondered this idea, and answered after a moment's thought. "It could be that, because Orre is a small region, it provided more of a chance that it would be left in ruin. The opening of the gate would not have destroyed all of Kanto or Jhoto...that I'm sure of... And the population of Orre, both human and pokémon, was greater than that of Kanto and Jhoto in the same square mileage, so it would have caused..." Ace's eyes suddenly went wide as his own words struck him with an epiphany, "...More destruction."

His whole body went stiff and it appeared as if a light had gone on somewhere. "The gate had to be opened here because of the concentration of monsters in such a small area and the connection they had to the people they were living with. It was the perfect condition..."

Listening carefully to the motives of the dark creature, Hoshiko tried to ponder what exactly might be its next move. "So...then what you're saying is, it targets places where the number of pokémon is greater than the number of humans and they're all together in close concentration?" She knew it was a stupid question to ask but she just wanted to be sure that she had everything clear.

"Because if that's the way that it works, then there would be a possibility that it might end up in a region similar to Orre or even somewhere in Kanto or Johto that is either holding some sort of pokémon related event where it could cause some sort of mass devastation. Going between condensed situations might even be to its advantage. It would get people up in arms enough to create a lot of turmoil." Shaking her head though, Hoshikio chastised herself. "It's not like I really understand anything about this though. I guess I'm just thinking out loud. I can only hope that it helps."

Ace's eyes darted from one side to another as he racked his brain. His brow furrowed tightly and he answered Hoshiko without hesitation.

"It would make perfect sense to open a gate in a region where the number of pokémon is very high. That would explain why the gate in Tartarus opened up, and it would explain why the gate here formed as well." He looked over at Hoshiko with a stern look on his face. "Pokémon are bearers of the darkness. We are storehouses of power...reservoirs, so to speak. For the creature to open up a gateway he'd need massive amounts of dark matter... and he could glean it from a large number of monsters..."

Ace tensed and continued. "If that's the case, then you're right, Hoshiko. He will probably strike again, and it will probably be in a location where there are a lot of monsters...and a lot of humans..." Ace's white teeth flashed and his eyes glinted with a ferocity that only Samuel had ever seen in them. His mission would be compromised...by pokémon and the humans that loved them.

Considering what Ace was saying and what her idea had been on the next location that might be attacked, Hoshiko tried to figure out their best way to uncover where it might happen.

"Wait..." She reached into her bag and pulled out a thick handbook, holding it up for Ace and Samuel to see. "I picked this up when I was in Kanto. Before I even met up with you guys." Flipping it open, Hoshiko started to look through the pages searching furiously for information.

"No. Nuh uh. Hmmm, no." She kept looking until finally she stopped, pressing her finger against the page, tipping it so that Ace and Samuel could see. "...I wonder if maybe this would be where it's headed next."

On the page, where Hoshiko kept her finger tensely pressed was a full page color ad. It appeared to be advertising some sort of event. The words on the page were clear for all to read.

_"Come One, Come All! The First Annual Friendship Tournament of Kanto and Johto.__  
__This is an invitation to all Pokémon Trainers from both regions of Kanto and Johto to meet for the largest event between the two regions. As a symbol of the neighboring regions' friendship we will be holding a Pokémon Tournament for trainers of all ages and skill levels. There will even be a Super Star Battle Royale between the Gym Leaders of all Gyms in Kanto and Johto. Come and experience the flavors of both unique regions with an event that highlights the sight, sound and tastes from our beautiful regions! It's a festival for Pokémon Trainers young and old!"_

Before Hoshiko even looked to see where the event was being held she looked up at Samuel and shook her head slowly.

"That spells trouble..."

Samuel nodded slowly in agreement, coming over to where his friend was standing and leaning over Hoshiko's shoulder to read the flier once she was done presenting the first part. There was no arguing Hoshiko's reasoning. This was the _perfect_ place for the next gate to open, _if_ Ace's theory was true.

"We'll have to go there and try to head off the attack, somehow. Right Ace?" He lifted his head and looked at Ace, but then froze. The anger on Ace's face was unmistakable, and there was a low growl forming in the back of his throat.

"I've let it go on far too long." The big white dog scraped the ground with his claws. "I was supposed to have the Chosen ready before this happened. Now it may be all but too late." In frustration, he snarled, letting out a loud grunt and gnashing his teeth at the air. "I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands now...before this ends the human world as we know it."

"Ace?" Samuel asked, hesitantly.

The big white dog whipped his head around to look at Samuel, and he growled. The young man took a step back, holding up his hands submissively. "Hey, take it easy. We're here to help you, remember?"

Ace's expression fell, and he ceased his threatening posture. Yet the look on his face told only one tale: frustration, uncertainty, and sadness.

"We'll see for just how long..." The canine said as he quietly eyed Samuel.

As Ace's frustrations seemed to grow Hoshiko wished she could trade places with Samuel who was behind her. But instead she just swallowed her fear and looked up at the creature with a nervous tilt to her brow. She took a step back, staring at Samuel for a moment.

What bothered her most was Ace's curious response. The girl shook her head and looked back down at the book, obviously offended by Ace's comment but unwilling to say anything to him. She simply held out the page for Samuel to look at again. "It starts tomorrow." She said softly, glancing up at Ace for a second before looking back at the page.

"...So that doesn't give us much time to prepare." She looked worried. "I'm just glad it didn't start yesterday."

Samuel gently took the page from Hoshiko's hand and he read it, confirming her announcement.

"We'd better get going then." Samuel sighed, handing it back to her. "No time to rest. We've got to get down to where this convention is to be held. We'll decide how to proceed when we get there."

He took a few steps forward, walking around Hoshiko so that he was by Ace's side again. He buried his fingers in the wolf monster's thick mane. "You're always telling me that if I knew the whole story I wouldn't want to help you. And while I wish you _would_ tell me what exactly it is that you're getting us into, I still want to be by your side...forever..."

Ace looked at Samuel solemnly for a moment, but his expression was difficult to read. He may have been grateful for the comment, but he also seemed skeptical. "We'll see..." He said, lying down so that both of his passengers could climb aboard again. "Hang tight... and prepare yourselves. We may be facing the most painful experience you've both encountered yet."

Hoshiko tucked the book back into her bag and waited a moment before she mounted Ace's back, waiting for Samuel to climb on too before she said anything. Once in place, she held tight Ace. She sighed and considered the warning that he had given.

"...Well, whatever comes, I'm not quitting." Hoshiko said with certainty before she leaned a bit closer to Samuel and spoke softly in hopes that Ace might not hear her.

"But I can't say that I'm not scared. But don't tell Ace. I wouldn't want him to know..." She breathed out heavily. "But I'm not too sure what's worse then Osamu..." And closing her eyes Hoshiko lets the breeze blow through her hair. "Even if I'm scared though, I'm not going to leave. Remember, I have to keep an eye on you and make sure you keep that promise. Those kids in Olivine are depending on you Samuel. And that's why we're going to make it through this. So that we can be around and they can be around...It's all got to do with a promise and as long as we have a will, a promise can never be broken."

Samuel stared straight ahead as the large creature under him got up and took off running. The wind in his face didn't wash away his concerns, but the young man heard every word that Hoshiko whispered to him. Slowly, he reached his hand back and grabbed for Hoshiko's, hoping to offer some reassurance.

Truth be told, he was afraid too, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He'd been through too much with Ace and Hoshiko to just quit at a moment's notice. The mission Ace had pursued had never been easy, Samuel knew, but he also felt that he could help at least a little.

He was determined to do exactly that.


	12. I Am A Monster

**Chapter 12: I Am a Monster**

Sunrise from hundreds of feet above the treetops glowed brighter than from any place it shone on the ground. Pinkish streaks of light painted across the sky led to the warm golden light creeping up from the horizon behind the mountains. Everything was bathed in that fine, surreal light and washed with a fresh, clean morning mist.

They drew close now to their destination, but the journey had been a silent one. The solemn nature of what had happened to Orre left a dark cloud hanging over them even as they soared on through sunlit skies. Samuel, although sleepy, was in deep thought as he watched the scenery roll by. He wondered just why on earth Ace would ever contend that he might leave him. He personally couldn't imagine it. They'd been together so long—forged as strong a bond as any monster could with any human, and to suggest Samuel would just walk out was nonsensical.

In the distance they could see silver specks shining like tiny mirrors in the rising sun. Samuel knew that it was to be the location of the convention, and in a way he was excited about visiting; big events were always fun for a trainer. However...he knew that they would need to be on guard, and actively trying to find a way to stop the dark creature from staging his assault on the unsuspecting humans.

Looking over his shoulder, Samuel realized that Hoshiko must have fallen asleep, or else she was just being as quiet as he was. Gently, he tried to nudge her to get her attention.

"Hey..." He said softly "We're almost there."

Now, Hoshiko had been awake most of the night, thinking, considering everything that had happened between when Samuel had dropped off her bag at her home in Ecruteak to the present moment. It had been a long night, but one that she needed to organize all of the moments and to see just how far she had been able to come with Samuel and Ace's help.

However, by the time that Samuel had nudged her, Hoshiko had fallen asleep balancing herself with arms draped over Samuel's shoulders and her head on his back. It was obvious at first that she didn't want to wake up, mumbling protests like a young child would. But once she realized it was Samuel, Hoshiko forced herself to wake up, although her eyes showed that she was still half asleep.

"Mmmm, Samuel..." She looked below them to see the grounds of the convention creeping ever closer. "Wow...that seemed to take...forever...and no time at all."

Taking her arms off of Samuel, she straightened herself on Ace's back and tried to take a better look at the festival. As it came up and stretched out below them, its true expanse welcomed them to glorious commotion unrivaled. Among the crowds, numerous stands poked up like bright pieces of candy, begging consumers nigh.

"I want to get new clothes there." Hoshiko announced, laughing slightly at her own vanity.

Samuel couldn't help but laugh as well, and he smiled to himself with a soft sigh, shaking his head as he scanned the shifting crowds.

"I suppose that would be good, as long as we don't spend all day shopping. Remember, we've got business to tend to." He chuckled. "Girls and their clothes...right Ace?" He patted the big dog's shoulder, but the canine seemed distracted. It took a moment for him to respond.

"Mm...indeed. Hold tight now, we're going to land. When we get to the ground, first thing we must do is get in on the action. Then we need to keep a close eye out for disturbances. If you two want to check out some of the attractions, be my guest, but I am going to search the grounds... I need to get a full grasp on just how many people and pokémon are present."

Feeling a bit self-conscious by the way Ace hadn't taken to her comment, Hoshiko was quiet until they landed. But once she was in the midst of the excitement, Hoshiko couldn't contain herself. She watched Samuel for a second to see his response to the masses. He was smiling, and seemed fascinated. All of the colorful booths providing wares from all over both regions offered samples of different traditions and cultures. People with pokémon that Hoshiko hadn't even seen before wandered about and even engaged in friendly battles on the open green where the general public avoided walking.

"Samuel." She breathed out her friend's name, wanting to pull him into the center of everything so that they could take all of the sights in. "...Isn't it incredible?" She asked quietly, before glancing at Ace to see if he wanted them to come with him or not. She wouldn't let her excitement get in the way of their mission.

Samuel glanced at Hoshiko and nodded with a lopsided grin. He hopped off of Ace's back with ease. By now he was a pro at riding the huge beast, and he mounted and dismounted like a knight would his trusty steed. Ace didn't feel very steedish, however, and was actually a bit grumpy. He turned to Samuel and pushed his nose against the boy's shoulder, urging him to go towards the crowd.

"Head inside. I'm going to walk the perimeter and see just what we're up against. I'll find you two shortly. Don't get yourselves into any trouble. If anything seems out of the ordinary, find me before you do _anything_. If you slip up now, you both might be dead, and I really can't afford to lose you."

Samuel glanced at Ace in surprise. Even though Ace's patience was thin, the beast still felt the need to let them know of their importance to him. Even though Ace was trying to pass it off as an order more so than a friendly warning, Samuel could see right through it. He reached up and stroked the furry side of Ace's face with his thumb and grinned.

"Hey, man. Don't worry. Have I _ever_ gotten into any trouble?"

Ace frowned slightly. "Today? Or since I've known you? The answers are 'yes' and 'hell yes.'"

Samuel laughed and patted Ace's shoulder firmly. "Go on, you big goof. It'll be fine. Don't worry."

Not wasting any time now that they had the green light, Hoshiko grabbed onto Ace in a quick hug and then smiled.

"Thank you Ace! We won't get into any trouble!"

She smiled and then turned to Samuel, grabbing onto his forearm and running towards the convention. Obviously despite her proper upbringing Hoshiko had more then the ability to be a typical girl her age. Eagerly flitting from booth to booth, Hoshiko found exactly what she was looking for.

"Look Samuel! There's a clothing booth." She practically dragged him over to the stand, scanning all of the different types of clothing. She released her friend and exchanged him for a number of things off of the racks, holding them up for him to look at. "What do you think looks better?" She asked quickly, very excited.

"The skirt and top?" She held it up for him to see. "The dress? The top and pants or the top and shorts?" And standing so that she could show him all of the outfits at once, all that Samuel actually noticed were Hoshiko's eyes peeking over the clothes that she held up. "I want something to match my scarf!" Hoshiko laughed, knowing well that it was Samuel's scarf and not her own.

Samuel raised an eyebrow at Hoshiko's girlish nature. He hadn't seen much of it before, but now it was very obvious. He noticed a white cowboy hat sitting on a hat rack, and he picked it up, setting it on his head and pulling it down over his eyes for a moment to think. He smirked slightly to himself when he had an answer, and even though the hat cast a shadow over his eyes, Hoshiko would be able to see the twisted smile he offered.

"Surprise me." His top lip curled just a bit, accentuating his mischievous grin and flashing a hint of white from his teeth. He leaned against the counter.

Raising her own eyebrow at Samuel, Hoshiko looked down at the clothes and lowered them so that he could see the matching expression on her face.

"Alright, I'll surprise you." She glanced at him once more before she went running to the small closet that served as the change room, grabbing one last item off of the rack before she went inside.

While Samuel waited, he found himself a simple red scarf, much like the one he'd worn before and not too unlike the one that he'd ruined by soaking with honey. He bought it, wrapped it around his neck, and went back to waiting. It took only a few minutes before Hoshiko's head poked out of the changing room to see Samuel still waiting there.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." The girl laughed, and emerged.

She wasn't wearing any of the clothes that she had displayed. Instead, the girl came out wearing a red bikini, one that had beads decorated like pokéballs hanging on the strings that did it up.

"So, what do you think Samuel?" She asked twirling around, finding it hard to hide the laughter in her throat and the pleased look on her face.

Samuel lifted the hat from his eyes and tilted it back, expecting nothing less than the clothes she'd shown him. When he saw a _lot_ less, he lost his grip on the hat and it fell off the back of his head, landing on the counter with a quiet _flop_. He stared for quiet a bit longer than he'd intended to, and then, it utter embarrassment, he looked away and stammered.

"Yeah-I-uh..." He cleared his throat, "You-you might try the pants and the top." He slapped his hand against his forehead, covering his eyes for a moment and then dragging his hand down his face. He muttered very quietly under his breath, "Oi...if darkness won't be the death of me..." He turned around and searched for the hat he'd dropped, putting it back up on the rack where it belonged.

Covering her mouth to hide her obvious laughter at Samuel's awkward advice, she went on giggling uncontrollably. She was quite satisfied with the results actually.

"Well you told me to surprise you." The girl spoke innocently, as if she knew nothing of what she'd done. And then proceeded back into the changing room.

Coming out once more after a little more time than the last, Hoshiko was wearing the pants and top Samuel asked her to try on and brought along with her the shorts and top too, as an extra pair of clothes. On top of the pile as she approached the counter, lay the infamous bikini. Looking at her friend and laughing a bit again, Hoshiko paid for the clothing, putting it into her bag. Then tightening her scarf on her head, she nudged Samuel's shoulder.

"Thanks for shopping with me Samuel." And tilting her head, she asked him. "Where do you want to go next? I got to choose first so it's your turn now. Fair is fair!" Then giggling one last time she offered her own suggestion, which was obviously not serious. "How about the beach?" She teased.

Samuel laughed to himself. By now he'd gotten over his initial start at the surprise outfit, and so he was much more calm and collected when she went to purchase the clothes. He did notice the bikini on top of the pile, and it made him think, but he tried his best not to think too hard. He couldn't resist a snide comment, however, as they strode away from the shade of the clothing stand.

"Well if you're gonna wear _that_ to the beach..." He indicated the bikini, "Then maybe _so_." He snickered, but then cleared his throat, half expecting to be bopped.

Sure enough, as they reentered the crowd, Hoshiko turned to Samuel and punched him in the arm. Thankfully she was only kidding around, and it only made Samuel smirk, though he pretended to be in pain by groaning loudly.

"Then I'm not going to wear it, even if we do go the beach!" Hoshiko laughed and shoved him playfully.

The young man didn't mind Hoshiko's shoving, and he just laughed when she said she wouldn't wear the bikini. He honestly didn't blame her, but he couldn't help making the joke. He changed the topic with a wink.

"I'd like to look around. See what kind of stands they have." He walked along the indicated path, letting his eyes wander from one display to the next.

Hoshiko, of course, stayed right beside them, and she kept her eyes out for anything interesting as well. There were quite a few tent shops that sold small trinkets like plushies and dolls, even little statues and countless hats. Some shops kept shelves filled with medicines for pokémon. This was, after all, a place for battle.

Passing a stand that was selling onigiri, Hoshiko handed the man some money and took two of the rice balls, handing one to Samuel as they walked.

"I'm not sure the last time you ate..." She said hungrily. "But I'm starved!" And before she could say anything else she started to munch happily.

Samuel took the rice ball gratefully and took a big bite, closing his eyes in sheer delight at being able to taste food again. He hadn't eaten in a couple of days, truthfully, and he was half starved. As they ate, Hoshiko watched and simply followed along to see what stands Samuel took interest in.

They walked through the paths between the stands, finishing up the rice balls all too quickly. Hoshiko was quiet while they walked and ate, and she found more interest in watching her friend's expressions than anything. He seemed very content here, and that was something that Hoshiko hadn't truly seen in him up until now. Samuel scanned every single stand with interest, but he didn't seem drawn to any one in particular. Once he finished eating, he wiped his face with the back of his hand and revealed why.

"You know..." He said as he looked from one to another. "This place reminds me so much of home. Domus Isle is a trade and port city at the heart of Green Bays. There's stands that sell weapons, armor, food...anything you could ever imagine. It's a grand place..." His voice was hushed with awe.

"If where you come from is like this..." She looked around in mild amazement. "Then I would love to see it someday. Besides, anywhere that's your home must be a good place Samuel." She tried to imagine what Domus Isle must be like. She'd only seen it briefly from the deck of a ship, but from the look on Samuel's face it must have been ten times whatever this convention was. "Can we go there someday? I...I really want to see it now..." She tilted her head. "You have to promise to take me there!" She nodded as if making up Samuel's mind for him. "Okay?"

Samuel's attention turned away from the scene around him and he glanced at Hoshiko with a chuckle.

"Well, sure if you want to see it. I gotta go back someday anyway." He smirked. "It's a great place. They hold the scout competitions there, to test your mind, your body, and your connection with your monsters. Best scouts battle each other in the arena, with everyone watching." He laughed, "Thanks to Ace, I got the title of champ several times running. I won't be at the next scout challenge though. This whole thing about the darkness...just requires too much focus and effort." He looked up at the bright blue sky. "But that's okay. At least I know I've got skills." Samuel laughed aloud.

At that moment, as they were walking, he noticed a stand with what appeared to be different colored pokéballs. Curious, he made his way over. There was a young man and an old man there. The young man was the first to greet him, and actually reached out to shake his hand.

"Hello there, Stranger. My name is Kurt. Apricorn farming has been in my family for centuries, and we've made a tradition of creating what you folks now call pokéballs out of 'em to help with capturing monsters. Sure there's lots of methods to tame monsters, and undoubtedly everywhere you go will probably be a little different, but now that the pokéball craze is really catching on, we thought we'd try our luck at selling some of our home-grown products here, at the convention."

Samuel looked at the different colored balls, and he lifted one up to look at it, rolling it around in his palm with his fingers. Truly, he thought they were interesting, but just as when Hoshiko had shown him her apricorn ball, he felt a little defensive.

"You know... I could sue for copyright infringement." He said as he examined it.

"Well hey now, why would you do something like that?"

Samuel responded by slapping down his journal opened to the pokéball schematic. "You're looking at the co-creator of pokéballs right here, my friend. The head designer is dead now, but I don't know if he'd like people using his products and claiming them as their own."

Kurt crossed his arms. "Well, let me tell you something. No, ours may not have been as big a worldwide phenomenon as yours, as we've mostly used them in our family and shared with friends and locals. But we've been doing this in my family longer than you've been alive."

"That doesn't make sense." Samuel protested in irritation. "The technology in the pokéballs is extremely advanced. It's not a simple thing to house a pokémon in a tiny little sphere and be able to release it and call it back at a whim, you know? There's lasers and all kinds of stuff." Samuel pulled out an empty pokéball and popped it open, revealing the highly mechanized structure and the particle concentration mirrors within. "You can't just have known how to do this."

At first Hoshiko was mesmerized at the apricorn balls, to the point that she didn't really notice much else. She eyed them carefully, took one in her hand and felt it to see how they had modernized from the one that she had been given as an heirloom. And rolling it around in her hand, Hoshiko was so focused on the apricorn ball, she jumped when she heard the argument between Samuel and Kurt escalating. She almost dropped the ball she was holding, but managed to catch it and enfold it safely in her fingers.

"W-What?" She watched Samuel with wide eyes as the bickered. She tried to calm Samuel down, but her efforts were in vain. He didn't seem to hear her, and she was left to sigh and watch in defeat.

Young Kurt popped open his own apricorn ball and revealed the inner workings, which were similar to the ball that Samuel was showing off, but designed a bit differently. The reflective panels seemed to be made of some sort of glass and everything else was formed from natural things that concentrated energy just so.

Samuel glared, feeling himself getting unreasonably frustrated. "Just because you can build it with natural stuff and raw materials doesn't mean it's your idea."

"Says who?" Kurt hissed.

"Says Dr. Igor Folds, that's who."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Did you say...Folds?" He looked over at his grandfather, and the old man stepped forward with a frown.

"So, Dr. Folds is the creator of the famed pokéball is he?" The old man narrowed his eyes in scrutiny.

"Yes. Yes he is." Samuel frowned.

"Decades ago, a young man by the name of Igor Folds came to our small corner of the world. He talked to us, and he gained a fascination for our apricorn balls. We showed him how they worked. He was utterly captivated." The old man pounded his fist on the table. "And it seems to me he's the one who stole _our_ idea!"

"You've lost your mind, old man!" Samuel snapped, pointing his finger at the pokéball. How could this be? It begged the question of what sort of twisted web had gone into the creation of these machines. More and more, Samuel was beginning to think it had to have something to do with Celebi and time travel. If so, who knew what sort of weird wormhole went into creating these things? All Samuel knew was that he got the idea from that future-kid Ash and shared _his_ information with Folds. But wait...hadn't Samuel had a pokéball too? Now it was all a fog... Maybe he had and maybe he hadn't. Nonetheless, he felt the need to continue the argument. "Or else you're a rotten businessman, keeping all this stuff to yourself and then just giving it away. He's got the patent and you don't!"

"You could at _least_ give us a _mention_ when you talk about your newfangled pokéball crap!"

"I didn't even _know_ about you until recently!"

"Well that sounds like Folds' problem now, doesn't it?"

"HEY! Don't you dare talk about my mentor that wa-"

Suddenly, Samuel was cut off by a strange sound. It was coming from the arena area, where people were signing in to get registered for the matches later. The sound was almost like an explosion, but it was fairly quiet. What was louder was the screams that followed.

They were blood chilling.

Hoshiko actually did drop the apricorn ball she was holding and looked in the direction of the haunting cries rising up over the sounds of cheerful revelry. Her hand went to Samuel's forearm unconsciously, and she gripped it tight. Petrified, she turned to look at her friend.

"Samuel!" She gestured frantically towards the outline of the large convention building looming not too far off. "It's that way!" She cried, and not even looking back at Kurt and his grandfather, Hoshiko took off running for the location where the event had apparently taken place. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and her hand was slick with cold sweat, forcing her to hold tighter and tighter to Samuel's arm.

"W-What...W-What...happened!?"

Pulled along by Hoshiko, it didn't take long for Samuel to start running on his own, completely forgetting about his little spat with Kurt and the grandfather. He felt his pulse racing as they started to approach the large building where the registrations were being held. Out of the glass front doors, hundreds of trainers were crowding and spilling out into the streets, tripping over each other and crashing into stands.

Some of them were crying with tears like Samuel had never seen, tears shed streaming down their faces. Others were shouting furiously. But, every time he attempted to stop someone to get the story, nobody would talk to either him or Hoshiko. They just forced their way past and kept running.

Knowing that something was terribly wrong, Samuel's heart began hammering against his chest wall. He surged forward, forcing his way against the crowd of trainers. He had to get to the doors. Whatever was going on seemed to be happening inside.

If it wasn't bad enough to be pushing their way through the crowd of screaming and crying people, Hoshiko felt as if she could hardly breathe. Not just for how fast they're running, but because of all of the energy around them. It was stifling to feel the fear pouring off of the other trainers, and Hoshiko was only too aware that she and her friend were running towards scene that so many were running from.

But with Samuel along side of her, Hoshiko knew that there had to be some reason that they may never even know about, that would bring about some good from them witnessing whatever it was that lay in wait for the two youths. Of course right now, that seemed like an elusive and idealistic fantasy. It only got worse.

The sea of trainers got thicker and more wild the closer he got to the entry. They shoved against him like a raging stampede, pushing him back if he gave them any leeway. He fell once, and immediately feared his head would be crushed under the feet of these frightened people. Hoshiko lost her hold on him as he was torn away, but Samuel managed to grab hold of someone's arm and yank himself to his feet. He clawed his way to the door and crammed in between two bodies trying to escape.

Inside, it was even more of a madhouse. The screams were deafening and made louder by the echo coming down from the ceiling. The air had a strange, heavy feeling to it...thick and unnatural. It gave him the same eerie feeling of uneasiness that he had felt when he'd seen the exploding black orb. But this time it wasn't as intense. It was simply a lingering fear.

"What on earth?..." He asked himself aloud as more people shoved past him. Against the surging crowd, Samuel felt a hand on his arm.

He looked over and saw Hoshiko. At once, he reached for her hand and grasped it tightly so that they wouldn't be torn apart again. He struggled to move forward to get farther in, and that was when he almost slipped on a wet spot on the ground. Barely catching himself, he looked down to see what had nearly caused his fall...and was horrified to see a large puddle of red staining the cement. His heart stopped and his mind raced, and that was when he started scanning the ground all around. Now he could see what he hadn't before. There was blood everywhere, streaked across the floors and pillars.

"No..." He gasped, breathlessly.

Hoshiko found herself slipping to a sudden stop. Fortunately, despite his shock, Samuel kept his hold on her. Hoshiko clung to him for support so that she could stay standing. It was a good thing too, because when her eyes fell upon the same scene, her legs threatened to give out from under her. All at once, she wished she would never have come upon this nightmare, and she desperately hoped never to see anything like it again. As it was, she knew it would stay with her, lingering just behind her eyes, every time she closed them.

Without a thought, she gasped sharply, horrified. The girl could feel her eyes just filling with tears. Upon reflex, Hoshiko buried her face in Samuel's neck to keep from seeing what lay in front of them, her sobs muffled but her tears soaking Samuel's shoulder. She gripped onto his arm for dear life, disturbed by the dripping streaks of crimson trailing down nearly every surface and spattering the floor.

"Samuel!" She cried. "...W...What are...what can we...what can we do?" She raised her head ever so slightly to see Samuel's expression but quickly hid it again, even just to keep her nose away from the sickening scent of death surrounding them.

Samuel's shoulders were stiff with horror and disgust, but when Hoshiko spoke, he at least tried to think of _something_. Yet, his mind resisted all forms of thought. He began to realize what had happened and why so many of the trainers were upset. The nightmarish stains that streaked the building came from pokémon. And no doubt about it, as Samuel noticed for the first time, some people actually tried to carry their pokémon away, carrying limp and torn bodies hanging from their arms. The wounds were not simple battle scars. These were fatal.

"We've got to find Ace." He said, grabbing Hoshiko's arm and pulling her forward through the crowd. "We have to find him and tell him what-"

Samuel froze as an arc of lightning surged through the air over his head. The flash was so bright it caused more screaming and more panic. Startled witless, Samuel could only look to see where it had come from. And what he saw through the sea of people was far more terrifying than he could have imagined.

Trainers, by the dozens, were crowded around what could only have been Ace. He could see the white beast's gleaming armor and the tips of his ears. Judging from the shouts of the trainers, they were barking orders to their pokémon, trying to get them to fight. Unfortunately, it seemed like Ace had other ideas...and much less merciful ones...

Trying to quell the tears pouring from her eyes, Hoshiko kept wiping the wet off of her cheeks, only to realize they weren't about to stop. As her view fell upon Ace attacking the pokémon, tearing through victims as trainers haplessly challenged him en mass, Hoshiko felt her hand gripping tighter than ever on Samuel's arm. The moment was too surreal to absorb it quickly enough.

A shrill cry brought her back to reality, though, as she turned to see a little girl, who couldn't have been older than ten crying over her teddiursa who she hadn't meant to get swept into the heart of the battle. Ace loomed over the tiny pokémon and the small child's face was wrought with fear and distress.

Hoshiko couldn't stand it, not one more second. She watched as the tiny child tried to push her way through the people to get to her doomed pokémon, and all she could picture was Ace mistaking the little one for one of his targets in his fit of rage. Closing her eyes and exhaling sharply, Hoshiko let go of Samuel's arm, praying that he'd forgive her for what she was about to do.

"Samuel...I'm sorry." She said softly, wondering if he would actually hear her.

The moment Hoshiko left his side, Samuel was mortified. He tried to grab her arm and hold her back, but he couldn't catch her before she slipped into the crowd. He knew that, while Ace was generally was very gentle creature, he had the potential to be the most horrifyingly vicious creature that Samuel had ever known. Samuel struggled to chase after Hoshiko, desperate to stop her before she wound up getting herself killed.

"Hoshiko! No!"

Everything after that was a blur, Hoshiko knew she had pushed past the people, past the young girl and pushed her way into the center of the fight where teeth gnashed, claws flew, and powerful energy of every sort raged around her. She was lucky not to be killed by simple accident, but she was completely oblivious to her luck as her eyes fell on the small bear monster lying in a heap on the ground. She remembered closing her eyes as she jumped forward, grabbing the pokémon and carefully tucking it underneath her as she sprawled out on the ground. Warm, red liquid sprayed and splashed her in a fine mist as the assault roared on around her. One eye opened and the other closed against the monster blood running down her face. Hoshiko felt her tears mingling with it. Tucking her head and checking on Teddiursa, she couldn't see anything above her going on...but one thing was for sure, Hoshiko was petrified.

Ace didn't seem even remotely concerned about the fact that multiple trainers were opposing him. In fact, he managed to take them all on, encouraging them to release their pokémon to face him, knowing that, if he could not defeat them in his own power, he could defeat them with the Mark. And that was exactly what he did. Like a terrifying predator, he lunged and caught the throats of most of the pokémon, taking them down all too quickly and precisely.

The rock and ground pokémon he caught up in the power of the Mark sent them to who-knew-where...deep into the heart of oblivion through the opening of one way portals. Some of the trainers began to fall back, realizing they couldn't stop Ace. Others stepped forward to try their hand. In the midst of it all, Ace caught a glimpse of Hoshiko laying on the ground, protecting the Teddiursa. He slowly turned away from his battle and plodded over, his huge paws landing just within Hoshiko's field of vision.

"Get up." He growled slightly, although he didn't sound as fierce as his actions might have suggested he would. "And let it go. I don't want to hurt you, Hoshiko. I don't want to hurt a single human here today if I don't have to."

The girl's face rose for a moment as she could see Ace's paws with her singly open eye. She watched him for just a second before quickly hiding her face with a high pitched gasp. The girl held tighter onto Teddiursa...her heart broke inside. Hoshiko couldn't just sentence a little girl's friend to death. Her companion. This pokémon's owner's face flashed in her mind, that horrified look on the girl's face as her Teddiursa went into the fray.

"No." Hoshiko grunted, trying to make herself say the words. It was a tough decision to make; Ace seemed bent on destroying every pokémon present and so this one was no exception...But Hoshiko wasn't prepared to give in. "I won't! I can't!"

Her voice quaked with barely controlled sobbing. She kept her face was to the ground, not wanting to see Ace's intimidating frame. In the distance Hoshiko heard Samuel, still calling to her. He was scared too. Maybe just as frightened as she was, but then again, who in this situation wouldn't be afraid? It was obvious that Ace had the potential to kill her. After all most pokémon were stronger than any human physically, and Hoshiko was still weak from the beatings Osamu had given her. But the Teddiursa was afraid and crying underneath her...

"...I can't do it..." She finally said, her voice cracking.

Samuel shoved through the crowd, making a desperate attempt to defect and dissuade the few trainers that were still trying to get involved. He grabbed their arms in passing to get their attention, and he shouted as he moved through the crowd.

"Put your pokémon away! Now! And get out of here!"

"Who are you?" A voice snapped from the crowd.

"I'm on your side, okay?! Recall all of your pokémon and get away from the convention center as fast as you can! Don't even look back!"

Surprisingly, one by one, the trainers who still had living pokémon called them back and began to retreat, though all too slowly for Samuel's taste.

A low growl formed in the back of Ace's throat, but he didn't attack Hoshiko. Instead, he lowered his head and grabbed the back of her shirt between his teeth, lifting her off the ground without much difficulty at all, as if the girl was just a pup to him. A gentle jerk of his head to get Hoshiko's legs in a good position, and he set her down again on her backside, so that the teddiursa was exposed. Although shocked at how Ace had so easily lifted her off of the ground, Hoshiko didn't find it in herself to fight him while in that position. Instead, she looked back at Ace with willful but frightened defiance and held tighter to the pained monster in her arms. It's what she would have wanted if someone else was holding her pokémon in their arms. Ace took no notice. Baring his teeth, he snapped his jaws to grab it from her and yank it away.

"ACE!" Samuel's voice screamed from the crowd as at last the boy emerged from the chaos. "Let it go, Ace!"

Hoshiko wrapped her arms tight around the Teddiursa, and it was certain that Ace had grabbed onto something with his teeth, but it wasn't the pokémon he was aiming for. No, instead, he sank his teeth deep into the flesh of Hoshiko's arm. Too shocked and in too much sudden pain to even make a sound Hoshiko just stared up at Ace with her eyes spilling desperate tears.

"...Let go Ace...please...let go..." Hoshiko sounded weak and hurt...Obviously she was.

At first, Ace didn't realize that his hold was on Hoshiko, and he tried to jerk the teddiursa away from her. He wound up moving Hoshiko instead, and when he saw more tears streaming down the girl's face and felt her trembling at the burning pain shooting through her arm, Ace realized his mistake. In that instant, his mouth opened, releasing the girl and effectively letting her fall to the ground. Even as she fell and cried out one last time, Hoshiko held tightly to the small bear monster in her arms. Tiny as it was, it shared in Hoshiko's terror and stole fearful glances between its trainer and Ace. The child still watched in horror at the scene unfolding to save her precious friend. The child's tears no longer fell for Teddiursa but for Hoshiko who was trying her hardest to protect it.

Hoshiko hit the ground, carefully landing so that she wouldn't crush the small monster she protected. Looking to her arm, Hoshiko cringed at the deep marks that Ace's sharp teeth left. Her blood ran in small red rivers down to the tips of her fingers and dropped softly into the already thick pools of monster blood that she sat in. At once, Samuel was beside her, and he edged himself between her and the Incarnus.

"What the hell is your problem, Ace!? Why are you doing this?!"

When she heard Samuel, Hoshiko turned to her friend. Her eyes gazed a bit distantly at him, indicating her obvious pain, but she managed to squeak his name.

"...Samuel..."

Ace growled a response, folding his ears back. "Don't try to stop me, Samuel. It is you and all of the trainers who love their monsters that are threatening the well being of the human realm. Stand down, Boy. The last thing I want is to hurt you or Hoshiko."

"You don't have to _kill_ the pokémon to save the human realm!"

"That's where you're wrong, Boy."

Hoshiko hated all of the turmoil and death that Ace had caused. She felt like the pain in her heart might overpower the physical pain in her arm. Wanting to reach for Samuel but in too much pain to try, Hoshiko gave in and let her arm go limp. But that wasn't enough to silence her. Her voice rang out in a trembling croak, but it was enough to clearly get her point across.

"He's right, Ace! Murdering people's closest friends is no way to save them." She could only imagine how many people would be flocking to Lavender Town to lay their monsters to rest.

Ace let out an irritated snort. "You don't understand. Neither of you do. Samuel..." He closed his eyes, but the anger was still present in his voice. "Your father was right. He knew so much more than most humans could ever come to understand. He knew the truth...and it's a shame you've rejected him and that he has died. He may not have been the Chosen One...but had I known of him in time, he and I may have altered the fate of the world. So much more so than even you and I have together, Samuel."

Samuel clenched his fists, furious but even stung by a touch of jealousy. "My father was a ruthless and cruel man! He preached that monsters and humans were never meant to be close, he preached that scouting and training them was to invite doom, and he spent his whole life doing research on dark matter and how to use it to destroy all pokémon!"

"And he was in the right, Samuel." Ace's eyes opened, glowing fiercely as he stared the boy down. "Your father knew that dark matter was the source of a monster's power. He knew that all pokémon had it, and that it was this sinister darkness that threatened all of human kind. Every monster has it, Samuel. And until every monster is gone from this realm, the humans will _not_ be safe. I did not want to tell you this...I did not want to allow you to know my true mission because I knew you would not understand. But as the gatekeeper and the protector of this world, I have to do everything in my power to ensure that this land does not become like the dark world of Alefgard. I cannot allow monsters to take over, and I cannot allow humans to love them! It is the bond between humans and pokémon that threatens this land all the more. As their hearts entwine, the humans invite the darkness to come into them as well, and if it goes too far, then even getting rid of all the monsters shall never rid this world of the demon lurking within! Don't you see? You humans are destroying yourselves!"

"And who are you to say you're the monster to dole out judgment to all of the other monsters? You have darkness in you too! I've seen it with my own eyes!" Samuel glared furiously.

Ace's expression became somewhat less fierce, falling a little. He looked away for a moment. "It is the truth. But when all is said and done, and the time comes to completely free the humans from this cancerous darkness, not even I will remain. For the sake of this world, my life is forfeit."

Seeing that Samuel had Ace engaged in a conversation, Hoshiko took this as her moment to carry Teddiursa back to its owner. Getting up, which required quite a bit of effort without using her injured arm or the arm holding the small monster, Hoshiko brought the tiny bear pokémon over to the little girl who was staring up at her in awe. The small girl went to open her mouth to speak but Hoshiko was quick with her words which silenced the child.

"Here, take your pokémon, recall him into his pokéball and get out of here." She lifted the teddiursa into the girl's arms and the little one took him quickly, opening her mouth once more, but Hoshiko again beat her to it. "C'mon! Recall him."

Obeying silently the child brought her pokémon into its pokéball and before Hoshiko could get anything out the little girl got to say her piece.

"Thank you so much, Miss!" She practically cried. "I'm so sorry about your arm! This is my only pokémon, he's really special to me! I would have cried forever if that mean monster..." She couldn't dare say the rest of her thoughts, but Hoshiko understood. And smiling softly at the child shook her head.

"What? This?" Hoshiko motioned to her bleeding arm. "This doesn't even hurt! I don't see what you're so worried about. Now get out of here before something else happens!"

"Yes, Miss!" The little girl nodded, and quickly she unclipped a big pink bow that was in her hair, giving it to Hoshiko. "It's my favorite! But you can have it because you're my favorite person." And before Hoshiko could say anything, the little girl ran off, leaving the young woman with her mouth gaped open as she looked down at the bow. Tucking it into her bag, Hoshiko quickly turned back to Samuel and Ace. She saw that the argument was getting intense, and she ran to her friend's side. She'd heard enough of the argument to know what Ace was saying, and she didn't like it.

"Leave him alone, Ace! There has to be a way to save pokémon and humans alike. You're so narrow minded that you can't see that? I don't believe it!" She stood fiercely at Samuel's side. "Your mission is pointless and stupid, Ace. I hope someday you can see that."

Ace lunged at Hoshiko, snapping his jaws within inches of her face. It was not an attack, but a venting of frustration.

"FOOLISH GIRL!" He roared, "It is that very line of thought that has led us into the desperation we now face! You know _nothing_ of these matters, you who have existed for years barely extending into double digits! Whereas I, I have been around for thousands upon thousands! The centuries and millennia fade behind me, and I have seen so many that your human mind will never be able to grasp the full extent of all I have known!"

Samuel shoved himself in between Ace and Hoshiko protectively, his nose right up against the monster's as they stared each other down. "Back off, Ace!"

"No..." He growled a low warning, "Let me tell you something about why it has come to this. There were heroes, born to defend their lands and all of the people on this planet. And there were monsters, bred from blackness and sent to suck this world into nothingness, to make this land a haven for monsters alone. That is still their mission, whether you choose to believe it or not. Sweet and innocent as they seem on the outside, inside they are filled with the dark, and if the demon king so chooses he will draw it to the surface and transform them into his slaves.

"There was a hero who was meant to stop them. She defeated the demon king by drawing his spirit into a legendary and blessed sword. But she did not complete her mission to destroy him; for the sword was an heirloom of her father's and the last thing she had of him after he passed. She kept the sword, and the demon king lived on because of foolish sentiment." Ace's teeth glinted white as he pushed against Samuel, bumping the boy into Hoshiko.

"There was a young man, born of the hero, sent to the dark world of Alefgard to try to save it and purge it of monsters. He became wrapped up in his own personal love affair with a princess who had been captured by the demon king. It was as the demon had planned. So caught up was he in trying to save her, that he missed his calling of purging Alefgard, and the monsters went on living, and growing more powerful."

He butted his head against Samuel's, and his voice grew louder and more enraged. "There were yet more heroes, born of hero's descent, come to fight the demon king and free the world. I met them personally. I believed they had what it took to destroy the demon king. When they came to it, they were forced to choose who would live and who would die to seal the dark world and destroy the demon once and for all. They chose the lives of their friends over the lives of the world. And the darkness grew."

This time he shoved Samuel so hard the boy actually stumbled and fell flat on his back, finding himself looking up at Ace's fierce jaws and furious eyes.

"There was a boy named Asbel, brave beyond measure. I fought side by side with him in the body of an android named Sophie. I adored him, and many times he saved not only me but all of his friends from disaster. But we encountered the demon king, and it possessed one of his friends. At last we freed his friend from the curse of evil, but Asbel was enchanted by the demon's pitiful visions of some tragic life that made the demon what it was. It was a ploy—a play on Asbel's emotions and empathy. The demon knew he could not resist, and against my advice, Asbel offered his own body as a haven for the demon in which to live." Ace planted both feet, one at each side of his master. He narrowed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Cheridan, blood of the hero. His might was greater than all those before. He faced insurmountable odds and faced off against the demon king in a mighty and fierce war that led him to victory over the world of darkness. He had freedom within his grasp! The dark world he sealed, the demon he destroyed, but he kept the company of wild monsters that found his might appealing. When asked to send them all back to the dark world so that they would not return, he refused. And so the demon king saw that monsters and man could be used to further his plan, interweaving the two tighter...and tighter. And so the darkness grew." Now he whipped around and stared down Hoshiko.

"There was a young man named Tarn! A boy of no heroic bloodline, but the blood of an outsider, with no connection to monsters or this world in which we live. I believed it would give him the strength to do what the weak cowards of this world could not. I brought him here, hundreds on hundreds of years ago. He began to train monsters. It was the perfect chance to break through the demon king's plot, but the human heart is weak and powerless, and the demon king's will too strong and his mind too cunning to be so easily dissuaded. The boy befriended his monsters, and when the time came to slay them and all of the monsters of this world to quench the ever-growing evil threatening to take over, he refused. His foolishness caused the death of the one creature who may have yet saved us today, and allowed the darkness to grow and grow." Ace stalked closer to Hoshiko, the hair on his back rising, the fury in his eyes never ebbing.

"And there are many, many more stories just like these, the same tale of sentiment leading to failure over, and over. Do you see it now, _child_? How the weak and foolish sympathies and selfish whims of human beings have drawn this world into ever greater turmoil when everything we face now could have been stopped if just one of these humans would have made the right decision? The hard decision?! With every single failure that has come to pass, the darkness has grown more powerful, the world more tainted, and the means to cleanse it thus have become more extreme. Now the hope that we face is so drastic I daresay that neither the planet nor a single monster can be saved.

"But humans can, _if_ they will cease clinging so tightly to the very cancer that is killing you all! If one more failure occurs, the darkness will become so powerful and pokémon so entwined with humans that the evil shall spread into the hearts and souls of the people. Then, not even the humans will be salvageable, and my mission will have failed. This world will fall to the same fate as the dark world, and all in it shall become monsters. There will _be_ no more chances."

Hoshiko's face was set as stone with a passion for her own opinion no matter how opposing it was to the intimidating wolf that stood over her. She looked up at him with a fire in her own eyes.

"Oh yes, I see perfectly _clear_!" Hoshiko started, her voice filled with frustration and a hint of sarcasm. "You've made it perfectly clear Ace, that you're no better then my mother or my sisters! You're so wrapped up in the past and what you think you know that you can't even see past your nose! All you're doing is continuing on a blind mission! Who's to say you're any better than the humans you deem so selfish!? You very well may be doing work for the exact force that you're fighting! Don't you see that if you fight evil with evil and pain that there can only be one result born from it!? PAIN! HURT! You can't win peace or prosperity by using evil! You have your mind so set on this 'mission' that you can't even try and figure out a solution!" Huffing in annoyance, Hoshiko went to cross her arms but flinched she touched her bleeding arm and scowled down at the wound.

"Oh no, I would never want to irritate you Ace. Imagine, I might be getting in your way by living my own life." It might have been a little over the top but Hoshiko wasn't one to stand down when she had an opinion. "Maybe I should listen to you and let my pokémon all die and then listen to my mother and go back and get myself killed after spending years serving the every whim of a man who hates me." The tone in Hoshiko's voice was even more sarcastic and insulting then before and shaking her head her cheeks started to get redder and redder from emotion.

"CAN'T YOU SEE HOW STUPID THAT SOUNDS!? If you can't figure out a solution to the problem then you shouldn't be dealing with it! You complain to the high heavens about humans and monsters, but me, I'll never believe the bond between a human and a pokémon is wrong and I'll never believe a MURDERER when he tells me what he's doing is right."

"You will never understand. I have had all the time in the world to decide on a plan, and I have thought long and hard about what needs to be done. I have a solution to the problem that _must _be dealt with, unless you think it is all well and good to simply let the darkness seep in and destroy everything unopposed." Ace decided with a snort of disgust, taking a step back away from the girl.

"If you believe that I enjoy spilling blood, then you do not know me so well as you might think. But an infant does not know more than the wise old one who has seen the ages come and go. To me, you are an infant, and you do not have even the faintest inkling of what you say.

"An infant cries and demands its way for the small world that it lives in. But the world that it lives in is all it sees, and nothing beyond. Its own life is the only life that matters to it. The only thing it cares for are the things that are important to it, and it does not even know of the lives of others. You have much to learn, Hoshiko. And someday you will understand that I do not pursue a selfish goal. My life will end for the sake of your people, and I am prepared for that."

The large white canine sniffed at the air for a moment and looked around. Seeming satisfied, he returned his attention to Hoshiko. "And to prove to you that what I have done here today was for a purpose and that I would not have engaged in this behavior were it not, look around you."

He lifted his head and demonstrated. "I know you must have felt it when you came in. It was strong enough that humans would even find it tangible. The concentration of darkness was growing here...a gate was about to open. I glimpsed the very creature that would open it with my own eyes. But rather than attack him and enter a battle I could not win, I turned against his power source and destroyed it. It rendered him unable to open the gate, and he has left this place... Do you not see it? Do you not see that the blood that has been spilled fell to prevent another Orre? Or have you forgotten the destruction you saw there? Had I done nothing, the gate would have opened and _all_ here would have died. Humans, pokémon, you, and I. Even the trees and the grass would have perished, and the building leveled. Nothing would remain but cinder, smoke, and blackness as far as the eye could see."

He closed his eyes. "Death and pain are never easy to face, less easy to deal out. But if some must die to save the lives of millions, then it is worth the heartache. Even the tears of that little girl could be spared to save every human life in this place. She may have lost a friend, but how much more would she lose if the gate had been allowed to open? Her family. Her future. Her life. The lives of all those someday to be born from hers. One pokémon's life is not worth sparing to destroy all of that."

Samuel stepped forward now, irritated. "I sent the trainers away, and it was just as effective as _killing_ the monsters. If it's the communal gathering of large numbers of people and pokémon that the darkness needs to open more gates, then all we have to do is stop them before they start."

A laugh burst from the depths of Ace's chest, and the big dog walked towards Samuel now that the boy had gotten up. "If you think you can prevent humans from gathering and interacting with one another and their pokémon, then by all means, you are welcome to try. But you cannot be everywhere, and no matter what you do, you cannot stop every human from associating with other trainers. And then, what shall happen once you are dead and gone, Samuel? People will still come together, even after your last breath is a thousand years old. And, as time passes, more and more trainers will emerge. More pokémon will be born. It is impossible to prevent the whole world from becoming a perfect staging ground for a gate to open."

He turned to Hoshiko again. "And, I am sorry that you seem to have come to the wrong conclusion that I am serving the power that I fight with my life. I assure you, that it is not the case. I am called the Incarnus because I have died many, many times at the hands of the demon lord, whose plans I have constantly disrupted. He brings me back in hopes I shall come to serve him, but I never shall. I am not his to control. My life is my own, and I will do what I have done for millennia. I will fight against him until the day I die. I only hope that this time I am not killed before my mission is completed, for I have a sense that he will not bring me back until it is too late for me to oppose him any longer. He has labeled me a traitor, Hoshiko. I have betrayed my own kind and my own creator in trying to help the humans of this world. He has created new monsters to assist him in jobs that I once performed, because he now realizes that my power is significant and could be a threat if I came against him had he no protection. No. I do not serve him. And if you suggested to his face that I did, he would have a hearty laugh before he obliterated you in a pillar of blackness."

At first, Hoshiko didn't say anything but she still had the same stubborn look on her face that she had when she was arguing. The girl didn't like to get lectured, on any topic, but especially over the matter of pokémon and their trainers. She still didn't believe that Ace's way was truly how to fix the problem and preferred Samuel's method of trying to find an answer instead of taking away pokémon altogether.

"Well, I don't care what you say." She stated. "I'm going to prove to you that there's another way. You're only seeing one side of the coin, there's a whole other part of this story that still needs to play out and I'm not going to stand by and let you kill helpless pokémon whether or not you believe it to be a noble task." And shaking her head, Hoshiko wiped a bit of blood from her face, looking at it for a second, as if she was reflecting on it's meaning, "You'll see. This isn't over yet. History is in the past, and it's time to add our own chapter to this story. I for one am not going to sit back and let it be written in blood."

Then turning to Samuel, the girl gave an exasperated sigh. "Can I have some of your herbs Samuel? I'm sorry to ask...I know I've been taking a lot of them...I promise, when I can I'll get you some more." She smiled weakly at her friend.

Ace frowned, but stepped back more to allow Samuel to approach Hoshiko and give her the herbs. He sighed and shook his head.

"I have seen the sides of every coin in this wallet, and trust me...to keep pokémon around is to forever preserve the life force of the demon king...no matter how hard you try to make it not so. You cannot undo the fact that they are his creations, born to contain his essence until he calls upon them. The demon king has been defeated in the past, but has always come back because the power of his monsters sustains him." Ace turned away slowly, and started walking off, but he gave pause, not looking back. "You cling to the same hopes that the people who were meant to save this world clung to. Had they simply done what needed to be done, we would not be having this discussion. Sometimes, whether you like it or not...there is only one solution. But...I suppose that is why you are not the chosen ones..."

Samuel gritted his teeth, and as he handed Hoshiko an herb, he looked over at Ace with a scowl. "You're a monster."

"Why yes." Ace finally looked back over his shoulder at Samuel. "Yes, I am. I am glad to see you have finally noticed. And because that is what I am, as soon as all of my brothers are dead, it will be my turn. I embrace the day that I will meet destruction with my own and not return from it...for that will mean I have at last succeeded. But before that can happen...I must find the Chosen." He turned and continued walking away.

As Ace walked away, Hoshiko snapped back, determined to have the last word whether he heard her or not.

"Yeah! You walk away!" She seethed. "Samuel has done a ton for you and all you can do is act like that!" Her voice blended her anger with hurt. "Some friend you are!" And pursing her lips Hoshiko's head dropped remembering how tightly both she and Samuel had embraced Ace not so long ago.

How could this end like this? How could it happen like this way?...

But comforting Samuel was more important, and so the girl turned her head away from Ace in disgust and back to her friend. She tried to find words that might make him feel even just a little better, but she couldn't think of anything. Hoshiko only looked sympathetically at Samuel as he gave her the herb. Quickly, the girl placed it on her tongue and hoped it would work faster than usual at dulling the pain in her arm. As she chewed the bitter leaf, she slowly placed her right hand on Samuel's shoulder and squeezed gently.

"I'm...sorry Samuel...I know this is harder for you then it is for me..." She whispered gently, wanting to take care that she didn't cause him any more stress.

Samuel simply stood still now, watching Ace go. Inside, he felt like he was dying, but he tried so hard not to let it show outwardly. He wanted to call out...but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want the company of a killer. He felt Hoshiko's hand on his shoulder, but the feeling didn't bring him any real comfort. He went on watching Ace, his throat tightening. And then Ace stopped. Although he did not turn around, he called out clearly to them, his voice distant and too painful a reminder that Samuel couldn't simply reach out and pull him back.

"We have done much for one another, but it is not I who refuse to continue on with him as my partner." The tone of Ace's voice was low...and almost sad. "I think you will find if you look inside yourselves, that it is you who have rejected me. And if ever you choose to find me again...if ever you choose to work beside me, now knowing the painful truth behind my mission, then I shall not refuse your return. But I do not think you...either of you...shall ever find it in you to forgive me for the treachery that I must commit. It is but a necessary evil. Yet it is one that I had known would turn all but the chosen away from me." He gave more paused, and then added softy,

"I will not bid you farewell...my Samuel... For as much as my heart pains that I must now go, and as much as my wisdom reminds me that I should not foster the sort of feelings that I do for you, I do indeed find that I love you." He shook his large white head slowly. "Despite myself, it is all that I can do. I will not let that get in the way of my duty...but I will allow it to leave the door open to you, should you ever choose to return to me..."

Samuel couldn't bring himself to answer, knowing that if he did, his voice would break and he would be all tears and rage. Silently, he stared off in the distance and wished that he could start the day over...but even then, he knew it would have ended the same.

Hoshiko knelt down beside Samuel after he didn't say anything to her, or anything at all for that matter. She still didn't like the way Ace was acting no matter how he tried to make it sound noble. If he really meant all of the things that he was saying then he would work harder to prove history wrong instead of bending to conform. There was always two paths in Hoshiko's mind...but Ace wasn't willing to even try and find another avenue.

"And Hoshiko," Ace's voice addressed her now. "Do not be so quick to decide that you know what is right. You are a bright young girl, but you are unwise. Wisdom will only come with time and experience. You have not experienced enough yet to know the severity of the situation which now lies before you... But some day you will. And some day I hope that you will pass your wisdom on to the people who need to know it most..."

At first, it was hard for Hoshiko to say anything at all. She stayed beside Samuel, trying to comfort him, but Ace's words echoed hollowly in her mind. Finally, she did speak up.

"Well, if you stop playing the martyr then maybe I'll try to wisen up...but I wouldn't bet much on either of us Ace." Hoshiko replied to the dog before turning back to her friend, she could see in his face how emotional he was and even if Hoshiko wanted to get him to talk it wasn't up to her to make it worse on him. And that was the last thing she wanted to do anyways.

"You don't have to say anything Samuel..." She whispered gently. "...I'm just going to be here..." She slowly sat down beside him, as Samuel sank to the floor and folded his hands wearily in his lap. Hoshiko was only thankful that her wound had stopped bleeding. "I'm not going to go anywhere, take all the time you need." And patting his back gently, Hoshiko tried to control her own emotions. "...If you need me, when you need me...you just let me know." And grasping Samuel's hand with a gentle but firm hold, Hoshiko only hoped that he would be able to find strength in her presence.

Feeling let down, feeling betrayed, feeling hurt by the people that were closest to you. It felt terrible; it was a great time of need. And Hoshiko knew that all too well. All that Samuel saw for the longest time was Ace at last walking away, leaving them to sit inside of the building among the blood splattered pillars and floors, pieces of torn flesh and monster fur lying in grotesque clumps amid the crimson wash.

People were entering from the outside now. Police officers, from the looks of their uniforms, but they didn't seem to notice Ace for some reason or another. Perhaps he was just another monster. They simply began roping off the scene and investigating the crime. As Samuel sat in a daze, they came over and hauled him and Hoshiko to their feet, leading them out of the building for questioning. But when asked if Samuel knew who had done this, all he could do was shake his head.

It wasn't until the police approached Hoshiko that the girl spoke a word, although she sounded sad and distressed. Of course the authorities wanted to know who or what had attacked her. Judging from the bite marks, it was a monster, but it could have been any monster, commanded by any human.

Taking her arm gently into his hand, one officer looked Hoshiko over, questioning her. "What did this to you Miss?"

"I don't know..." Hoshiko said, barely audible.

"...The marks make it look like a bite from some sort of pokémon..." He said, seeing if he could jolt her memory.

"It was an Arcanine...I think. Yeah, I think it was an Arcanine, it looked like one anyways. It was probably because I somehow got caught up in the fighting; it probably mistook me for something else." She was still very quiet. "Are we done?"

"..." Not wanting to let her go yet, but seeing that she was stressed, the man nodded slowly. "Yes, yes of course..." He let Hoshiko's arm go and then sighed. "There are some medics on hand that can take care of your arm...I'd suggest it."

"Thank you." Hoshiko said respectfully, standing to go back and sit beside Samuel, the police officer sending a medic to go with her. Hoshiko of course explained her need for natural medicine but the doctor didn't seem to want to listen and after wrapping her arms he drew a needle out from inside of his bag.

"I think I'd better give you a shot, you don't know what kind of diseases that pokémon might have passed to you."

"No." Hoshiko said decisively. "I won't take chemicals..." She replied, annoyed.

"You're taking it whether you like it or not." He said annoyed and stuck the needle in her arm and quickly Hoshiko tried to pull it out, casing a power struggle between her and the doctor.

Samuel slowly came out of his daze as he noticed Hoshiko struggling, and although his first instinct was to fight off the doctor, he realized what was going on. He could have easily explained that Ace was not a diseased creature, but then he would have a lot of explaining to do. And, more concerning, was Hoshiko's well being. The more she struggled the more she risked injury. Samuel put his hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her, drawing her close to himself and somehow managing to keep his voice steady.

"Hoshiko...It's alright. Don't fight him, you'll hurt yourself. That stuff isn't artificial anyways." He allowed his scientific nature to take over, "It's a natural substance called interferon that blocks viral infection. Our bodies produce it naturally, but sometimes doctors just like to give it an extra boost in case of dangerous exposure to disease..." He looked away. "That's all. I know because they use it to treat all monster bites."

At first Hoshiko didn't want to calm down, much to the dismay of the doctor who was still trying to get the girl to take the needle, neither of them being very careful in the process. But as soon as Hoshiko heard Samuel's voice, calmly explaining to her what it was that she was about to get injected with, Hoshiko stopped struggling and looked back at her friend.

"Are you sure, Samuel?" But before she could get an answer, he already was holding her gently but at the same time firm enough that she didn't want to fight him.

He sat down on the ground and pulled Hoshiko into his lap to help hold her still so that she wouldn't wind up causing herself a severe injury with the needle. Sadly, and as much for comfort as for the practicality of restraint, he laid his head on top of hers and closed his eyes. Quietly, he began to recite the scout pledge he had taken so long ago while on Infant Isle. He'd memorized it by now, just as he'd memorized the moment when he first saw Ace in that very same shrine.

He hated to believe that all this time he'd been helping a creature with the same intentions as his father. But even though he was furious...he couldn't help but wish there was some way he could have brought himself to continue on with Ace.

With Samuel's chin on the top of her head, Hoshiko understood instantly that he was sure of what he had said and would never lie to her. And even if the needle didn't hurt and she was at peace with the situation as the doctor administered the needle, Hoshiko found herself crying softly just from how sad Samuel sounded as he murmured words of honor and courage. Suddenly, she felt sad too.

After the needle stick was over with, the doctor stood and patted Samuel on the back.

"Thanks kid, I hope everything works out okay for you two...I understand that this was a pretty traumatic event..." And nodded the man took his leave. Only then did Hoshiko find it in herself to release a few small sobs.

"Thank...you...Samuel..."

Samuel didn't let go of Hoshiko, but spoke in a soft voice, trying to soothe her. He lifted one hand and smoothed her hair with it as he whispered.

"You're welcome..." He glanced up at the doctor quietly. "And thank you. I'll make sure she gets any additional treatment she needs..." With that, he gently released his friend and looked at her. The expression on his face was more pitiful than he realized as he slowly stood up and helped Hoshiko to her feet as well.

"We'll be alright..." He said, hoarsely. The words were hard to choke out, but he wanted to believe them badly enough that he had to hear them...even if he needed to be the one to speak them. "I don't know where we're going to go next..." He admitted, "But we'll figure something out..."


	13. Prisoners

**Chapter 13: Prisoners**

_I can't believe it's already been a week._

Hoshiko thought to herself, watching fine bubbles drift to the surface of the clear water as she stared at the intricately tiled floor beneath her feet. Toes barley touching the bottom, the girl looked up to the sunlight streaming down and creating light patterns on the water surrounding her on all sides.

_It still feels like only yesterday._

Feeling her chest constricting, Hoshiko kicked her legs, emerging from the water with a splash and taking a deep gulp of air as she did. Her eyes scanned the edge of the pool, lined with lush landscaping, thick, green, and favored by the people in Cerulean City. After the events at the convention, the two decided that without somewhere to really go they needed a break from all of the troubles both their lives had been given.

As she looked around, Hoshiko finally eyed what she had really been looking for, apart from cool shade trees and beautiful sky. It was Samuel, and he sat in a lounging chair by the side of the pool. Swimming over to the side where he was, Hoshiko stared up at him, only a pair of shoulders and a soaked head above the water.

"Why don't you come in, Samuel? You can't be enjoying yourself much just sitting there like that"

She replied, pulling herself up a bit more so that her elbows rested on the side of the in-ground pool. As she hovered there at the edge, water dripping from her skin, it was impossible not to notice the same bikini that she had bought from the shop in the convention.

Samuel, sprawled out in the sun with nothing by a pair of baggy red swim trunks, his earrings, and a pair of dark sunglasses on, slowly sat up when Hoshiko called out to him. He leaned forward just enough so that he wouldn't be looking right into the sun when he lifted the glasses from his nose.

He had been dwelling, perhaps too intently, on the recent days. He felt terribly lonesome without Ace, even though he did have Hoshiko. The girl was a great comfort, but every now and then he couldn't help reflecting on everything Ace had said. He didn't understand it, but he knew Ace was a wise and very intelligent monster. He had never been one to take unnecessary risks or do anything that did not have a purpose. He had known Ace longer than Hoshiko had, and because of that, he knew Ace's character. The monster was not the most friendly creature, but he was dedicated to his duty and to protecting humans with his life.

It was harder for him than for Hoshiko for so many reasons. He had witnessed what darkness could do to a human being, and had seen how it truly could utterly transform them into horrific creatures too corrupt and hateful to save. He had seen how much effort it took simply to fend off one bout of oncoming darkness, and he had seen how all monsters did indeed respond to dark matter in strange ways. But in the same token that he believed Ace very well could have a point, he desperately wanted to believe that Hoshiko was right. That there _was_ another way. He did _not_ want to believe that his father was in the right for his beliefs. He'd never agreed with his father, and to think that Ace would, horrified and angered him.

Torn inside, it was difficult for him to enjoy himself, but he had no intention of letting Hoshiko know that. When she swam over and he looked at her, he offered a bit of a smirk.

"You _really_ want me to swim?" He asked, "Even though I might show you up and make you look like an amateur?"

Whether Samuel knew it or not, Hoshiko had perceived how torn he was over the situation, and it was hard to know what to do. Trying to cheer Samuel up by getting his mind off of what had happened in the past week was all she could think of, and despite how he would act around her, Hoshiko knew better. She'd seen him when he thought she wasn't looking or listening.

And in a way, even if she understood that he was sparing her feelings, it made Hoshiko feel bad. They were friends, which meant she had hoped he would be able to rely on her in times of need. Then again, that was just what Hoshiko assumed happened between friends. It wasn't that the girl had ever been an expert on the topic by any standards.

No matter what, though, she would keep up her efforts and hope that it might at some point make Samuel forget, even for a moment about Ace and all of the sadness he was holding inside. So, smirking at Samuel the same way he had her, the girl dove underwater for a moment, coming up and splashing him with as much water as she could manage.

"You'd better come in and prove yourself, pretty boy!" Hoshiko laughed mischievously. "Talk is cheap, I want to see how good you really are a swimming."

Knowing that Samuel was probably much better at the sport then she was, Hoshiko was willing to play along. It was just another part in her efforts to try and lighten the weight that seemed to loom over them.

"Pretty boy?!"

Samuel laughed slightly as he held up his hands and arms to block as much of the incoming water as he could. Naturally he failed, and got soaked anyways. At which point he realized he might as well just go swimming and forget about staying dry altogether. Standing up, he walked to the edge of the pool and looked down.

"Now see here; I'm not one of those guys who muss and fuss over their hair, and their clothes and I don't have a throng of screaming fangirls, or a band, or anything else that constitutes being a 'pretty boy.' I'm hard core. I'm the real deal." And, as if to prove it, he dove in from the edge and popped up in time to splash Hoshiko back. "I'm the guy that the pretty boys are scared of." He grinned evilly.

Screaming and laughing as Samuel splashed her, Hoshiko raised an eyebrow at him after she was finished battling away water and wiping her eyes.

"I'm not so sure about that." She placed a finger on her chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. But she didn't waste any time in going back under the water and swimming up behind Samuel, grabbing his back and pulling herself up, piggy back. She wobbled and swayed, and they probably both would have toppled over within moments if the water hadn't made it easier for Samuel to balance his own weight adding Hoshiko's on top.

"I don't believe you, Pretty Boy!" Hoshiko finally sang. "If all the other pretty boys are scared of you, then why shouldn't I, but a gentle and refined woman, not be terrified of such a person?" Hoshiko loved being dramatic and it was always fun teasing Samuel even if she hadn't.

Awkwardly adjusting to the extra burden, and glad that Hoshiko wasn't heavy and that the water made her even lighter, Samuel gripped the girl's legs. Unable to help himself, Samuel laughed as he started walking forward, carrying her as he went.

"Refined and gentle women do not jump on the backs of men, and they do not punch men in the shoulders either." He protested with a snicker. "Refined women serve tea and cakes, and walk around with parasols. They always speak with proper grammar, and they address men as 'sir' and 'mister.' And they certainly do not accuse hard core guys like myself of being pretty boys."

He laughed harder, and tried to go under the water, so that he would dunk Hoshiko in the process before she could retaliate. But he wasn't fast enough to catch her before she spouted more silliness.

"Alright then, Sir. After we're done with our recreation time, I shall have you over for tea and cake, where I shall wear a proper dress and serve you proper tea and sugared candies!" And hiding another laugh, Hoshiko donned her best proper English voice, which for a girl with an Asian accent sounded pretty funny. "And I won't forget my parasol, so that I can whack you in the arm with a few times for good measureeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Hoshiko shrieked at the end of her sentence as Samuel at last threw her into the water playfully to get her to cease teasing. She waited a moment before coming back up, but as soon as she did the girl raised her hand and punched Samuel in the arm.

"And proper gentlemen don't throw refined ladies into the pool!" And making one last mischievous look at her friend, Hoshiko added. "That's something only pretty boys can do!"

Samuel tossed his head back to get his wet hair out of his eyes, and his shoulders shook slightly as he tried unsuccessfully to stifle a bit of a chuckle. Reaching up, he used his hands to smooth his hair back so that it lay relatively flat against his head.

"Never said I was a proper gentleman. But if rogues aren't allowed to throw girls in swimming pools, I suppose I'm in trouble again. As is proper. For a rogue." He smirked at her and splashed her playfully. "If pretty boys are your type though, I can hook you up with one. All we have to do is set up a mirror under a tree. I'll wait in the branches and drop a net on him when he comes over to comb his hair. You pounce, and viola! You have yourself a pretty boy. Sorry to say I can't do wedding ceremonies though. They were fresh out of ordained minister plaques when I applied for one."

He quickly ducked under the water, thinking it would be a wise move in case she tried to punch him again for _that_ one.

"Oh well, that's too bad because I was all ready to find myself a pretty boy!" Hoshiko shouted so that Samuel could hear her despite being underwater. "One that knows how to treat a woman like she deserves and doesn't throw her into the pool."

Hoshiko followed menacingly after Samuel as the boy tried to slip away. She dove after him and swam in hot pursuit. When she was in range, she reached for his arm. Smirking to herself she curled her fingers tightly around him, and despite the fact that it wasn't much of a punch because of the barrier of water, Hoshiko wouldn't let that stop her. She went to punch Samuel and suddenly burst out laughing even though submerged giggles leave you for a want of air with bubbles exploding from your mouth.

Samuel tried even harder to escape after being "punched." As a result, he wound up towing her along with him. He rolled onto his back while under water, and he could see her through the shafts of light and the sea of fine bubbles that resulted from him thrashing. Samuel had to try unbelievably hard not to laugh himself. He grabbed both of her arms, one in each hand, and swam upwards, forcing Hoshiko out into the air so that she could breathe. He popped up underneath her, naturally, holding her above his head. At which point, he could not hold back his humor anymore.

"You crazy girl!" He laughed as he gasped for air, "Just because I'm not a pretty boy after all is no reason to try and drown yourself."

Hoshiko couldn't hold back the hysterics, even after she had reached the surface and was gasping for air between her laughter. Inside it felt like she might burst just from all of the laughs she still had inside. Between her and Samuel, there wasn't any comedian that could ever top them, at least not in her mind. Still laughing and kicking her feet to try and make Samuel let her go, Hoshiko looked down at him.

"If you don't let me go, I'll drown both of us!" She smirked. "But I'd hate to make the world lose one more pretty boy!" And giving one last high pitched laugh, Hoshiko noticed that people around the pool in the resort were noticing the ruckus that two of them were causing.

A twisted smirk turned up the corners of Samuel's lips and after a moment he answered Hoshiko.

"So you STILL think I'm a pretty boy, hm? I don't know how to prove to you that I'm not, but in the meantime, I'll happily oblige to let you go."

And with that, he literally dropped her into the pool, as she cried out with shocked humor. Samuel swam backwards—where she sunk with a huge splash—while keeping an eye out where she had submerged. Hoshiko struggled to find him, but in the turmoil of the water, she simply couldn't, and was forced to come back up for air.

Samuel may not have understood Hoshiko's reasoning behind calling him a pretty boy, but that was not to say that he wasn't _very_ amused. After he reached the wall, he decided to go under again and try to sneak up on Hoshiko. If he could catch her off-guard right when she bobbed back up, he was sure he'd get a good laugh out of it. Bending his legs tightly, he kicked off of the wall to propel himself forward faster, diving underwater in the process. He didn't hear Hoshiko when she resurfaced and looked around in bewilderment.

"Samuel? Samuel where are you?" She called out between giggles and gasps.

All of the sudden, something grabbed Hoshiko at the waist from behind, pulling her under abruptly. Through white clouds of bubbles, Hoshiko saw Samuel as he spun her around to face him. He grinned mischievously through the water, his hair floating untamed and shimmering lines of white dancing across his face from the light coming down from above.

Using his feet to continue propelling the both of them forward, he managed to swim downward deep enough to pin Hoshiko to the bottom of the pool. Naturally he had no intention of holding her there for too long, but he allowed himself just a small moment to amuse himself. He was curious to see what she would do in response to his particularly bad behavior. He knew he deserved a good punch in the arm once they popped up again, but he wouldn't have been himself if he let that stop him from messing around. The look of shock on Hoshiko's face was simply too good to miss.

With rather fluid movements and a considerable amount of strength and deftness to fight against the water, he managed to almost literally sit on her. Naturally, the low density of their bodies compared to the water started to bring them up off the floor of the pool the moment he stopped kicking, but to hold onto her he wrapped his legs around her much the way a cowboy would hold himself on an unpredictable rapidash. He kept his hands on her sides, so that he could allow her to use both her hands and her feet to get back to the surface and catch a breath, but he completely stopped doing any of the work.

Hoshiko's seemed to lose her amusement rather quickly. Once to the bottom of the pool, her face developed an expression of anger, as if she wanted to shout at him. Hoshiko was annoyed at the fact that she couldn't. Instead the girl started to kick her legs hard as they both began to rise.

Hoshiko started to bring herself, along with her hitchhiker, back to the top of the pool, not caring whether or not Samuel was helping. He would get his when they got back to the surface. And as she emerged from the water with Samuel still holding onto her, Hoshiko turned violently to shake him off faced Samuel furiously.

"I'LL KILL YOU SAMUEL OAK!" And of course, the first and very predictable thing she did was reach for his arm with a rough punch, harder then she had done since the two had met. "You could have killed us both!" She glared at him. "Don't be so reckless!" And for good measure she gave him another punch...And one last one, for even better measure.

Samuel flinched and instinctively turned his face away from her, wondering if this was what meat felt like when you took a tenderizer to it. The first hit he didn't respond with words, but upon receiving additional blows, he was sure to protest.

"Ow! Hey, now that's enough. I wouldn't have-ow!- let you get hurt!" He smirked, and even though his shoulder was thoroughly tender from the pounding, his smirk barely wavered when he looked back at her. "You're fine, I promise." He laughed, amused by her dramatic if not somewhat violent reaction.

He supposed for his own safety he should _probably_ swim _away_ from Hoshiko, but he wasn't always one for common sense, so instead he blatantly continued to hold onto her with his legs, while freeing up his hands to push their hair out of his face and rub his now sore arm.

"Besides, I'm teaching you useful survival techniques." He laughed at himself.

Still profoundly infuriated at Samuel, Hoshiko raised her fist to punch him again holding her arm in the air for a moment. "That is _not_ survival technique! That's me having a weirdo for a friend!"

And instead of punching Samuel, the girl pushed him away from her and turned so that her back was to Samuel with her head raised indignantly. She crossed her arms and let out a little huff. The only thing was that Samuel couldn't see Hoshiko develop an uncanny smirk. After all, she would have to get back at him for what he did.

"I don't think I can ever forgive you for what you've done, Samuel Oak. After all you could have endangered both of us with such reckless behavior."

Samuel floated for a moment before treading water and pouting slightly. His first inclination was to explain how it _was_ a survival technique and not at all reckless.

"Now see here. Say you fell into the ocean and a big ol' sea monster dragged you down. Now you know all you'd have to do is punch 'im, right?" He swam over to her, a bit miffed that she apparently didn't find his trick as amusing as he had. But, after a moment and a heavy sigh, he came up behind her and mumbled apologetically.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." He rolled his eyes dramatically.

It was hard for Hoshiko to muffle her laughter. After all it was funny enough to hear Samuel trying to explain himself but when he actually apologized, even begrudgingly, the girl though she might bubble over in laughter. But maintaining her silence, she waited another few seconds before she quickly turned around with a big smirk.

"Well I don't know about sea monsters, but punching you always seems pretty effective!" And quite suddenly all the laughter that she had been holding in started to come out, never had Hoshiko laughed more in her life than when she spent time with Samuel.

"That was hilarious! You should have heard yourself!" And she tilted her head. "You deserved it though, that was a dirty trick Samuel." And she nudged his shoulder with her hand gently to show that she wasn't bothered anymore by what had happened.

Samuel rolled his eyes at her again, more dramatically than the first time, but he couldn't hold a frown for long, and he wound up laughing himself. He grabbed the girl in the crook of his elbow and playfully gave her a very easy-going noogie, more for show than anything.

"You little brat." He laughed. "What are you, like...learning from me or something?"

"Aaaaaahhhhhyeeeeeee! My haaaaaair!" Hoshiko tried to shove Samuel's hand off, struggling and trying to catch her breath.

He smirked and let her go. "And in my defense, I'm every bit as scary as a sea monster. Don't tell anyone otherwise." He smirked. "Or I'll have to come after you again. And you wouldn't want that now, would you?"

Hoshiko straightened up, now free, and put her hands on her hips. "Nooo!" She protested with a smirk. "I'm the one rubbing off on you!" She poked Samuel in the arm. "And don't worry I won't tell anyone otherwise, I like having your secret to hang over your head. That way if I want something, I can blackmail you! After all, I'm the only one who knows what a softy you are." She laughed on last time and then sighed happily, letting herself bob up and down in the water gently, taking a break from all of the fun to catch her breath.

"Hey...why don't we grab something to drink and relax? I'm exhausted now." Hoshiko shook her head, pushing the rest of her wet hair away from her face.

Samuel laughed again and started to swim towards the edge of the pool, grabbing the rim and pulling himself up and out with a good-sized hop. Feeling as if the weight of gravity had doubled in the time he was swimming, it took a moment for Samuel to stand up and pad over to the chair where he'd left his bag and sunglasses. Donning his shades and holding his satchel, he turned and looked down at Hoshiko as she got out.

"I'm starving, so yeah, I could use some grub and an ice cold drink." He reached down to give Hoshiko a hand up. "But for the record, I'm _not_ a softy." He playfully poked her in the side once she was out of the water.

Turning, Samuel Oak began to leave the pool area, following the cobbled pebble path with bare toes. He kept his eyes open for any sign of food, and began to slow down once they reached the outer edge of the Cerulean resort. There, among the shade of broad leafed palm trees, was a hot dog and snow cone stand.

Hoshiko laughed and shoved him gently as she caught up. Together, they walked towards the stand. Once they got there she breathed deeply, enjoying the smell of the hot food and the bright, colorful snow cones.

"Mmmmmm, I haven't had a hot dog for so long Samuel." She stood in front of the stand, pushing herself up and down using the counter, looking quite excited about the food. "And I've never actually had a snow cone!" Leaning over the counter Hoshiko observed how they made the treats. "Looks great though!"

Samuel raised an eyebrow, rather amused at not only her antics, but the fact that she seemed interested in hot dogs. He was about to say something to the effect of "you do know hot dogs are meat, right?" when he noticed something. Behind the counter, there was a small black-and-white television awkwardly mounted in the upper corner of the stand and producing the image of the news. An anchorwoman was talking about the latest news flash.

_"In recent news, we have an alert out for both the regions of Kanto and Johto. A young woman has gone missing from her hometown of Ecruteak, and is believed to have been kidnapped just before her wedding ceremony. The newly wed girl's husband is devastated and is sending out a plea to the kidnapper to bring back his wife."_

The screen flicked from the woman to a tearful image of Osamu with Ecruteak in the background. But so enthralled with the process of snow cone making, Hoshiko didn't even notice. The food prep processes and the bright menus board didn't appeal to Samuel so much anymore. He watched and listened to the news, and when he saw Osamu's face on the fuzzy channel, he felt his heart drop. The newscast continued.

_"The young woman's husband and eye witnesses declare that their beloved Kimono Girl, Hoshiko, was abducted during a carefully planned scare. Apparently, the kidnapper unleashed a hoard of beedrill in the crowd of wedding guests. Fortunately, nobody was killed or severely wounded.__Eye witnesses say the kidnapper was a young man, most likely between the ages of seventeen and twenty years. He has platinum colored hair, and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a pair of torn jeans, a yellow vest, and an assortment of chains and jewelry. It is advised that if you see this young man, you call the authorities immediately. Do not try to challenge him, as he apparently has a very powerful pokémon with him, and he could be dangerous."_

Samuel swallowed nervously and stepped back from the counter, nudging Hoshiko's arm to try and get her attention. He murmured to her, hoping not to be heard by anyone else.

"We should get out of here...very soon. Like, maybe...now."

So interested in watching all of the food being made, Hoshiko only swatted Samuel away at first, not really listening to what he had to say or realizing what was going on with the news. But upon shifting her eyes from the menu and server to the TV, she turned to Samuel with a panicked look on her face. Finally what he had said made sense to her, and she stood there with eyes wide and jaw gaped.

"Samuel! What am I going to do?" She asked him in hushed urgency. "He's got me on the news!" Her face was wrought with obvious concern and an overwhelming expression of fear. She was scared of the thought of even being near Osamu.

Samuel pulled Hoshiko away from the counter and shushed her, even though she was already whispering. He looked around nervously to make sure nobody was looking their way, and then he whispered back to her.

"They'll have cops looking all over Kanto and Jhoto watching for us, and now we're not safe around civilians either." He glanced over at the TV. "I guess I'm a kidnapper now." He frowned and shook his head.

"I'm sorry Samuel..." Hoshiko whispered tearfully and regretfully. Sighing heavily, she stared down at the ground started to cry gently. "I don't know what'll happen or what we're supposed to do. They won't believe me if I tell them what Osamu did..." Wrapping her arms around herself for some sort of feeling of support, she looked up at Samuel sadly. "I'll have to change my appearance. Everything about the way I look..." Her eyes narrowed sadly. "Why does he have to take everything away from me?" She questioned, knowing that there was no real answer.

Hoshiko automatically went cold, and her hands were clammy at the simple thought of being brought back to Osamu and having to even live one more day with him. The fact that Samuel had gotten wrapped up in the whole ordeal was just terrible. She never would have wished it on him, not even for a second.

"Unless we could convince the authorities that you came with me willingly, I have no idea what to do." Samuel mused. "But I don't know what they'd do if they found you, even if they knew you wanted to stay with me. I don't know how they handle the affairs of other regions here in Kanto." He put his hands in the still damp pockets of his red swim trunks. "I dunno if I want to find out either. But we don't have anywhere to go." He grunted. "Unless... But no…that would take too long."

Hoshiko looked up desperately. "No! What is it?" She said in a hushed but urgent tone. "Anything, anything that might work. I can't go back there. I can't, Samuel."

"I wouldn't send you back." He assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder to quiet her down. "I simply thought that maybe we could go back to Green Bays, but to do that we'd have to take a ship...and ships cost money _and_ they take forever... We'd be sailing for a long time." He looked down at the ground, rubbing his chin slowly. "Maybe your family wouldn't believe you, but the police would have to give you consideration..." His brow furrowed. "Wouldn't they? They are the police after all. They're sworn to protect the innocent."

Hoshiko was silent for quite some time, worried about what Samuel said but wanting to trust him. It was true that they wouldn't be able to get to Green Bays on time to actually escape, and being on a ship with security that could recognize her would be a big hazard. Maybe Samuel's other solution was the only way? It certainly seemed like that at this point because every person in Kanto and Johto would have their eye on her and on Samuel too.

And so in a very quiet voice, Hoshiko replied timidly. "I...suppose they might listen to me..." Her eyes closed. "But I'm scared of talking about it, Samuel. They'll want so much information..." She turned her face away with teary eyes. "Will you be with me the whole time? I don't want to go through this alone...I'm scared, Samuel..." In truth she was _petrified_; even her hands were starting to shake.

Samuel looked surprised, and maybe even slightly offended, although he didn't say anything in that regard.

"Hey..." He said quietly. "Of course I'll be there with you. I'm not gonna just dump you off someplace and say you're on your own... I wanna make sure you're okay. If anyone gets in trouble anyways, it'll be me." He laughed a little. "So don't you worry. You'll be fine. You're old enough to make decisions for yourself."

He smiled at her. "I'm sure the police will understand, especially if you explain how Osamu was so abusive towards you... They wouldn't want you to go back into a bad situation."

Shaking her head, Hoshiko tried to hide her tears. "I don't want you to get into trouble Samuel...you only did the right thing..."

She looked back to face her friend, not entirely convinced that the police would believe her, since after all Samuel was the only human who ever believed her. All the bruises had healed now and there was no physical proof to show the police.

But Samuel thought it was the right idea, and for that simple fact Hoshiko would believe that it was. She trusted her friend with her life.

"I'm sorry, I knew you wouldn't leave me...I guess, I'm just really scared." And tightening her grip around herself, Hoshiko finally said the words. "...A...Alright, I...I'll talk to them."

* * *

After heading back to her room to get changed into her clothes and getting her bag packed and ready. The girl met Samuel in the resort hallway, prepared as she would ever be to go down to the station. Mentally, Hoshiko was weak at the thought of recalling the horrific events with Osamu...especially to strangers. It was a relief to join up with Samuel again.

He had changed too, back into his normal clothes, even though that would only offer further proof that he was the suspect they were looking for in Hoshiko's 'kidnapping.' Nonetheless, he was determined to stand by her, even if it meant he got in trouble for it. As long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.

They walked together from the hotel through the streets of Cerulean, and Samuel made sure to keep Hoshiko close to his side, in case anyone spotted them on the way there. Together, they made their way to the police station. By the time they got there, evening was approaching and the gas lamps were lighting up the streets from the tops of the lamp posts. The setting sun gleamed brightly from the horizon, casting a pinkish-orange hue across everything.

Samuel stopped by the door to the station and he stopped Hoshiko gently before they walked up the steps.

"Now...I think this is the best option...But I want you to make the decision. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Hoshiko had been quiet almost the whole way there, almost like she had withdrawn to somewhere so deep inside of herself that there wasn't any realization left of anyone around her. Being around Samuel as her friend brought out the social and happy side of Hoshiko, but no matter what, the girl who had been locked up by her family still existed and became even more present at the thought of Osamu's abuse.

It was worse than she had let on to Samuel before because she simply couldn't bring herself to discuss it too much. It hadn't just been that night after they were married that he had beaten her. It was every day afterwards and even before their marriage. The thought made Hoshiko want to hide and not show her face till after the end of time. But she would have to be strong, if not for anything but the simple fact that Samuel was being strong for her. Turning to him at last, she replied softly.

"Of course...I'm….sure this is the right thing to do..." And for quite time, Hoshiko stood there looking at the stairs before she took Samuel's arm in her hand, squeezing slightly and then beginning the climb up to the station.

As soon as the two walked in, the place went into an uproar, but Hoshiko did her best to speak with the officer that was currently in charge. Defying the fact that he wanted to arrest Samuel on the spot, Hoshiko made him listen to her and warned him that she wouldn't tell him anything of why she had run away if Samuel couldn't be present with her. Obliging her, if only temporarily, to get the information that sounded like it could potentially be important, the officer took both of them in. The girl found herself sitting across a desk with Samuel beside her, starting into the eyes of a police officer that she didn't know and feeling more than intimidated.

"...Samuel..." The look on her face as she said his name and looked at him made it seem like Hoshiko might crumble quite literally before the officer even got to ask her any questions. Aside from them understanding, it had something to do with Osamu's abuse.

Samuel glanced over at Hoshiko when she said his name, and for support he reached under the table and gently grabbed her hand. He wanted her to know that he was there for her. He would defend her statements to the end, but he knew he could not say anything to the cops until she had spoken.

He also knew that there was a possibility that after her initial story they would both be separated for individual questioning. Samuel was completely disgusted with that prospect, but he knew that it was the job of the police to be thorough. He gave Hoshiko's hand a squeeze to encourage her to start explaining, just as the police officer leaned over her desk and eyed the two of them warily. She didn't look pleased any time that she glanced at Samuel, but when she looked to Hoshiko, she seemed at least a little sympathetic. At long last, she spoke.

"Okay, Sweetie, you're going to have to tell me, in your own words, what happened so that we can get you back to your husband as quickly as possible."

Swallowing hard, Hoshiko squeezed Samuel's hand and not as lightly as she would have liked to either. But considering the circumstances and how tense she was, it gave her a strange sense of security. Looking down at the table instead of at the officer, Hoshiko spoke to the woman softy.

"...I don't want to go back to my husband..." Hoshiko's voice trembled as she found it hard to make her voice work. "...My husband, Osamu...During our engagement, he was...abusive towards me." The girl looked to the side, away from both the woman and Samuel. She hadn't told her friend about what had happened before hand and so revealing all that had happened for the first time was difficult.

"He acted controlling and wanted me to constantly be submissive to him no matter what it was he wanted. When I refused...he would attack me physically. It happened more then once for sure but I never kept count. Sometimes I'd pass out, other times I would stay conscious...but the look on his face, it's burned into my memory...I'm sure he was happy about it. He looked like he was." She swallowed even harder, trying to suppress the emotion welling up inside of her. " Then looking back down at the table, Hoshiko continued.

"After the signing of the marriage license though, things became even worse. Nightly he would beat me until my entire body was covered in bruises. They've healed now but they were there. Samuel saw!" And quite suddenly Hoshiko found herself crying. "I couldn't do anything to make him stop! But he wouldn't listen! He couldn't force me into something I didn't want...I didn't love him..." Her eyes narrowed as she tried to keep back the tears in vain.

"But it didn't matter...Even if I told him...I swear he would have killed me! The last time I was coughing blood..."

The police woman raised her eyebrow after a moment. Allegations of abuse were serious, but she couldn't take them at face value without any proof. She would need to speak with Osamu first.

"So what you're telling me... Is that this man did not kidnap you." She nodded towards Samuel, "And that you ran away from your husband of your own accord because he was abusing you and you don't love him?" The woman leaned her elbows on the desk. "I presume you love this man, rather?"

Samuel held up one hand haltingly. "No, no..." He interrupted, trying to explain. "I'm just trying to protect her... She's my friend, you see... I don't want her being mistreated, and I'm just trying to help her get out of a bad situation."

Looking up at the woman, Hoshiko backed up Samuel. "It's true...we're friends. Samuel was just trying to help me. He could see how I was hurting...and wanted to take me away from it. I don't _love_ anyone like that...and after what my husband has done...I have a feeling I never will." Slowly Hoshiko looked back down.

"Samuel didn't kidnap me, I wanted to go. I needed to escape..." And placing one hand on the desk and clenching her nails against the wood, Hoshiko sounded like she was begging the woman. "Please don't make me go back to him! Please! I don't know what I'll do...I just don't know..."

The police woman hesitated for a moment, picked up a pen, and tapped the edge of her desk in thought. When she spoke again she raised an eyebrow.

"Please understand I do want to help you, but you're going to have to answer all of my questions and we have to figure out what's best for you." She leaned forward slightly. "Could you tell me how old you are, Miss?" She waited for an answer, but glanced over at Samuel as if to let him know that he would be the next one to get a question. Samuel shifted uneasily under her gaze. He didn't want to say the wrong thing if he was asked something. He wanted to help Hoshiko as much as he possibly could.

Even if the woman said that she wanted to help Hoshiko, the formal tone in the woman's voice made her cringe inside. It wasn't very reassuring, and nothing like when Samuel would tell her that he wanted to help. This officer's voice lacked any sense of genuine concern. But now, Hoshiko was stuck; she couldn't refuse the police any information, and so submitted although not sounding too entertained with the idea. Softly, she answered the question.

"...I'm...eighteen..." Hoshiko stared down at the desk, looking discouraged. She didn't like being drilled or even asked anything. "...And what do you mean...what's best for me?" Her eyes trailed up to the woman looking like a very afraid and small child. "...What could possibly happen to me?"

"Well," The officer said, "Were you any younger, there would be no debate and you'd be sent back to your home in Ecruteak immediately. But, you're legally old enough to make decisions for yourself outside of the will of your family." She raised an eyebrow, "If that's your real age. I'll be contacting your family any way and asking them questions as well, but in the meantime I just need you to relax." She turned to Samuel. "And how old are you?"

"I'm nineteen, Ma'am. I've been traveling a long time, I'm a fairly experienced trainer, and I'm a scientist. I assure you she's in very capable hands."

"I see." She seemed to be writing something down. "And what's your name, young man?"

"Samuel Oak..."

"Ah yes." She wrote some more down. "Okay, very well. Tell you what though. Now that we've got the basics down, I'd like to have you each questioned separately."

Hoshiko didn't say anything once the woman had moved onto questioning Samuel, but there was one thing that was hanging over her head. When the woman said she'd have to confirm her age with her family, Hoshiko battled a rush of fear. The fact was that Hoshiko wasn't eighteen—she had lied about how old she was, knowing that if she hadn't they wouldn't even listen to her. Her ploy to buy time would be in vain. If they found out that she had lied, it was all over. Looking down into her lap as the woman questioned Samuel, Hoshiko could only imagine Osamu's reaction when she would be returned to him. It made Hoshiko shiver involuntarily.

Shaken by what the woman said next though, Hoshiko was forced to look back up.

"Wait, I don't want Samuel to leave. Can't he stay? He won't say anything...I just...I don't want to be alone..."

But Hoshiko's wish wouldn't be granted, no. Another officer came to get Samuel, leading him away and into another room that wasn't too far from the one that Hoshiko was in. Sitting down at the desk across from where Samuel would be sitting, the officer took a pen and paper into her hand and watched the young man carefully.

"So I understand that you're telling us that the young woman we had been told you kidnapped, in fact was an elaborate plan to let her escape from her husband?" The woman raised an eyebrow at Samuel. "Tell me two things to start, what was your impression of the day of the 'kidnapping' and why did you disrupt her wedding ceremony so? Do you realize that people could have been killed? And...what is your impression of Osamu and Hoshiko's relationship, have you ever seen any evidence of what the young woman claims to be abuse?"

Samuel squirmed uneasily under the interrogation, but his face stayed grim and determined. He knew the story, and that was what he was going to tell. He stared the cop in the eye for a moment before answering, trying to keep all the questions straight in his head as he did so.

"I did not kidnap her. She came with me of her own free will, and I helped her escape. I disrupted the ceremony the way I did because I had to get her out of there, and quickly. She was in danger, and I didn't want to just leave her there." He ignored the very idea that people might have been killed. As far as he was concerned, the beedrill had all been after honey, and so if the people got attacked by them, it was their own stupid fault for getting in the way and making them mad. Everyone with a brain knew you didn't stir up a swarm of beedrill anyways.

"I have seen Osamu with Hoshiko, and he treats her like an object and worse. He demands her obedience and he jerks her around, beating her, leaving marks. The day that I took her from home, she had bruises all over her body. They had to be covered with makeup. They've since healed up, but the poor girl...She doesn't deserve to be treated like that. She deserves much, much better."

* * *

In the other room, the woman had waited until Samuel was gone before she leaned over her desk again and looked at Hoshiko quietly.

"Your allegations of abuse from your husband are very, very serious indeed. Naturally, we wouldn't want to send you back into a bad situation, but likewise we do not want to simply decide that Osamu is guilty without proof. But I have some more questions for you... Now that Samuel is gone and cannot hear what you are telling me, is it true that he 'rescued' you, or has he put you up to telling us that story? We've had plenty of cases where kidnappers will threaten their victims into telling whatever story they deem necessary, but we want you to know that you're safe now, and you can tell us anything."

Eyes weary, Hoshiko watched the police woman in front of her, sighing deeply. "No, everything I've said about Osamu is true...and everything about Samuel too. He's my only real friend...He'd never threaten me or do anything wrong. He just wanted to protect me from Osamu. That day he came to Ecruteak, and when he saw me, Samuel asked me if I wanted to come with him...I begged him to get me away from Ecruteak...that place is like a prison to me..." Closing her eyes, Hoshiko shook her head.

"But Osamu won't tell you that...he wouldn't admit to abusing me..."

"I see..." The police woman said, writing down everything that Hoshiko said. "Very well, Hoshiko. If you have no accusations against Samuel Oak, then we can dismiss the charges against him. But we still have some questions for you. Do you feel that Osamu's actions against you warrant investigation?"

* * *

Quickly scratching things down on her pad of paper, the officer looked up quickly at Samuel, and frequently back down to her notebook. While he spoke, she wrote between his words. Clicking her tongue and leaning back in her chair as Samuel finished talking, she looked at him with scrutiny. She'd heard stories of Hoshiko's family and their traditions, and by any standards, Hoshiko wouldn't normally be in the company of someone like Samuel. Nor would she even leave Ecruteak in order to meet him...so suggesting that he knew so much about her, made the officer suspicious of Samuel's reasoning.

"Okay." The woman pointed her pen at Samuel. "Tell me, Mr. Oak, how did you meet Hoshiko and what do you know of her and her personality? Why would you have a vested interest in one of the Kimono Girls?"

"Well, I met her on a ship that was disembarking from Domus Isle in the Green Bays Region." Samuel explained slowly. "She had actually run away from her family at that point and was traveling by herself. Eventually I just started traveling with her because she seemed to need my help. We've been working as a team."

Samuel paused. "I didn't even know who the Kimono Girls were until well after I met Hoshiko. I had seen her dance before...but that's about it. She's a very sweet girl..." He added. "She's friendly, and good with children. She also is determined, and I think she'd do anything to help a friend. I wanted to do the same for her..."

After writing down yet more things on her notepad, the woman set down her pen on the pad of paper. She considered what other questions to ask him, and then spoke firmly. "Do you have anything you want to tell us, Mr. Oak?"

Samuel looked down at his hands and sighed deeply. He did have stuff to add. A lot of stuff, but he knew that he needed to keep it as concise and helpful as possible.

"Just that...Hoshiko doesn't need to go back to Osamu...and she doesn't want to. She needs to be free from him, or he could even kill her. I wouldn't put it past him." He looked up slowly. "I just want to make sure Hoshiko is safe and happy...that's all."

* * *

Looking up at the woman relived, Hoshiko's voice was grateful.

"Thank you, the last thing I wanted was for Samuel to end up in trouble over this...He only did what was right. He tried to help me. For that, the last thing Samuel deserved was to end up taking a fall. He's too nice for that." But she shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the woman continued. "If an investigation means that I won't be sent back to Osamu then yes...I don't ever want to be near that man ever again." Hoshiko wrapped her arms around herself and looked down.

"Well, we may need to send you back to your family, depending on their statements and documents when they arrive." The police woman said, shifting through her papers. "If there is enough evidence against Osamu to get a restraining order on him while you're with your family in that case, that is what we will do. But, as I said, it depends on what information your family and Osamu can provide."

"What!?" Hoshiko was immediately alerted as the woman told her that her family and Osamu would be coming. "No! I can't be here when they come! I don't want to be anywhere near that man!" But her desperate pleas were naught as she was made to wait.

* * *

The officer lowered her head as Samuel finished talking. "Rest assured we'll do what's best for everyone." And eying Samuel once more before getting up, the woman told him to stay in the room until she got back. She disappeared for a few moments before returning, and she didn't sit back down at the desk but stood by the door, holding it open.

"You're free to go, Mr. Oak. The charges of kidnapping against you have been dropped. We'll be keeping Hoshiko until her husband and family arrive here." And watching him in the chair for a second she looked outside into the hall. "You may leave."

Samuel was horrified by the idea of Osamu coming, but he knew he had to obey the authorities...for now. He knew that he had to tread carefully with the cops and that he couldn't test his luck too much, but he had to let Hoshiko know that he was going to have to wait for her outside. He requested to see her once more, and with a police escort, was taken to the room she was in. Before he left, he put a hand on Hoshiko's arm.

"I'm not going far..." He promised. "Don't worry." Then, the young man was escorted out of the police station.

Hoshiko didn't feel very encouraged by the idea of Samuel being made to leave...but there wasn't anything she could do. She had to accept it, and watch him leave powerlessly.

Time passed, hours ticking by with painful slowness and devastating speed. On one hand, it felt like forever, and Hoshiko just wanted to get out of there. On the other hand, the time passed all too quickly for the girl, knowing that soon she'd have to face the people she feared. It left Hoshiko feeling desperate in the pit of her stomach. At long last, the door at the police station entrance opened slowly to two figures entering: one a young man, older then Hoshiko by a couple of years, and her eldest sister.

As Osamu approached the front desk he leaned over it, trying to sound as emotional as possible.

"You've found my wife? Where is she? Is she alright? That man didn't do anything to her...did he?"

Several officers came to meet Osamu, just in case he really did pose a threat to Hoshiko. The looked him over and studied him carefully, but they adopted a welcoming tone towards him when they spoke.

"Ah, Mr. Osamu. You have nothing to worry about. Hoshiko is completely safe. She does, however state that she does not wish to return with you to Ecruteak, and that she does not want to go back to her family. She has made a few allegations against you, and we'll need to ask a few questions. You will be able to see her when we are through, if everything checks out."

She led Osamu to one of the questioning rooms. "Is the rest of the family on their way? We will need to speak with Hoshiko's mother as well."

"Yes, her mother is coming." He said, and then his eyes trailed to Hoshiko for a moment. He could see her through the open doorway, in the room across the hall. He expected that Hoshiko would try something along the lines of accusing him, and he had well prepared himself for the moment and with a look of shocked horror on his face. He looked hurt beyond belief. "What's happened to her? My own wife against me? I feel like my heart has been broken." And as he sat down across from the officer Osamu laced his fingers together in his lap. "Please, ask me anything you need, Officer."

The officer meant to question Osamu at last closed the door and sat down across from him.

"From what we can tell, it doesn't seem that anything has happened to Hoshiko. She seems fully aware of her own decisions and maintains that the man she was with did not threaten her or put her up to leaving you. She apparently left of her own choice. But she has brought to our attention allegations of abuse. She says that she has been beaten by you, and the man she was with confirmed this during his own individual questioning."

* * *

Even with the police between her and Osamu, just seeing him across the hall made Hoshiko cringe with fear. Of course she couldn't say anything. The door to Osamu's room closed with a click, and at that moment, Hoshiko's sister was led into the room that Hoshiko was in. Her eyes trailed up to greet her sister.

"How could you do this?!" She said in hushed anger.

Hoshiko's sister looked down at her. "You can't run out on the family, Hoshiko. You know it, and I know it." The woman's voice was a quiet but very stern whisper. "You have a duty and are honor bound to fulfill it."

Looking hurt by her sister's words, Hoshiko shook her head. "What about how Osamu treats me?" She seethed. "You can't expect me to stay with a man that beats me constantly!"

Hoshiko's sister frowned and leaned in close to whisper in Hoshiko's ear, so that nobody else would hear her. "Osamu would not have to beat you if you would behave yourself and do as you are told."

As her sister whispered into her ear, Hoshiko's eyes grew wide and her fists clenched. "How could you say that?" Her face turned to look at the woman beside her. "You hate me, don't you? How could anyone's sister wish for her sibling to be beaten?"

"I don't hate you, Hoshiko. But you must remember that your duty is to us and to your husband, not to yourself. You still haven't learned that, and you act more like a child now than you did even when you were younger. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I didn't know any better when I was a child." Hoshiko said stubbornly. "Now I understand what life is about, and I wasn't born to be controlled by my family or a man who despises me." And that said, the girl folded her arms defensively in front of her.

* * *

As if searching for a thought or a word, Osamu looked distressed. Placing a hand on his mouth, he shook his head slowly before even saying anything in a very broken sounding voice.

"I'd never even place a frustrated finger on her...I've never even said anything mean towards her. Even when she speaks of her family as harshly as she does...I've only ever supported Hoshiko." Osamu looked down as though he might cry. "I've only ever loved her. Is my wife's desire to run away from her duties as a Kimono Girl so strong that she would actually say such things of me?" He asked the officer even though she wouldn't even begin to know the answer.

"And that man! The one who took her away from me. He claims to have shown her a life of adventure, but when she finally returned home where I waited for her, she had a broken arm and a wound from a bullet. The scar is still there in her chest from where she was shot...I can not believe that her lust for adventure and danger would overthrow our love..." And looking one last time at the officer, Osamu spoke again. "Please, Officer, know that I would never do anything to harm my dear wife. I'll do whatever it takes to prove this to you. Anything."

"I see..." The officer questioning Osamu said, scratching her chin. "If you don't mind, we would like to have a physician examine her, and we'll run a polygraph test on both her and you. But we need your consent for that procedure, and we'll need you to sign some papers." The officer started writing some things down. "In the meantime, could you elaborate on this... desire to leave the Kimono Girls that your wife seems to have? Tell us a little bit about her nature, and why she might say these things about you if they are untrue."

Osamu leaned back in his chair placing one hand on his chin. "Of course, whatever it takes to clear up this whole mess..." And leaning forward so that his elbows were on the desk, he looked at the police officer. "Well, as for Hoshiko and the Kimono Girls, because of extenuating circumstances within the family Hoshiko is her mother's only daughter that can continue the family blood line properly.

"She is asked to train and work hard but I wouldn't suspect that any normal girl her age would mind the work. She enjoys dance anyways. But I feel what bothers her is the concept of continuing the family bloodline...which I can understand. After all she only turned seventeen last month." And leaning back again Osamu sighed.

"I wouldn't want to make her carry a child at that age. So I've told her that I support her and whenever she's ready...so am I." Of course, this was the biggest lie Osamu had told yet. He was the one trying to force her into pregnancy. The police would never be any the wiser though, so as long as it made him look good, everything was perfect in Osamu's mind.

"But her family is worried, especially her mother, who was raised under very traditional customs. As far as she's concerned Hoshiko was even married rather late. She had run away and that postponed our wedding to this year. It was supposed to be around the same time as her sixteenth birthday. And so that's why I believe she enlisted her...'friend' to help her run. From her responsibility. Hoshiko is a very wayward spirit...it hurts her family and me all too often..."

* * *

Approaching the Police Station outside Hoshiko's mother eyed Samuel as he sat on the cold, stone stairs, waiting. Hoshiko's mother gave him a look of disgust.

"What are you doing out here? You should be in there behind bars after what you did to disturb my daughter's wedding!"

Samuel just smirked at Hoshiko's mother, but he didn't move to get up from where he was sitting with his hands on his knees.

"The charges have been dropped, and I _didn't_ kidnap your daughter. She came with me willingly because she's sick and tired of being mistreated and ordered around by Osamu and you, Bitch."

Samuel closed his eyes, almost as if daring Hoshiko's mother to come after him for taunting her. With all of the police around, he could get her into trouble if she displayed disorderly conduct.

Looking at Samuel incredulously, Hoshiko's mother shook her head. She knew full and well to let Samuel say what he would and simply react as an innocent woman would. After all, the young man was making himself look worse that way. So raising her head as she walked past him, Hoshiko's mother simply scoffed.

"You act as a disrespectful child." She simply stated, striding up the stairs and into the police station. She was led by police to the room where Hoshiko was, and found Hoshiko and her sister conversing. The woman didn't say anything...yet.

* * *

The officer looked up at Osamu for a moment, studying his features closely and intently taking notes. This was a very interesting circumstance... and one that presented a bit of trouble for Hoshiko.

"Did you say that she just turned seventeen?" the officer frowned a little bit. "If her mother can corroborate your story, then we may well have to send her back with you. We were under the impression that she was 18 years old, in which case we would not be able to make her do anything she did not want to." The woman paused. "Thank you every much, Osamu. I think that will be all for now. I'll send you back for the polygraph while we question Hoshiko's mother."

The officer got up and nodded at Osamu, then moved to the door and opened it so that Osamu could go out. From there he caught sight of Hoshiko's mother in the room just across from him.

Osamu's expression was grim. "I'm sure her mother will have no trouble answering your questions. As well, I don't wish to advise you in any way because I understand you are fully capable of doing your job...but if you wish for proof aside from our word, I would suggest taking a look at my wife's Trainer Card. She is a registered Pokémon Trainer." And nodding respectfully to the policewoman, he stood after she did. "Thank you, Officer. My mind, although troubled by my wife's reaction, is at ease knowing she is safe."

After saying this, the young man was led off to take his polygraph test. Osamu knew full and well how to work against a lie detector and so had no worries in submitting to the officer's wishes. Everything was working according to plan.

The officer who had been questioning Osamu emerged after the man went to take his polygraphs, and she entered into the next room, approaching Hoshiko calmly.

"We're through questioning Osamu now, but he's going to be taking a polygraph exam to see if there are any signs of dishonesty in his character. We're going to ask you to take a polygraph too, my dear, while your mother is questioned. Before you go though, I would like to have a look at your trainer card. Would that be okay?"

The fact that Osamu was taking the polygraph made Hoshiko feel a lot more comfortable with her own position in the ordeal and the fact that she was supposed to take on herself was good too. After all even if they were looking for lies what they would find is that she was the one telling the truth. But when the officer asked for her Trainer Card, Hoshiko knew there was something wrong. Osamu had said something, more than likely, about her age.

She wanted to stall and say that she didn't have it, but with her mother's eye on her like a hawk, Hoshiko knew that there was no getting out of the request, and so silently, grimly, Hoshiko produced from her bag, her card. She handed it to the officer without saying a single word.

The officer took the trainer's card from the girl and flipped it over to read the details on the back. There, clear as day, was her birth date, and it did not confirm that she was eighteen years of age. As far as the police were concerned, the girl still belonged to her family. At least for one more year. Then she could run off and play secretive little games with whatever man she happened to fancy at the time, and that would be her prerogative.

The officer slowly handed the card back. "So, you just turned seventeen. Perhaps we don't have to send you to take a polygraph. You've already been untruthful with us." The officer turned to Hoshiko's mother. "The charges have been dropped against the boy who she ran away with, because she went of her own free will. But seeing as your daughter is bound by law to obey the wishes of her family until she is eighteen,"

The officer pulled Hoshiko's chair out. "I'm sorry for the time we took here today, but I think you'll agree that its results are worthwhile. Your daughter is back, safe and sound, and you all can go home knowing that she's not out there somewhere all alone."

Taking the card back slowly, Hoshiko looked saddened and even nervous. Shaking her head the girl pushed herself out of her chair and took a few steps back.

"Wait!" She looked at the officer. "What about what I said? I only lied about my age so you'd listen to my story! You can't send me back there." Hoshiko went to take a few more steps back, only to find her mother taking her hand firmly. Going to pull away from her though, Hoshiko found that she couldn't be released from her mother's grip.

"Please! Listen to me, everything I said about Osamu was truthful!"

But as Hoshiko practically sobbed to the Police Officer, Hoshiko saw Osamu come out from the back of the station looking pleased with himself, he carried paper that cleared him from the polygraph. He entered into the room and handed the page to the policewoman.

"I think you'll find the results satisfactory officer." And he walked over to Hoshiko, her mother letting go of the girl as he wrapped his around her waist so they would be made to walk side by side.

"Let me go!" Hoshiko shrieked, but Osamu remained calm.

"It'll be okay Hoshiko." He tried to sooth, but before the girl could say anything else he whisked her away.

The officer told her mother that they'd send someone over in a few months to be sure everything was okay, but the polygraph quelled the officers concerns enough that she forgot to write down the appointment. Hoshiko was probably just another overdramatic teen trying to get attention and run her own life.

Osamu hurried Hoshiko out of the building. Heading down the stairs, he hadn't noticed Samuel at the bottom of the steps.

"It won't be okay!" Hoshiko growled at Osamu. The young man gave her a stern look as the door to the station closed and once they were near the bottom of the steps, he spoke to Hoshiko in a low threatening voice.

"You'll find out what your little game cost you." And taking her hand into his other hand, looking as if he was going to hold it, instead the young man squeezed the delicate bones of her hand together ruthlessly. "Count the seconds till you get back to Ecruteak, my dear Wife...because knowing you, you won't want to forget them after what I have planned."

Closing her eyes Hoshiko completely missed that Samuel was there, but wished he was and could save her again from this wretched man.

Samuel, of course, saw Hoshiko's family emerge, dragging the girl with them, and he sprung to his feet, eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"HEY!" He called after them, following closely after Osamu in particular. "Where are you taking her?!" He demanded "You can't just drag her off! She doesn't want to go with you!" Samuel made no move to try and wrench Hoshiko away from her family while in front of the police station, but he did follow them.

"Don't you _dare_ lay a finger on her, Osamu! She's too good for you, you bastard!"

Hoshiko's eyes snapped open and she looked back to see Samuel there trailing by her and Osamu. She looked at him pleadingly, tears pouring down her cheeks as she looked at him.

"I lied about my age Samuel. I'm not eighteen..." Hoshiko's sobbing persisted. "I'm seventeen...so they just let him take me..." Her head dropped in desperation. "Samuel...Samuel I'm scared." She didn't care what Osamu thought of how she was talking to Samuel. After all he couldn't do anything to her right there, and whatever happened when they got back to Ecruteak would happen either way.

She would take her time to talk to Samuel. Quickly she reached a hand out for her friend, wishing he could pull her away from her husband but knowing it wasn't possible.

"Leave us alone! I'm taking my wife home. She doesn't need to be near you." Osamu said smugly, seizing Hoshiko's arm.

Hoshiko fought back, still reaching towards her friend. "I'll never obey you Osamu! Never!"

Samuel reached his hand out and caught Hoshiko's hand with his fingers, holding it for a fleeting moment and walking up to her, despite Osamu's protests. He knew that her family couldn't do anything to him right now. Later maybe he'd have to be scared, but right now he didn't care at all what they thought. In fact, his defiant nature made him want to do everything in his power to prove to her family that they weren't as much her masters as they thought they were. He could show them.

He managed to bring his face close to Hoshiko's, despite all of the struggling, and in a moment frozen in time he let his forehead touch hers and he looked at her seriously.

"Hoshiko..." He said slowly, making sure that she heard every single word he had to say. "If you trust me, you'll know that they'll _never_ lock you away. Bars can't keep the wild bird from flying away when they're open, and believe me; as long as there's breath in my body those bars can _never_ stay closed for long. You got it?"

He cast a sideways glance at Osamu, knowing the man could hear him. He wanted to try and stoke Osamu's rage towards him more so than Hoshiko, hoping it would stave the man's anger towards her off...and that he wouldn't abuse Hoshiko when they got back if only his anger was focused on him. He looked back at Hoshiko. There was one way he could make Osamu furious with himself, but Samuel felt something stopping him.

Maybe it would even make Osamu let go of Hoshiko and try to hit him. Then Samuel could duck, grab Hoshiko, and run... And even though he was not even inches away from being able to do it, he just couldn't...

Swallowing nervously, wishing he had the guts to free Hoshiko right that moment, all he could bring himself to do was run her fingers through her hair.

"You got that?" He said, much softer in tone than before, but no less serious.

Hoshiko swallowed hard as her eyes met Samuel's. Her eyes continued leaking tears, and despite trying her hardest to stay strong for her friend, her emotions easily got the best of her. Knowing that with Samuel so close to her, he would be able to whisk her away as quickly as Osamu did, but with his strong arm around her it was impossible, no matter what the both of them wanted. Their friendship was to be pulled apart once more. More tears dropped, more readily than before, and Hoshiko managed to answer Samuel between her sobs.

"I trust you Samuel...I trust you..." She spoke to him as gently as she could, trying to stifle her tears so he could make out her words. "I know...I can...trust you. And I'll stay strong...for you..."

It was all Hoshiko could say before Osamu jerked her hand away from Samuel. But this time he actually stopped, letting Samuel's face remain near to Hoshiko's. He knew of Samuel's type of personality. Even though he had a tough exterior, inside he was a bleeding heart for his friend. Osamu also knew how to damage Samuel more than even the brunt of his force could.

"Don't worry, Samuel..." He said mockingly, raising Hoshiko's hand between her and Samuel's faces so that he could get a good look at it. He wrapped his hand completely around the fist he had made of his young wife's, and Osamu kept tightening his hand around her small fist until Hoshiko was squirming in his arms in pain. With small cracking noises, Hoshiko's tears turned from desperation to agony.

"You've done well to fuel my fire." He kept the girl's hand in his still crushing it with his sheer force. "But you won't be coming back to Ecruteak with me. Hoshiko will be though." And taking Hoshiko's hand he placed it back into Samuel's so he could see just how much damage he was able to do in such a short time. Hoshiko's hand was practically mangled. "And there's a lot more where that came from." Tilting his head Osamu had a sick smile on his face. "Remember Hoshiko, that's courtesy of your_...friend_."

"I'm not listening to you, Bastard..." Hoshiko seethed between whimpers at Osamu before looking sympathetically at Samuel as if to apologize for what Osamu had done to her.

Samuel bit back the emotion as he felt Hoshiko's injured hand. He couldn't believe what Osamu had done, and so casually to the woman that he was supposed to love and care for. Even if Samuel wasn't much of a man by most people's standards...even if he was a dirty little scoundrel running amok and starting trouble, he knew that it wasn't right.

And suddenly, the rage inside of him was so strong that he couldn't contain his fury. He _wanted_ to punch Osamu in the face and break his jaw in several places, but he couldn't. The police would be all over him before he had a chance to lift a finger... and then _he'd_ be the one behind bars. But he had to get back at Osamu somehow, and he had to at least try to get Hoshiko free. Maybe Osamu's grip was too tight right now...but if he could just anger Osamu enough towards him...maybe..._maybe_ he would let go of the poor girl.

Samuel's voice shook a little and he closed his eyes, his heart torn with sadness and anger. He couldn't believe the pain Osamu had put Hoshiko through just to prove a point.

"I'm sorry, Hoshiko." His voice almost broke, but he managed to control it. Then he lowered his voice so that it was quieter, not wanting Osamu to hear him and lash out at Hoshiko again. He had to redirect the anger to himself...he just had to. And he couldn't let her go to Ecruteak now... If Osamu could do what he had done so quickly...there was no chance Samuel was going to let him take her.

"You'll be free..." He said quietly. Then, as if to demonstrate that Osamu was not capable of being a husband, Samuel went with his gut instinct, despite his reservations. If it could help Hoshiko get free...

He kissed her, quite purposefully.

The gesture terrified him, because he knew that Osamu could probably break his arms, but that was the least of his concerns. He was a very awkward young man in general, and was not particularly comfortable with the ladies as it was. Women made him nervous and sometimes nauseous, although he wouldn't ever tell any of them that. Least of all Hoshiko... She was such a good friend to him that he felt rather guilty for manipulating the situation...even if it was meant to help her. He didn't want Hoshiko to be upset with him, and that was more of an overriding factor. He was afraid to hurt her, or to give her the wrong idea, but he needed to try something..._anything_ that might work. And anything to prove Osamu was a horrible, wretched man.

Inside, he steeled himself for a conflict he knew was coming. He just wished he knew from what angle and whether or not it would be the chance he needed to grab Hoshiko and run. Just in case he needed it, his free hand slipped down to the chain around his waist and began to loosen a pokéball: his only lifeline if things turned sour at this point.

Samuel's plan, although by almost any standards would have succeeded in making his opponent angry, failed entirely. He was dealing with a different breed of human. Osamu, watching the scene play out didn't have an emotion of any sort on his face. Instead he kept his eyes on Samuel with a blank stare, knowing that for the first part, he would let Hoshiko do his job for him.

And without wanting to or without even knowing it or being able to control herself, she did. The girl's whole body went tense and her eyes widened, she'd been forced into kissing Osamu so many times that the Samuel's action only sickened her and struck her with terror. Samuel, the person who she trusted the most, her only true friend, now had done something that reminded her of the horrors Osamu had put her through.

It wasn't even something she could turn off; the feeling was so burnt into her mind. And watching Samuel for a moment before Osamu would pull her away from Samuel, more tears streamed down Hoshiko's cheeks. As soon as she had been taken a couple of steps away from Samuel, Hoshiko's head dropped, unsure of what to think. No doubt Samuel had some sort of idea of how that might have worked out for the better, but Hoshiko could never perceive how or why.

Osamu was pleased. Tilting his head so that he could look down his nose as Samuel, the man chuckled softly.

"What a very interesting person you are, Samuel. You're a wayward spirit, just like my wife. But there's one thing that you never took into account. I, unlike both of you, have been raised to be level-headed. I don't react on my emotions. I react the way that will get me what I want. And what I want right now is to make both of you obey and learn that you are to be where you belong. Under the feet of people like me." He made sure his grip was tight on Hoshiko. "And I will be crushing Hoshiko until she becomes obedient to me, and in turn that will make you listen also, so that you won't have to witness her suffering." He closed his eyes, missing a pitiful and sympathetic glance that Hoshiko cast at Samuel.

Reaching for her neck with her able hand, Hoshiko tore her necklace away from her neck, the one with the precious frog that Koichi had made her and the bullet to prove her survival. Thrusting it forward, Hoshiko tossed it to Samuel.

"I still trust you..." Her eyes were watering, but her tears were almost spent. "Bring it back to me, Samuel! I know you can. I know you will. It's my prized possession, just like our friendship..." Hoshiko had realized after Osamu's speech why Samuel had done what he did...and wanted to show him that she still trusted in him and knew he cared. "Bring it back to me Samuel Oak! You have to promise!" She was now struggling against Osamu who was holding a hand at her mouth, but Hoshiko didn't care. Samuel had what she wanted him to.

Samuel captured the necklace and looked down at it, feeling strangely numb and dazed by Osamu's reaction. It was if something in his mind had been turned off all of the sudden. He found it hard to breathe when he realized his plan had failed.

The only thing that offered any comfort whatsoever was the bullet in his hand. He looked down at it, the rest of his body completely frozen in what could only have been some sort of paralysis of desperation. It took a long time before he was able to speak. He had failed so miserably that his voice was barely a hoarse whisper as Hoshiko was pulled away.

"I...I promise..." He looked at Osamu and then at Hoshiko, a look of sadness and apology written across his features. The only things playing through his mind were thoughts of failure...over and over again. "I'll bring it back, Hoshiko. You can count on it!"

Hoshiko watched Samuel, and nodded, feeling her heart beating out of her chest as promised to bring it back to her. It felt like her life would depend on that promise and in a strange sort of way, it kind of did. Finding his voice again, Samuel turned to Osamu and narrowed his eyes angrily.

"You'll never get rid of me, Fool. Just because you and I are different doesn't mean you can best me." His blue eyes flashed angrily. "You have no idea the things I've faced and survived. You'll be the least of them."

"Oh yes, Samuel Oak. That is true indeed." A chilling voice called out from behind the young man. "You'll find a great deal more contention from me."

Before Samuel could say anything more, a person stepped out of the general crowd of city goers and threw a pokéball. From it emerged none other than the fierce Jamirus. But Samuel didn't even have time to turn and see what was happening. All he knew was a sharp feeling of pain in his back as the large pokémon slammed him to the ground and dug its claws into his flesh, pinning him there. His cheek now pressed hard against the cold stone, Samuel clawed desperately in pain to try and get away, but his hand was met with a firm stomp of Hart's boot. The dark man looked at Osamu with a wide and evil grin, seemingly pleased that Hoshiko was being restrained.

"I have to thank you, Sir." He said to Osamu, "For holding off that petulant girl and distracting my quarry long enough that I could get what I want too. You have no idea how slippery this young man is."

Jamirus screeched in agreement.

Hoshiko's face twisted with horror, but she couldn't say anything because of Osamu's hand pressed firmly over her mouth. Instead she narrowed her eyes threateningly at Hart, wishing she could attack him. Osamu smirked in pleasure as he saw Samuel fall and Hart turn to him.

"You're welcome, but I must thank you also. I've been trying to get that monkey off my back for quite some time now." He nodded blandly to Samuel.

Hoshiko would have none of it. She swiftly bit Osamu's finger, making him let go of her for even a second, and she seized his wrist with her own able hand. She knew she couldn't hold him off for long, but she didn't care.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE HART!" She cried out angrily. "LEAVE SAMUEL ALONE!"

Hart sneered at Hoshiko and casually folded his hands behind his back. It was clear that he had no intention of heeding Hoshiko's demand.

"Ah, my dear. How I wish I could. But you see..." He gestured to Samuel, who was squirming in pain as Jamirus held him in place. "Samuel owes me something, and he promised he would take me to the lab. Now... You made a promise to me as well...which you broke, and I have forgiven you." He laughed cruelly. "You should be thankful."

He strolled over to Samuel and nudged the toe of his boot under Samuel's throat, lifting the boy's head awkwardly as Jamirus kept him pinned. "After all, it could have been you in Jamirus' claws as well. He may not be strong enough to fight that wretched white mongrel, but he's more than powerful enough to rip a human being limb from limb. Two would be little extra effort." He jerked his foot out from under Samuel's chin so that the boy's head struck the ground, and slowly Hart turned back to Hoshiko. "You won't be seeing him again." Hart laughed cruelly. "You can bet on it."

The sound of growlithe barking nearby caught Hart's attention mid-sentence, and when he looked up, he realized that the police had seen him. They were already starting down the steps of the station. "But, our time here is finished. We must bid you adieu!" He laughed and jerked Samuel to his feet, without calling Jamirus off. The resulting wound that was slashed all the way down the length of Samuel's back made him scream out in pain. "Say goodbye to your little girlfriend." Hart snapped at Samuel. "Your new life with _me_ is about to begin."

With a cold cackle, he turned to the sky. A helicopter rose from nearby and its beating blades spread wind across the plaza as it lowered down. Hart hopped in quickly, and summoned Jamirus to follow. The big griffin carried Samuel with it, and before the police got there, the chopper was already too high in the air for them to stop.


	14. Between Man and Beast

**Chapter 14: Between Man and Beast**

As Samuel walked through the underground waterways of Domus Isle, he felt time all but slow to a halt around him. The passageways seemed longer than usual, the tunnels narrower, the impoverished residents quieter and more distant. He felt isolated and alone. His pokéballs had been stripped from his belt, and without them he was powerless against the men with guns that walked slowly behind him. Hart's heavy booted footsteps forced him to keep moving in time with them. But Samuel had disconnected himself from reality.

All he had keeping him attached to it was the necklace Hoshiko had given him. He hadn't let that go, and he was _still_ absolutely certain that he would be bringing it back to her. But how and when…that was another story. The walk to the lab seemed surreal, and Samuel was almost completely numb as he came to the huge metal door. He laid his hand against the cold metal and reached into his pouch for the key that he kept in his bag.

The helicopter ride across the ocean was all a blur. Samuel didn't know why that was. It had just seemed so unreal, and it still did, as if he had been asleep the entire time. Even now he wondered if he wasn't just stuck in a nightmare. He now faced the one thing he hadn't wanted to do. Exposing Snap's lab meant all of this running had been for naught.

The door opened with a rusty creak, and the group stepped inside. Samuel moved out of the way, allowing Hart to pass while two gunmen kept their weapons trained on the young man. All Samuel could do was watch as Hart made his way over to the huge library on the far wall.

"So this….this is finally it." He said, running his fingers over the dusty book bindings. "At last I'll know the secrets of Snap's entrepreneurial spirit. I'll make millions."

"For your information," Samuel frowned slightly. "Snap wasn't out to make millions. Nothing you find in here will tell you how to get rich quick. Snap was a madman. If you want to be mad too, that's all well and good, but I should tell you that madmen have a tendency to meet unsavory endings."

Hart turned slowly to face Samuel and glared. "Are you threatening me, Boy?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. I'm just letting you know right now… What Snap was after ultimately killed him. It would be no better for you if you delved into it."

"We'll see about that." Hart growled, noticing a large, metal-barred cell in the far corner of the lab. He nodded to his men to direct Samuel there, and to young Oak's dismay, he was thrown in, the door locked.

Sighing in miserable frustration, he simply went to go sit down, hiding his bag under the dark wooden bench that sat in the corner. The bag contained the only thing that Samuel didn't want Hart to see now: Snap's old research on dark matter. It was tucked safely away within Samuel's journal, not meant for the eyes of anyone else.

* * *

For some indeterminate but excessively long amount of time, Samuel slept on and off, using the hard bench as his bed. He could hear the rustling of pages and the sound of books slamming to the ground or on desks frequently. Just as often, he heard the frustrated grunts of Hart and his men as they perused all of the material in the library, bit by bit. A little smirk crawled over Samuel's face at the sounds. It was a small consolation knowing that Hart wouldn't find much of use except for the equipment. And even then, since Hart was no scientist, he probably didn't care about that stuff.

It became painfully obvious that there were days upon days, maybe even weeks of information stored on Snap's shelves even at the rate that Hart was going through everything. Samuel eventually made an effort to ignore the noise, and whenever Hart wasn't paying him any attention at all, the young man took time to sneak Hoshiko's letter box from his bag so that he could go through it little by little. He was surprised by how much she'd written at first, but by the time he got to the end of it all, he was disappointed there wasn't more. He read each one numerous times, always imagining her and what she was going through when she wrote to him.

_Dear Samuel,_

_ It's been awhile since you left, but I still think about the last time I saw you a lot. It makes Osamu mad when I talk about you though, so I decided I should just write letters instead. Speaking of Osamu, he's been pretty tough on me. He doesn't like it when I go out, even though it's not like I have much time to myself anyway. He likes to keep me in his sight, and if I try to sneak off, he always grabs me and pulls me around with him wherever he goes. It makes me mad, and he leaves bruises on my wrist. But don't worry; I won't let him hurt me badly. I never let him catch me when I go to the gardens, and when I'm alone in my room or sitting under the lanterns in the Tower, I have time to write and think without him bothering me._

_ I wish I had more time to myself though. Or better yet, I wish you were back so I could get out of here. I miss the times we spent together (even though they were sometimes pretty rough). It was so amazing, sleeping under the stars and always smelling the fresh air, running free and visiting different towns. I had fun meeting new people and even facing natural disasters. I really hope to be able to do all of that again someday. Come back for me, okay?_

_ ~Your travel buddy,_

_ Hoshiko_

_Dear Samuel,_

_ You know, I would have never thought that dancing could be such a bore. Don't get me wrong, I still love to dance and play the flute, but lately it's just been so tedious. Maybe it's because my arm still hurts and my chest cramps every time I move around for too long, right under where the scar is, but I never can wait until practice is over and done with._

_ I would much rather be hanging out with you. If we were still wandering the world together, I would want to see more far-off places. Sometimes I picture us sitting on the beach, watching the waves or suddenly leaping up to chase each other through the sand. I imagine what it would be like to visit farms and ranches, and taste the fresh milk and walk around with the pokémon, learning all about how the simple life works. We could even pick fresh fruits and vegetables, and I could make dinner for us. Someday, I would even like to go to Kanto. There are so many cities there, it's amazing. I looked at it on a map today. It was fun to think of seeing all those places with you. Of course, Ace would probably make us do more productive things. But who's to say we couldn't sneak off and explore on our own sometime?_

_ ~Ever adventurous,_

_ Hoshiko_

_Dear Samuel,_

_ Guess what! My arm is all better now, and it doesn't hurt to move it any more either. Sometimes I feel a little achy when the rain is coming in, but it's not so bad. The downside is I have to prepare all the family meals again, and practice for dancing and pokémon training is every single day. Eevee likes it though, because she's getting out more. And I caught her sneaking rice balls from the table. I chased her off and pretended I was mad so that my sisters wouldn't go after her instead, but later I snuck her more onigiri and some noodles. She was delighted. When we see each other again, I'll cook food for all of our monsters. Even Ace. I bet he'd love that. Just tell him not to eat it all…_

_ ~Aspiring chef,_

_Hoshiko_

_Dear Samuel,_

_ It's just terrible….Osamu came by today and announced that he was ready to go and sign the marriage papers to make it official, even though it's still a long time before the wedding! I don't want to get married, Samuel! I can't even imagine what it might be like being stuck with him constantly. Even now he's always hovering, watching and waiting, as if he expects me to do something that will make him angry. He's like a shadow hanging over me all the time, but if I tell him to leave me be, he hits me…._

_ I tried to talk to him, like a normal human being. You know, like me and you used to talk all the time during our travels. He's not a conversationalist. He gets angry if I have too many ideas outside of housework and the Dance Theater. He thinks I should be seen and not heard. When I do talk about the mundane, every day things, he just ignores me. But he expects me to listen to his every frustration and hang on his words like my life depends on it. I don't know how much more I can take!_

_ ~ Getting desperate,_

_ Hoshiko_

_Dear Samuel,_

_ Well, it's done. We went by the courthouse today and had the papers signed. We're officially married, and already things are looking grim. As soon as we got back, the first thing he requested was some of our family's land on which to build the house that will be ours. The next thing he did was try to force me into the bedroom. _

_He wants children, but I'm just a kid myself! Even if I were to accept his advances (which I won't), I'm not ready for a family yet! I told him I wasn't ready, and he got really mad. He started yelling and he started throwing things. He broke a bunch of stuff, but I plan to keep holding my ground on this matter. He'll have to torture me. I'm not having his babies. That's final._

_ ~Come back soon,_

_ Hoshiko_

_Samuel,_

_ It hurts…every day. I still haven't given in, but it's making Osamu more and more angry. He takes me with him almost everywhere now, so that he can keep an eye on me, and when we're alone, he beats me and tells me that I'm a horrible wife and a disgusting person for not living by the laws of nature and giving him the family he deserves. I almost think he likes seeing me cry out in pain._

_ Now I'm starting to appreciate dancing again. It's one of the only times I get to be completely away from him, because my family won't allow him at the Theater. It's still rigid, and it's difficult and painful with all these bruises, but while I'm dancing, I don't have to think about Osamu at all. I can just free my mind and try to imagine that I'm dancing for you instead._

_ ~Missing you terribly,_

_ Hoshiko_

_Dear Samuel,_

_Lately I've been trying to get out more and more. Whenever I get the chance, I run from Osamu and go to the Tower or hide in the bamboo gardens. I know when he catches me that he'll be furious. He always is, and each time he hits me harder and yells louder. But he can't make me stop. Coming out here is the only way I can write to you anymore. Otherwise he's always over my shoulder, demanding to know what I'm doing and why. After all, according to him, I have nothing worth doing except work and serving him._

_Out here the sun shines softly through the slim leaves and tall bamboo stalks. I hear the bird pokémon singing in the forest, and the water fountain bubbling softly over the rocks. The air is fresh, and in all of the shadows, it's easy to stay hidden long enough to jot a few things down. It would be nice if I didn't have to hide. This place really is wonderful, but I would much rather be sharing it with you, without Osamu lurking wherever he might be, always searching and trying to drag me back home._

_Uh oh…. I think he's coming. I'd better hide these._

_ ~Hoshiko_

With a soft sigh, Samuel thought about poor Hoshiko. True, everything that had transpired in these letters was all past and some of it had even been mentioned by Hoshiko already. However, that didn't lessen the impact of the emotion that Hoshiko put into each one. It made Samuel miss her more, and wish that he could go back to her, somehow. It also worried him. If things had been so hard for her before, he knew somewhere deep inside that they had to be much worse now. It scared him, and he only hoped that she would be okay.

_I'll be there, Hoshiko. I promised, and I'll come._

A loud, irate shout rang through the room and interrupted his quiet thoughts. Samuel tucked the letters away and hid the bag back under the bench. He went back to sleep, thinking of Hoshiko even in his dreams.

When he woke up one day, he heard Hart's voice calling his name. He stirred and rolled over lazily to look towards the cell bars. The shadow of the man was familiar enough by now, but not welcome.

"You gonna feed me?" Samuel asked blandly. "Cuz I know I've been in here more than two days, and you losers have only brought me a couple sips of water."

"Where is Snap's research?" Hart growled, sliding the bars open and walking over to Samuel slowly. He loomed with dark anger flaming in his eyes.

"I told you there wasn't anything here you could use." Samuel folded his arms. "You really should listen to me sometime. Might save you a lot of trou—"

Hart's hand went around Samuel's throat. "Don't TOY with me! If you won't be useful, I'll kill you right here and right now! It's time you either give me what I want or suffer the consequences!" His hand constricted Samuel's airway, and it became dreadfully clear that he wasn't bluffing. Clawing at Hart's fingers to try and free himself, Samuel fought…but the man was stronger, and slammed him hard against the stone wall, pinning him there and bringing his face so close to Samuel's that he could smell Hart's foul breath and see every impurity of his skin. "You know _something_, Kid!" Hart spat, "And don't you pretend it's not true!"

Samuel could see spots forming in front of his eyes from lack of oxygen, and he started to feel light-headed. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, coughing and gasping to fill his starved lungs.

"Well, well…" He heard Hart's voice. "What have we here?"

Samuel's head snapped up, and he fought back a wave of dizziness as his vision adjusted to see that Hart had discovered his bag and was pulling it out from under the bench. He held his breath, knowing that if he cried out for Hart to stop it would only encourage the man to look more. But even as Samuel hoped he would decide the bag was worthless, Hart wound up digging around inside… and he found both Igor and Snap's journals.

"Ah…this must be it." He smirked and clutched the books to his chest, tucking Samuel's bag under his other arm. "No thanks to you." He turned and started walking away. Horrified, Samuel realized that he was leaving…and locking the door again.

"Hey!" Samuel coughed and stumbled to his feet. "You can't just leave me here!"

"On the contrary, Mr. Oak. I have every intention of doing just that. You've screwed with me enough, I think, and you've not given me anything I wanted. You had what I wanted the entire time. If you would have given me Snap's journal in the first place, I might be more inclined to let you go. But as it is I think it's more suiting that you starve."

Samuel's eyes widened in horror, and he ran up to the bars, gripping them and watching as Hart dropped his bag on the floor and walked towards the door to the waterways.

"Here is where we part ways, Samuel!" Hart laughed. "It's been fun, but really I have stayed all too long. Enjoy your lab." He sneered, and left Samuel alone.

Snap's research—utterly useless for anyone who wanted to make money—was the perfect tool for the madman who wanted control and power. Snap had been insane, and his pursuits worse. But now Samuel's mission to hide all of that forever had been royally screwed over. For the next few days, that was all Samuel could think about. He was hungry, but not hungry enough to spend a great deal of concern worrying about that. Thirst was his more immediate problem, and he found that he could keep from becoming too dehydrated too quickly by hanging around the wall where the water pipes ran to drink from the meager leaks that streamed down.

But soon enough, gnawing hunger and parching thirst overcame all of his conscious musings. He realized he was going to die in that cell, completely alone, with no hope of escape. And whatever Hart was up to….well, that would be something he'd never know. Exhausted and ready to give up, Samuel lay down and closed his eyes, hoping that it would be the last time.

But something inside stirred him to wake, and he suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline. He still had Hoshiko's necklace, and he needed to give it back. He couldn't very well do that if he was dead. Forcing himself to sit up, he looked around the dark cell and frowned. Without his bag he had nothing to help him escape. His bag was the only thing that had any items in it of use. But it was too far out of reach.

Then it hit him. If he used the scarf that he always wore around his waist and the new scarf around his neck, he might be able to fashion a lasso that he could use to pull his bag back into the cell. Swiftly, he untied both garments and made the knotted rope with the loop on it. Running to the edge of the cell, he cast it out and tried for his bag… but to his dismay it was way too short.

Furious, Samuel realized that he needed more cloth…

He took off his vest and rolled it as long as he could make it, adding it to the length. Still not enough. He took off his chain and integrated it into the tie. Much closer….but still just short. Exasperated, he collapsed to the floor, his stomach rumbling hungrily and his throat burning with thirst. He was beginning to hear things…

Overhead he could hear explosions…hammering…yelling. A whole gamut of noise that was maddening enough without being locked away. He felt delirious.

"Damnit… I gotta get out of here….." He sighed. Looking down at his waist, he decided that it was all he could do now to remove his pants and add them to the now very awkward lasso. It would be a miracle if he could manage to snag anything this way.

When the knot was tied, he crawled across the floor on his bare belly and stopped at the bars. He carefully eyed his target, and threw his rope. An awkward miss…by a lot. He grunted and tried again…and again. Just how many times he tried in succession began to elude him, but it became an obsession. He began to get a rhythm. Aim, throw, pull back, aim throw pull back. Again and again. Nonstop.

The sounds overhead started to get louder, but he just integrated the banging into his rhythm. Aim….throw….

His heart skipped a beat. The loop of the lasso landed about his bag! For a long moment, he lay there; too scared to try and pull it close for fear he'd lose it. But, ever so slowly, he began to draw it through…and once the bag was on his arms he never thought he'd been so happy in his life.

Inside of the bag was a knife. And, having the experience he did, he knew he could pick a lock with it. Pulling the weapon out he began to fiddle with the lock on the jail cell. The rest…was history.

His stomach still raged with hunger, but the lab had a sink with running water at least, and he drank from that until he could drink no more. Refreshed at last, Samuel dressed himself again, shouldered his bag, and soon found himself running down the waterways, exhilarated. He had to get out into the light, out to the port where everything was safe and he could be—

* * *

He froze as he emerged to face the gleaming port city. It took a moment for his vision to adjust to the sudden light, but when it did, he realized he was facing a literal nightmare. The sounds he had heard while down underground were not from delirium after all. The city had been under attack…and now many of the buildings were in ruin. To his shock and frustration, Hart stood at the center of the destruction, but the man didn't quite seem like he was in charge. In fact, even from the distance Samuel was at, he could tell by Hart's posture that the man was almost as bewildered as he was.

At either side of him stood two huge pokémon, the likes of which Samuel had never seen before. One had four legs and was a polished blue color, as if its body was made of melted, flowing steel. Its long neck stretched towards the sky and its gleaming head shone as if covered by an ornate, elongated helmet. The other stood on two legs and was white with pinkish markings. It's thick, scaly tail and flat, toothy face took away from the beauty of the creature's elegantly feathered, white wings. Both monsters had very terrifying power, judging by the way they were standing over Hart. But Hart wasn't their focus.

No….they were facing something else….Something that Samuel knew all too well.

His heart stopped, and when it started again it was going a hundred times faster. "Ace…." He whispered to himself.

"Leave the human out of this!" Ace roared, his voice deadly fierce as he faced the monsters. "Dialga! Palkia! He does not know or even _begin_ to understand what he is getting into!"

The two large pokémon seemed to be looking at Ace, but from what Samuel could tell, they weren't communicating in any way that he himself could understand. Apparently though, Ace knew exactly what they were saying.

"Arceus is using you. Both of you—" Arceus? Samuel went on listening curiously. "—Don't you see it? You are nothing to him but vessels in which he can store his power and whom he can order around to complete his every goal. Don't be foolish! Don't drag this human down with you! You can't win! You _will_ die if you do not forsake Arceus and forget this nonsense about the gates! Return from the blackness from whence you came!"

Dialga and Palkia did not agree…and it was obvious as they both roared in response.

"I am a traitor to our creator." Ace answered them. "But I know that it is the right thing to do! The demon king has already destroyed worlds for his sake, made them havens of darkness. This one will _not_ be one of them."

Hart stepped forward slowly, between Dialga and Palkia, facing Ace. "Well, Paws." He said at last. "As much as I appreciate you being all heroic and coming to my rescue, it doesn't seem that I actually need it. In fact….these monsters have both given me a very delightful proposition."

Ace's head snapped up. "What?!"

"Apparently…they will serve my every whim if I simply help them help myself."

Ace began to growl. "You fool….Dialga and Palkia are not speaking to you! That is the thought the demon king has put in your head! They will help nobody but themselves!" Ace looked around furiously and snarled, "Arceus! Show yourself to me! I know you are here, and I shall not allow you to brainwash this human!"

At that moment, Samuel felt a bone-chilling laugh echo out of nowhere and everywhere at once. It reminded him of Mt. Arcanine. A feeling of cold came over him, but it faded as quickly as it came. Still, Samuel remained uneasy.

"I'm sorry, Fluffy." Hart shook his head slowly. "I want to be rich. And I can tell you right now….these pokémon are going to make me the richest man in the world. I won't need to work ever again. All I have to do is collect darkonium, give it to them, and they will do anything I want. I'll win every tourney, all across the world. I'll make millions just by being a trainer. And _think_ of how much people will pay to _see_ these creatures!"

"Hart!" Ace growled, "You don't know what you're getting into!"

"Oh but I do." The man responded with a laugh. "The good life!"

"Do you really think Dialga and Palkia will obey _you_?! They care nothing for you or your ambitions! You see how they've damaged this city?! They'll do worse to your life if you don't give this up right now!"

"He's right!"

Ace suddenly looked over his shoulder, and Dialga and Palkia lifted their heads with low growls as they noticed the form of Samuel running towards them. The young man stopped beside Ace and paused for a breath. Ace stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. Hart did the same, but even more so.

"How the hell are you still alive, and how did you get _out_?!" Hart blasted.

"It doesn't matter!" Samuel frowned. "But I can tell you right here and now that if you get involved with these…these monsters and darkonium, you're going to wish you hadn't!"

"There you go threatening me again! Where do you get off messing around with me, Boy!?" He looked up at Dialga and Palkia. "Alright, I'll get your darkonium for you. But to seal our little pact, let's start things off on the right foot." He pointed at Samuel. "Kill him!"

The two huge dragon pokémon surged forward, mouths gaping open and unleashing beams of energy so bright that they completely blinded Samuel. Suddenly, it felt as if Samuel was hit by a ton of bricks, and then thrown several feet to land on the rock-hard ground. He could have sworn he'd felt his ribs cracking.

An explosion rang out from not too far away, and rock debris came showering down, clattering all around him. It was in that moment that he realized he was being sheltered by the huge form of the Incarnus. The rocks struck Ace's armor and rolled off. The attack from the dragons had missed entirely.

"Ace…." Samuel found himself looking up at the big wolf's face.

And to his surprise, Ace's eyes were smiling at him. The Incarnus lowered his head and lightly touched Samuel's cheek with his nose, and even though Samuel was still upset about Ace's convictions… All that the boy wanted to do was throw his arms around the big wolf monster's neck and never let go.

"Thank you..." He whispered.

"No...Thank _you_." Ace licked him with surprising affection, and although Samuel normally would have protested, this time he didn't.

But there wasn't time for anything else. A second attack came, and this time Ace was forced to grab Samuel by the collar of his shirt and toss him up into the air to catch him on his back. Samuel landed with an uncomfortable _thump, _his legs dangling at Ace's sides. Shortly after, Ace also landed—on the ground. The damage to the once beautiful path at his feet smoked and even glowed with heat from the dragon attacks. The two massive creatures were now coming straight towards them. The blue one, Dialga, sprang into the air. Palkia leapt at them with its massive back legs. Even so, Samuel held on tight, now seated firmly in the one place where he felt completely safe. This was going to be one heck of a ride.


	15. A Caged Bird

**Chapter 15: A Caged Bird**

Nothing was more agonizing than leaving Cerulean without Samuel, knowing that he was in the clutches of Kaiser Hart, a man that Hoshiko had horrific personal experience with. He was a heartless man, one who had left her for dead with a fatal bullet wound. The only hope that Hoshiko had was that the bullet that had subsequently been removed from inside her body would prove to Samuel that he too could survive treatment from such a cruel man and that the frog that Koichi had so lovingly given to her would bring him safely home. With more concern in her heart for Samuel, Hoshiko hid her mind from the reality of what lie in wait for her back in her own hometown.

Simply replaying the moment in which she had called out one last time, desperately, for Samuel before he vanished, all the words that her family said or the threats that Osamu whispered in her ear blended into noise that meant virtually nothing. That was until Osamu's words became Hoshiko's terrifying reality.

Her hand which had been damaged in front of Samuel felt like a pin prick of pain compared to the abuse that her husband later dealt Hoshiko. She was ensnared with no hope of escape, and forced into worse conditions than when Samuel had rescued her after her wedding. In fact, it was much worse, and not just by the standards of living conditions.

The first of the issues came when Hoshiko was no longer welcomed back into her family home as a beloved daughter. She had thought that the term 'beloved' was so ironic before, when she felt trapped in among her sisters living with her mother. Now she realized that she was sorely mistaken. She had never thought she'd long to go back to the place that was once her prison, but she almost craved it now. Still, she longed for Samuel's return to rescue her even more.

A house had been prepared for her and Osamu, as husband and wife. Husband and wife: those two words made Hoshiko wish she was no less than dead. Some days the option looked a lot more appealing than spending another day to please Osamu. She was forced to become submissive to him after having her will beaten into the ground, quite literally. The walls of her new home were more a prison than even the halls of the Dancing Theater. She had no key, and often the door was locked so that she couldn't leave. She was kept in the darkness of a house that held her captive and isolated from the rest of the world. Nobody outside could see her or hear her cries for mercy as her husband forced her obedience, day in and day out, each time breaking more ad more of her spirit with cruel words and even more painful blows.

Only on days when she worked at the Dance Theater or was scheduled to train for either pokémon or dancing was Hoshiko allowed out. On such days, she was made to keep her hair long and her face painted white day in and day out, if only to hide all of the bruises that Osamu caused her rather than out of respect for tradition.

The first of the worst arguments was over the one thing that allowed Hoshiko to maintain even a shred of hope in her body; Samuel's scarf. It was the only thing she had ever truly fought Osamu over, even in so far as to attack him to get it back. Surprisingly, from Hoshiko's sheer will, she had been able to retrieve it before Osamu burnt the precious article over an open flame. However it wasn't from the hands of her husband that Hoshiko pulled it, but from the flames before they licked the scarf away to make ashes out of it. She incurred burns across her entire right arm in its rescue, and while she was able to keep the scarf, the damaged and blistering skin made the burned arm the prime target every time Osamu reached to grab her and drag her wherever he intended for her to go.

Days and night passed surreally, Hoshiko's mind becoming more and more numb from pain and grief until at last the girl hit her breaking point. It had been too long. Her sickness over worrying about Samuel had become too much, and Osamu had gone too far, pushing Hoshiko into more and more of what she never wanted.

And so, as a broken china doll still being used and a bird with clipped wings, Hoshiko obeyed Osamu's every wish. The only reason left for her to live was the scarf that lay tucked in the fold of her kimono, just over her heart. Even that tiny bit of hope was starting to fade, starting to forsake her, making Hoshiko believe that all hope had been lost. It hugged her chest day after day, taunting her every time she looked at it, reminding her that he wasn't here with her. She began to feel that Samuel was dead, and that soon she would be too, leaving all their effort for naught.

"...Samuel..." Her voice whispered his name gently, as she reached into her kimono folds to grasp the scarf.

In her other hand she held a white handkerchief, which she dabbed delicately at her eyes. She nearly dropped it, for as soon as she barely murmured her friend's name, Hoshiko felt a sharp pain across her cheek that traveled briskly into her jaw and rattled her skull. Osamu's palm left a red mark across the whole side of her face. Hoshiko's head simply dropped as she sat in one of the dark corners of their home, coughing blood into the delicate kerchief clutched in her fingers.

Osamu looked down distastefully on Hoshiko, kicking her leg as hard as he could and watching the girl cringe and cry in pain as he added injury upon bruises that were already his responsibility. She wouldn't say another word now and he knew it.

"Your precious friend is gone. Don't waste your breath on him when you should show affection towards me." He smirked, leaning down to Hoshiko and tilting her head so that he could place a passionate kiss on Hoshiko's lips. He continued until she reciprocated his actions kissed him back with reluctant, forced passion. At last breaking the kiss, he stood once more. "I'll be back at sundown. I want my meal ready then." And without another word or any regard for Hoshiko's physical condition, Osamu turned to leave the house.

He exited into the bright sunlight shining down on the peaceful Zen like village, having to shield his eyes until they adjusted from the darkness of his home. Hoshiko wouldn't know of the beautiful day outside. She was simply a form slumped over in pain in a shadowed corner of a locked room.


	16. Some Kind of White Knight

**Chapter 16: Some Kind of White Knight**

Four white paws landed solidly on the stone paths of Ecruteak's city streets. A gust of wind blew and rustled long, white fur and the tattered, well-worn and used clothes of the beast's rider. A familiar young man surveyed the town from atop his monster, and his blue eyes locked on the Dance Theater.

"Find her, Ace."

The white wolf obeyed in sheer silence, putting his nose alternately to the air and to the ground. They first made their way to the Theater, but when no scent of Hoshiko's current presence lingered there, Ace followed the scent on the wind until he stopped in front of the house that was her prison.

"She's here..." The monster's voice was rich and deep as ever, but purposely quiet, in case anyone was around to listen.

Samuel scratched the back of Ace's neck and patted the big dog's shoulder before sliding off. Although the two of them still had major differences, they had enough in common to want to free Hoshiko. Not to mention the past they had shared together meant a lot more to both of them than either would ever admit. Ace knew that his love for Samuel was the very thing that he was so adamantly fighting against. The stronger pokémon became connected to humans, the firmer the hold the demon king had on the world. But even knowing that wasn't enough to force Ace to forsake the boy.

_I will die to pay for my crime..._ He reminded himself in his head, _as it should be._

"Keep watch." Samuel's voice snapped him out of his reflections, "I'm going to get her out of there."

Samuel was a different story. To him the bond between people and pokémon was one to be cherished and revered. Nevermind the fact that Ace insisted it only tied human souls to the darkness from whence they could never return. His bond with Ace, in that case was even stronger now, and he supposed he was spiritually entangled in the darkest of the dark at this point if Ace was right. But honestly, he didn't care one bit. His biggest concern was his own ego. He didn't want to seem like the big softy that he really was, and he didn't want Hoshiko to see just how _much_ he loved Ace. The girl really had no idea, and he supposed it was for the best.

Samuel slunk around the side of the building, keeping to the bushes until he stopped underneath a window. Having retrieved the remainder of his belongings after an extensive and devastating battle with Hart, Samuel was again armed and able to make use of all of his favorite tools. Slowly, the boy called out one of his pokémon: a large bird of prey by the name of Garuda. It emerged and spread its great eagle wings in an imposing display of power.

"Okay..." He whispered to it. "You know what to do."

The bird nodded and flapped its wings, rising off the ground and hovering just in front of the window. It put its large talons against the glass, and suddenly its feet were alight with flames. Samuel watched, and waited, as the window became super-heated so that it glowed red-hot.

"Okay. Now."

Garuda followed the plan that Samuel laid out before they'd arrived at Ecruteak, and thrust its claw through the molten window, punching a very wide hole through it that pointed into the building, like a funnel. Because the glass was molten, it didn't shatter or make any noise. When the hole was big enough for Samuel to climb through, the bird retracted its claw and moved back, allowing the glass to cool.

Samuel waited, and once the window was a tolerable temperature, he climbed right through it and into the building. Landing on the floor, he rolled and stood to his feet in one motion, dusting himself off and mumbling to himself.

"I'm getting good at this. If I wanted to, I could be a professional kidnapper." He laughed at himself in his head and wandered out of the empty room, meandering through the house and looking for Hoshiko. His footfalls were quiet, but loud enough that she should have heard him coming well before she saw him.

Inside, the home—if it could have been called that—was completely dark. There were no candles lit and a lack of electrical lighting created a very traditional atmosphere within the home. To add to the eeriness, limb crushing silence solidified the darkness. It was as if as soon as the young man entered, he was greeted by a looming threat of death and decay. There was no sign of Hoshiko to be seen, and even so there was no Osamu either, not a trace of the two to be found.

That was until a shriek, so chilling, made its way through the silent halls, muffled only by a closed door at the darkest corner in the back of the house.

* * *

Hoshiko felt herself trembling, unaware of her friend's presence in the home where Osamu kept her captive. She had never felt as captive in the home as she did at time like this. With her husband, her deplorable husband, holding her so tightly and her eyes bleary and unable to focus, her whole body was tense and she tried to direct her mind somewhere completely different. She longed for anywhere but here.

"Focus." She heard Osamu growl at her, despite the fact that she knew he wouldn't get her attention.

So instead of gaining his wife's focus by her will, the man put a hand behind his wife's head and pulled her up to his face into a violent, life-sucking kiss. Hoshiko tried to pull away but there wasn't far to go with her head against a bed and her husband all too close for comfort. All that filled the disgusting silence was the sounds of Hoshiko's struggling against Osamu's forceful body.

* * *

The scream sent every one of the hairs on Samuel's body standing on end, and he instinctively whirled to face the direction from which the terrible noise had arisen. In an instant, he was running, not clearly thinking about his own safety or about the risk of giving away his presence until he reached the closed door barring his path. Inside, he could hear the helpless sounds of Hoshiko struggling, and a shot of adrenaline poured through him instantaneously.

Behind him, a noise startled him half out of his mind. He looked, and saw the large shadow of Garuda, long talons scraping at the floor as it walked towards him. He hadn't expected the bird to follow, but he supposed it was just as well.

"Shh." He hissed at the monster, ordering silence. He turned slowly and laid his hand against the door, testing it to see if it would open.

* * *

Hoshiko's heart was beating against her breast as she tried to make her mind as blank as her eyes were. It never became easier to hide her emotions to cover up her anger, fear, pain and shame. She felt her hands break into cold sweat as Osamu grasped her wrists. She struggled away from him and attempted to push the man off of her.

The door handle turned slowly, and the door cracked open just a bit. Nobody noticed the shadow peering into the room as the door betrayed the man who built it.

"Stop it you insolent brat!" Osamu growled behind clenched teeth at his wife as she cried out once more.

"Osamu stop it!" Hoshiko begged him, but there was no sympathy in the man's face and he simply pulled the young woman even closer to him.

The feeling in Hoshiko's stomach made her feel like she was going to throw up, but Osamu's body refused to let her go. If it was even possible after all of the nightmarish time she had spent with her husband, Hoshiko felt even more violated. But she did her best to avoid Osamu, even attempting to push him away again, against the force of his hands. There was no hope though, and as he pushed even harder against Hoshiko, he inevitably won, causing her great pain and anguish.

Had she known about her unbidden visitor, the one thing Hoshiko would have been grateful for—if nothing else—was the thin sheet that covered her with Osamu on top of her in the bed. This was something Hoshiko never would have wanted Samuel to see, but considering that Osamu had convinced her that her dear friend was dead, thoughts of Samuel in this most horrific moment couldn't cross her mind.

"You're hurting me, Osamu!" She cried once more before the man pushed her into kissing his neck.

The sight beyond the door, shadowed by the lack of lights in the room, was illuminated only by the moonlight in the windows. It wasn't much to see by, but Samuel didn't have to see everything to know _exactly_ what was going on. He wasn't born yesterday, and in the midst of all the trouble he himself had been through recently, this was only one more agonizing stab in his heart. A painful dip on the wild rollercoaster that was rapidly becoming his life.

But for this part of the ride, Samuel couldn't stand idly by. Despite the fact that he knew this sort of thing must have been happening the entire time in his absence, it hurt more to see Hoshiko in pain right before his eyes. The young man looked around the room, now holding his breath for fear of giving himself away. A glance back over his shoulder, and he could still see the shadow of Garuda, hanging behind. The room was too small to let a monster run wild in here. It would only cause a mess of destruction and chaos, and possibly hurt Hoshiko even more than she already was hurt. So the boy would have to improvise.

Slowly, cautiously, his eyes swept the room for something—any sort of blunt object—that he could use to his advantage. Left for Samuel in the room was nothing that he could particularly retaliate with. The Spartan room proved free of adornments, and the only things laying about were shreds of what looked like it could be Hoshiko's clothing.

Pulling her arms so that she was holding around his waist, Osamu grabbed Hoshiko harshly and continued his horrible assault on the young woman.

"Osamu, you're hurting me." Hoshiko choked out the words as if she could barely use her voice.

She sounded nothing like the defiant and confident young woman that Samuel knew but instead a broken and frightened shell of the same girl. Hoshiko barely existed, especially here under the most control that Osamu had on her.

"I don't care how much you complain."

"I'm sorry!" Hoshiko gasped in sudden pain, from some forceful injury inflicted under the shroud of the sheet, her voice was broken. "You've already done enough! Please, leave me alone, just for an hour!"

This didn't sound like Hoshiko at all. Her voice shook as the rest of her body now trembled, and she tried to turn her head away from Osamu so that she wouldn't have to look at him, wouldn't have to feel his hot, poisonous breath on her face. As she turned away, long locks of raven black hair fell across her eyes.

"Say one more word and I'll make sure you never forget this." Osamu spoke in an angry whisper to his wife as she whimpered.

"But..." Her sound was bare a whisper.

The crack of a slap silenced her quickly as Osamu ordered her to focus again or receive more punishment. "I won't stop until I'm satisfied."

Hoshiko tried her best not to cry silent sobs escaping between her trembling lips whenever Osamu wasn't forcing her to kiss him.

"So help me, if you don't listen I'll..." But Osamu trailed off and with Hoshiko crying out again their forms moved slightly in the bed. "Shut up." He barked, becoming silent. "...The door's open..." He spat the words out. "I didn't leave the door open..." He bit the words, his head turning as he glanced around the room warily.

Noticing some strange-looking shape in the darkness Osamu's eyes narrowed. He took Hoshiko and pinned her down as hard as he could under him with one hand holding her down by the throat.

"Don't move..." He instructed the girl as she choked.

Samuel froze. His heart hammered wildly in his ears and sweat poured down his face and the back of his neck. Yet he felt as cold as ice, and horrified that Osamu might actually do something to really hurt Hoshiko now. He could hear the girl coughing and gasping, and the sound made his own throat clench. His gut tightened sickly, and as his mind raced for his next option, he realized he was in a very bad place.

If Osamu had seen him—and especially if Osamu identified him—Hoshiko's life could be in danger. Garuda was just outside the room, but realistically, the monster couldn't do much without destroying the house and attracting unwanted attention. Hoshiko's family already hated Samuel enough. A show like that would really cause problems. And Ace was outside. Never before had the outdoors felt so close and yet so suffocatingly far away. Even if Ace was in here, he couldn't do much either. Except wreck the place. Samuel was glad it was Garuda in here and not the Incarnus, because he knew that, while Garuda would wait for orders, Ace would have instantly gone to Hoshiko's aid, regardless of the consequences.

_Damned idiot._ Samuel thought. But then, _And look at me. So much smarter, getting trapped in a room with Hoshiko's husband where he could murder either of us..._

Well, it was now or never, knowing that Osamu had at least noticed him, even if he didn't know who he was in the darkness. Samuel ducked deeper into the shadows as quickly as he could, hoping to hide himself. He grabbed some of Hoshiko's clothes from the floor and quickly wound them up into a loosely makeshift rope.

_It's a good thing I'm a skinny little punk._ Samuel thought to himself, crouching low to the ground and moving along the darkest wall in the room, trying hard not to make a sound. He just had to get behind Osamu. The one thing that Samuel had going for him was that, as an adventurer, he tended to get himself into scrapes like this all the time. He tried to tell himself he'd get out faster because of that.

_Hang on, Hoshiko..._ He thought to himself.

After a moment of silence and the sound of Samuel's shifting filling the silent room, Osamu let go of Hoshiko's neck and bent closer to her face.

"We have a visitor..." He whispered in her ear causing the every muscle in the small woman's body to go completely tense.

She could barely feel her mind as it raced from one direction to the next. She had no idea who it was she Osamu was referring to, but she too had heard the subtle shifting noises in the room. It quickly became obvious that no matter who was crouched in the corner of his room, Osamu was going to make sure that his goal was not distracted. Especially if it happened to be the man that Osamu suspected it might be.

So the young man pretended to ignore whoever was in the corner and instead chose to become increasingly rough and forceful with Hoshiko.

"Who do you think our visitor is, Hoshiko?" He asked her, twisting the girl's arm as she struggled.

Hoshiko simply sobbed at the thought that there was someone in the room watching them, knowing the abuse that Osamu was putting her through. But as Osamu forced her more, she finally answered the question.

"O-One of your...friends?" She asked in desperation as she stopped fighting Osamu's violent advances in hopes he would become gentler with her.

"No...not one of my friends—" He said slyly, jerking Hoshiko's head forward so that she was leaning against his shoulder, their necks glued together with his arm. "—But maybe one of yours."

He whispered to the girl and she gasped in total horror. She felt Osamu pulling the sheet away from her as she fought him for it with her free hand. Allowing the girl to take the blanket for a moment, Osamu bent past her and lit a match on the bedside table, illuminating a small pot of lamp oil.

"Why so shy Hoshiko?" He growled to her, trying to tear the sheet off of her form once again while keeping her neck against his in constant protection of Osamu's own throat. Osamu made final rough tug to expose his wife in the light.

In that instant, Samuel was up and off the floor. With the new light in the room, he was out of time for slinking around, so he launched himself from his position. Holding each end of Hoshiko's twined together clothes in either hand, he swung the rope over Osamu's head and jerked it closed like a noose, crossing his arms to tighten it.

He knew he didn't stand much of a chance. He was much smaller, and not as strong as Osamu was, but if he could just get the man by surprise, he could potentially overpower him, as long as Osamu didn't manage to grab him. Blood rushed in Samuel's ears, and he wasn't sure if he was breathing or not. He really didn't care if he was either. He just wanted Hoshiko to have a chance.

"Hoshiko!" He shouted. "The sheet!"

It wasn't much more than a bit of cloth, but Samuel knew that if Hoshiko could part with it and somehow wrench the edge of it from Osamu's hands, she could throw it over the man and effectively blind him for a moment. They needed that time.

"Throw it!"

Hoshiko's bruised face was stuck in a look of sheer horror at what was taking place right in front of her. She couldn't form words in her throat enough to even speak and it felt like everything he was saying to her was drowned out by the blood pumping in her ears. Samuel had been her hope in the many passed weeks, the reason she lived through this hell and in some form was able to maintain what little sanity she was left with. But Osamu had told her so many times that Samuel was dead, and somewhere inside the young woman was convinced of this.

But now, there he was in the dim light of the room. She could see him behind Osamu as the man used one hand to claw roughly at the makeshift rope around his neck. It didn't seem to affect Osamu much beyond annoyance. And Hoshiko was too weak to even try and fight him for the sheet. She pulled with all the might left in her shaking hands but Osamu was too strong and with one last strong yank, he completely pulled the sheet away from Hoshiko.

She would have yelled or screamed but she was in too much shock. Stunned and in a completely frozen state Hoshiko tried to comprehend the fact that Osamu had now taken the sheet and threw it off of the bed and after one more sharp pull at the rope that Samuel had made he was now pushing himself even harder against her.

Was this even possible? Could anything be worse? Not just her bruised and battered body completely exposed in the light, but caught in actions too vile to even think of. Everything Osamu had done was horrific but now...in front of her best friend he would stoop so low as to shame her here and now. Hoshiko sobbed in physical and emotional agony. But Osamu didn't seem to be done he was even more aggravated than normal. He made sure Hoshiko had been pulled into the light for every single one of his cruel movements.

"Hoshiko...why don't you tell your friend what's happened while he was gone? Why don't you enlighten him?" He spat the words at her face as she sobbed. He pulled her in so close and laid heavily on top of her so that Samuel wouldn't be able to tear them apart or even attack Osamu without hurting Hoshiko drastically first.

Samuel felt his arms getting tired. He needed better leverage, or else something that he did not have. It was really only his fury at seeing Hoshiko in pain that kept him fighting, because his body wanted to quit on him. He would have run by now, if not for Hoshiko.

"Get off of her, you son of a bitch!" Samuel snarled, tightening his grip. He couldn't do much but what he was already doing, for fear of hurting his friend, but he wished there was something more that _could_ be done.

_I REALLY have to work out more._ He bemoaned in his own mind.

"Osamu!" Samuel snapped through his teeth. "Let her go!"

For a moment Hoshiko was positive that she was going to lose consciousness, it was absolutely impossible that this was happening. Osamu's anger, Samuel's brave attempt to rescue her from an absolutely crippling experience. And she was powerless as she had been made within Osamu's brutal control. Even so, she made the best attempts that she could to fight off Osamu and help Samuel. But one very sad thing was that she couldn't look into her friend's eyes. The shame that coursed through her entire body was too much to manage.

"Tell him Hoshiko, tell him why you're mine! You're mine to do whatever I want to with." Osamu spoke demandingly to the girl, ignoring Samuel's frustration with him. "Let him know why you're my property more than ever, why this is exactly what I deserve. Why you OWE me this!" He pushed Hoshiko down hard as she tried limply to throw the man off of her.

"No!" She cried out.

"TELL HIM!" He screamed at Hoshiko. "Tell him or I will! I'll tell him every bloody detail of every minute we've spent together and I'll never let you go! You'll never leave this room!" Osamu demanded and with sheer terror in her eyes and pain as Osamu struck her and pulled her against him harder Hoshiko finally cried out.

"Stop, Osamu, you're going to hurt the baby!"

That was it. Osamu was satisfied, and all of sudden he started to laugh. He threw himself roughly off of Hoshiko and came off of the bed, pulling the sheet to cover himself and leave his wife exposed. Samuel tumbled to the floor while Hoshiko tried to curl up into a ball and cover her battered body. The young woman sobbed hopelessly and wished she was dead.

"That's right, you're my property, you bitch. And I can do whatever I want to you and with you." He seethed at the young woman, pulling the makeshift rope that now hung loosely around his neck away. "And you can cry all you want, but you know where that gets you, you stupid, foolish wench. I'll only make it worse! I'll only make each time longer!" At once, Osamu's eyes turned to Samuel. "See what you're friend's been reduced to! No one wants an object like her for a friend, and no man will ever want her now...she's mine."

Samuel staggered up off of the floor and set his feet widely apart. He stood facing Osamu with burning fire in his ocean-blue eyes. He understood what Osamu was saying, but most of it didn't register. Not yet anyway. The only thing on his mind was how hurt Hoshiko was and how Osamu still had the nerve to treat her like garbage. To say those _horrific_ things about her. He stomped his foot and clenched his fist, staring down the half-covered man with striking inner ferocity.

"You're wrong!" The boy snapped. "She doesn't belong to you, and she's not an object!" He took a bold step closer, risking his own safety but entirely oblivious in his rage. "And for your information she _is_ my friend, and I care more for her than you ever will, you disgusting, simple-minded, overbearing excuse for a living being! You're not even a man! A _real_ man would see her worth and treat her like she deserves. But you don't have the guts to. You're such a coward that you have to get people to listen to you by kicking them around!"

Hoshiko could hardly control her sobbing, holding her head between her folded arms. She could hardly comprehend what was happening at the moment, but all she wanted was for Osamu to leave. She wanted to will him away until he didn't exist any longer and couldn't make her feel so shameful again. But it was impossible, and so all the girl could do was try to control her trembling.

Looking at Samuel with an unimpressed stare Osamu shook his head.

"Please." He sounded absolutely appalled at Samuel's speech. "Worth? All she's worth is exactly what I use her for. Just because you seem to have some idealized vision of that..." Osamu glanced at Hoshiko for a moment. "That thing. It doesn't mean you see clearly. I've seen women of worth and Hoshiko isn't one of them." He shook his head slowly.

There was a strange light in Osamu's eyes as he looked at Hoshiko and then stepped over to the girl. The realization had hit the man that he had business to attend to and had already made himself late. But he wasn't about to let that shorten his fun so easily.

"You're staying here..." He said with conviction as if the order was enough to make her stay.

The young man pulled Hoshiko up by her arm, kissing his wife and then throwing her back down, avoiding the bed and letting her thump to the floor. Then turning back to Samuel and passing him brusquely, Osamu smirked and grabbed some clothes from the top of a dresser.

"So are you, kid." He added. "At least until I get back. Then Hoshiko and I can have some more fun." And stepping out the man closed the door behind him, locking it. "You can borrow her while I'm gone." Osamu's voice said from behind the door.

Hoshiko suddenly became silent and stunned. She had no idea what to do, so she stayed on the floor, trying to quell her crying. She tried to speak...but no words would come out. Hoshiko curled up and gripped her arms so that her fingers dented her pale skin.

Samuel crept towards Hoshiko, feeling numb as his adrenaline wore off. Reality faced him with its painful touch, and he looked down at the young woman, stunned not only at how much she endured and how badly her body had been damaged, but at how she could even still be alive. He'd never seen her this way—a shadow of the strong young woman she'd once been. It hurt. Sadness overwhelmed him, and he had to choke back a flood of emotion that threatened to cripple him.

Slowly, Samuel knelt and pulled his friend into his arms. He held her carefully, afraid to hurt her worse than she already was. She was so broken….so destroyed. Samuel looked up, towards the locked door. He felt a sudden wish arise with fury from within that Garuda would slaughter Osamu on the way out. Unfortunately, Garuda generally avoided doing anything unless Samuel said to, and as if to prove it, Garuda merely squawked at Osamu from behind the door. Samuel could imagine the large bird scolding him but stepping aside and giving him room to pass.

"Here's hoping Ace gives him hell." Samuel growled to himself, before looking down at his weak friend, lying in his arms. It was in that moment that he first actually took notice of her nakedness, and looked away, red-faced. He couldn't just drop her though, so all instinctive recoil reflexes remained tightly under control.

"Look what he's done to you." Samuel murmured hoarsely, staring into the shadows in the corner. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner... I wanted to but... I couldn't."

There was a deep silence that came from Hoshiko, she was trembling in her friend's arms, and her mind could hardly comprehend the gentleness with which she was behind held. Such unimaginable torture for what seemed like forever, the surreal moment taking place almost seemed like a strange dream.

Hoshiko couldn't find it in herself to look at Samuel, she was too ashamed of what Osamu had done in front of her friend and how she was lay here, embarrassing herself...embarrassing him...it was totally unfair. Samuel didn't deserve to experience this.

"...I-I'm...s-sorry..." Her voice broke and the girl started to cry into his chest. "I-I'm...so...s-sorry..." Her eyes shut closed tightly from the emotional pain that surged through her. "...S-Samuel...Sam...uel...I'm so...so...sorry..."

* * *

It was patience and wisdom, nothing more, that kept Ace from crashing the door down. He had heard Samuel shouting, but he didn't sound hurt. Thus, it was best to remain in place and simply keep watch. That didn't mean that the monster was pleased about it. Anxious and frustrated, he was pacing the yard like a caged beast until he heard the front door slide open. Then he stopped.

His head snapped up, and his ice-fire eyes narrowed in harsh scrutiny as he observed Osamu emerging from the home. A low growl rose in the back of the wolf's throat, a vague warning that the man had best be cautious or risk invoking the wrath of an already rather irritated monster.

_I could attack him._ Ace weighed in his mind. _But it would do me little good. Even if I killed him, his death wouldn't serve any purpose that getting Hoshiko out of here wouldn't._

That was that. Unless Osamu threatened his own life or the lives of his friends, Ace had no purpose in killing him. At any rate, the creature preferred not to attack humans anyway. It was always an unfair fight when a monster came down on a person, and humans were the ones Ace meant to save. Cruel and despicable as they could often be, they weren't demons. And demons were the only creatures that Ace really wanted to see destroyed.

* * *

Brow knitting sorrowfully, Samuel couldn't help but look down when Hoshiko began to cry. He swallowed hard and bit his lip, wishing that he could somehow make her feel better. Yet he knew, after what she'd gone through, he'd be lucky if she even felt good enough to look at him. He'd noticed her avoiding gaze, and felt miserable that Osamu would crush her self-confidence like that.

"Hey, it's okay." He tried to encourage, voice somewhat shaky. "I'm not going to hurt you." He reached up one hand and worked away the clasp at the back of his neck. The frog necklace dropped, and he caught it in his free hand, holding it gingerly for Hoshiko to see. "I came to bring this back to you."

Very, very carefully, the young man clipped the necklace around Hoshiko's neck so that it hung delicately against her bare chest. The concept of such gentleness was almost like a dream away for Hoshiko now, like something she had known from a time so long ago that it barely existed. But Samuel was there beside her, making the place that had once terrified her into the only solace that she had received after so much horror.

"And now that you have it…. I'm going to take you with me. Here, let me help you up."

Slowly, Samuel eased himself to his feet, supporting Hoshiko as best he could so that he could ease her onto the bed. Regardless of the fact that the bed was a place defiled by Osamu's cruelty, it was at least softer and warmer than the cold floor. Gently, Samuel laid Hoshiko down, and then turned to retrieve the thin sheet that had fallen to rest nearby.

Picking it up in his hands, he brought it to her and swung it around her shoulders, pulling it closed in front of her. It wasn't much of a covering, but it was better than nothing, and Samuel hoped it would help her feel more comfortable. He was a decent enough man not to sit and stare at her body, even when it was there for him to look at. No, he wasn't going to "borrow" her as Osamu had suggested. Not even to gaze at. She deserved better. She deserved respect and at least some semblance of dignity.

Hoshiko relaxed somewhat, and even took a moment to look down at the necklace and lift her fingers to brush the precious bullet and charm dangling from its chain. She didn't touch the sheet after Samuel brought it around her, trusting her friend's judgment and appreciating his care for her.

"There." Samuel offered a weak smile, running his hand nervously through his messy hair. "That's better." Slowly, he sat down beside her, and looked at his hands as they came to rest on the torn knees of his jeans.

"T-Thank...you..." Her meek voice said softly, though her eyes remained painfully averted.

"Hoshiko..." Samuel began as he noticed her shame still lingering. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. Please don't think that you do... If anyone should be sorry, it's Osamu. You haven't done anything wrong."

"...S-Samuel...I..."

Her voice trailed off as Hoshiko buried her tear-stained face into Samuel's starved and sickly skinny shoulders. No matter how she could feel the softness in his voice, Hoshiko couldn't bring herself to be happy or even anything but anguished. But she did allow herself to lean desperately into her friend's side, begging him with tearful eyes to keep her close. She couldn't breathe. She still couldn't find a way to look at Samuel, but a shaking hand emerged from the sheets and grasped Samuel's. She was still shaking as her fingers laced with his, but to Hoshiko there was nothing more she needed.

"T-Thank...y-you...S-Samuel..." She clung to him. "You're...alive..." She could barley make the words. "Samuel...Samuel...You're alive..." Finally, _finally_, she brought herself to look up at him. At once, she started to sob.

He was changed with time. Not so much that he didn't look like himself, but the lines of his face were sharper, and his skin more pale. His hands were thinner, as were his arms. His clothes, even though they were the ones he had always worn, looked too big for his emaciated body. He was much thinner than he had been even before, and it was clear that he had gone for quite some time without adequate food. But he was still somehow just as alert and the look in his eyes no less fierce than it had ever been.

"Yes, I'm alive." Samuel soothed. "But only thanks to Ace. Well, and perhaps a bit of my own ingenuity. But we can talk about that later." He looked down at Hoshiko and took a deep breath. "We have to go, before Osamu gets back. I don't want you—or the _baby_—to suffer this way."

Hoshiko looked away, face flushed and tears still streaming. She'd never wanted Samuel to find out the way he had, but what was done was done, and somehow Hoshiko found a touch of relief, knowing that at least Samuel meant to help her. Embarrassed, sad, and frightened as she was, she couldn't deny that she was happy that he was here, and that he knew.

Samuel's thin but strong hand tightly squeezed hers, and he laid his chin softly against the top of Hoshiko's head for just a moment. He knew she was miserable, and he knew he couldn't fix it. He'd never felt quite so helpless, even having been locked in cells before. Even so, Samuel only allowed himself to sit for a moment.

"We have a lot to talk about, but it will have to wait." He straightened up at once. Getting to his feet he moved to the locked door, leaning against it and calling through the paneling. "Garuda, are you out there?" He was met with a whistling shriek that answered his question. "Go get Ace, tell him to come around to the window."

The bird squawked again, and then the sound of air moving and wing beats came muffled through the door.

Hoshiko tensed as Samuel went to the door, shocked. She'd heard him mention escape but didn't consider it as a prospect until Samuel started taking action. Now she was even a little frightened. After all she hadn't been outside for quite some time, her eyes and spirit had adjusted to the darkness, and she was endlessly afraid of what Osamu might do if he caught them. But nonetheless the young woman stood up, following Samuel and adjusting the sheet around herself so that it was a little easier to walk in and so she had the use of her arms.

"...Samuel..." Hoshiko stuck very close beside her friend; after all he was the only feeling of protection and care she had been near in so long. "We...are we...leaving?" She asked so softly that it was barely audible. "...I don't...want to put you...in danger, Samuel."

Laughter, somewhat hoarse, escaped Samuel's throat. "I'm not scared of danger. I've been living with it for a long time. I prefer to think of it as excitement." He turned and winked at her, leaning against the door calmly and folding his arms. "Besides, Osamu already hates me, and we're both in danger already. I'm not gonna leave things be as they are. We'll get away, and this time nobody's gonna catch us." He smirked a little. "I'm becoming quiet the escape artist. And this time, I have help."

As if on cue, a soft sound at the window drew his attention. When he looked up, he saw the silhouette of Ace sitting outside, paw against the glass. Samuel grinned even more. "I've got Stubborn over there to help us."

Barely able to lift her eyes to look out the window, Hoshiko could tell from the sound in Samuel's voice that it was clearly none other than Ace who was accompanying him. Her heart skipped a beat at having to face another one of her friends but Hoshiko knew that she had to be brave just as Samuel had when he saved her.

"T...thank you Samuel..." Hoshiko whispered once more. She was still sniffling a sobbing a bit, but it was partly because she was still in pain. "...I...I'm so glad you're alive..." Samuel's friend managed the words out of her mouth as her limp frame was hardly able to keep her upright anymore. Hoshiko leaned herself gently on Samuel as he had permitted her to do so many times before.

Swift, steady arms captured Hoshiko and pulled her close. Hoshiko could feel Samuel's bones through his clothes. Yet, he still had that same confidence he always had, and the same sense of will. He began easing Hoshiko towards the window, guiding her steps as gently as possible, as if afraid she might break. He wanted to hold her longer, being just as glad as she was to be together again, but there wasn't time for that. Not now anyways. There would be plenty of time later, once they were far away from Ecruteak. He stopped close to the window pane, where his breath left a puff of white on the glass as he spoke.

"Ace, get us out of here! We don't have much time before Osamu gets back!"

"Got it. Stand back. I don't want to hurt you guys." Came Ace's muffled voice from the other side. Hoshiko felt her heart thud as she heard him speak.

Samuel obeyed, backing away from the window as Ace opened his mouth wide. A sparking ball of energy built in the back of his throat, and with a rough bark, he sent it crashing through the glass, shards glittering and flying everywhere. Samuel pulled Hoshiko even closer to himself, using his body to shield her from the sharp rain.

"Come on." Ace said, his voice much clearer now that the window was no longer in the way.

"Watch your feet." Samuel said softly in Hoshiko's ear, slowly walking her back to the window.

Hoshiko listened to everything Samuel instructed her with great care. Her mind might have been swimming, but with all the effort her best friend had applied so far to her rescue Hoshiko saw this as the least she could do. When they got there, he lifted her up and pushed her through the opening, mindful of whatever glass still remained.

"You got her, Ace?"

"Yeah."

"Be careful."

"I am." Ace assured as Samuel leaned out far enough to steady Hoshiko on the monster's back.

Hoshiko couldn't help but start crying once again as she finally settled back in place on the monster's back. Shielding her eyes for a moment Hoshiko, with shaking hands took some of Ace's mane into her hands. He was warm, and she could feel his ribs flexing between her legs as he breathed. His strength encouraged her, despite the terms on which they had separated. That seemed so long ago now that it didn't even matter.

"Wait a sec..." Samuel's voice came from the window, and he looked at Hoshiko firmly, not yet climbing out onto Ace's back. "Your bag... where is it?"

Hoshiko looked up, weakly. She hadn't even thought of her bag in her distress, but she was glad that Samuel had. Even if all she wanted to do was leave, she knew she couldn't leave her most precious belongings or her pokémon behind.

"...Um...Osamu keeps it locked up...in the bedroom dresser.. It's locked. But I've seen him take my bag from there whenever he gets his..." Hoshiko lowered her head. "But Samuel...I don't want you to get hurt...please be careful..."

"Don't worry about me." Samuel smirked. "I'm getting good at breaking in and out of places." He smiled and scrambled back to the window, slipping inside to get Hoshiko's bag for her.

Ace watched his young master go back inside, and then he looked over his shoulder at Hoshiko. He was shocked by her condition, even from the corner of his eye, but he was glad to have her within the realm of his protection. Hoshiko didn't look at him. She turned her head away when he glanced back at her. Closing her eyes the girl coughed and brought the sheet up to her mouth. It came away lightly stained with blood.

"...Ace...you're back..." Despite her pitiful condition, Hoshiko made an attempt to sound happy.

"Ah yes. I'm back indeed. But it has been a difficult journey to get here and many more difficult journeys lay ahead... Samuel insisted we come to get you, though, and seeing your condition now, I'm very glad we did."

Hoshiko didn't say too much when Ace mentioned her condition. Automatically she thought of what she had been forced to reveal to Samuel, but Ace couldn't possibly know that yet and could only be referring to the obvious marks of her physical abuse. The young woman said nothing.

Ace looked around and sniffed the air, swiveling his ears in every direction to keep watch for any sounds that might suggest a threat approaching.

"Even in the mess that I've been entangled with, I'm glad to be back. I see I never should have left you and Samuel….."

Although Hoshiko was glad that Ace was there, her emotional state was too fragile and she was going into a sort of shock at the sudden influx of change. Being rescued was wonderful, but she couldn't wrap her mind around it yet, so she sat dully, her responses muted by her exhaustion.

"...I'm so sorry to hear that there's been a lot of trouble. I wish I could have been there to help you and Samuel..." The girl looked down at her bruised hands and then up to Ace, gently petting his back. "Even after everything…it's good to see you again Ace..." There wasn't a lot of Hoshiko left for Ace to find, just a shell that looked somewhat like her with a voice and spirit that only reflected Hoshiko as if she were in a broken mirror...

At last, Samuel appeared at the window again. He reached out and handed Hoshiko her bag, having successfully retrieved it. She looked up, took it limply, and clutched it under her sheet. Then it was the young man's turn to climb out, and he did so, albeit less careful than he had been when he helped Hoshiko. He felt glass slicing into his palms, but he ignored the pain and the subsequent warmth as blood flowed from the wounds. He could bind them later. Finally kicking free of the window, he jumped onto Ace's back and landed behind his friend, putting his arms around her to steady her.

"You're safe now." Samuel said, holding Hoshiko tightly and letting her lean back into him. "And we're gonna get you out of here, once and for all….Hold onto Ace's mane tightly. We're gonna go up." He leaned over Hoshiko's shoulder and called to Ace. "Let's hurry and go, before Osamu comes back. We can decide what to do next after we get to the safety of the mountains and hide out in the forest."

"You got it, Kid."

Ace kicked off of the ground and took to the air immediately, carrying the two young people over Ecruteak and past the great tower that meant so much to Hoshiko's culture. Garuda met them over the _gajur _of the temple, and all together they soared away from Hoshiko's prison.


	17. Anew

**Chapter 17: Anew**

They landed deep in the mountains, in a wide clearing strewn with boulders and surrounded by forest on all sides. Overhead, the stars twinkled more brightly than they ever could for anyone in the city. All around them, the noise of nocturnal pokémon moving in the trees echoed long into the clear night. The forest was dangerous right now.

The ride had been a quiet one for Hoshiko, a difficult moment of readjustment and discovering what reality could truly be again. After all the strain her body had been put through and now the shock of actually being freed, it felt surreal. At some point Hoshiko questioned in her mind whether she was dead or might even be dreaming, but with the bitter wind blowing onto her face and the feeling of Ace's soft fur in her hands, Hoshiko knew the truth instinctively, even if her mind couldn't process it. She was alive, and Samuel had saved her once more. Hoshiko knew that she owed him her life and the one that was growing inside of her too.

Her heart pounded hard within her chest while the girl continuously did her best to flush the painful memories out of her mind as they kept trying over and over to resurface. It was almost impossible to overcome them. They were all too fresh and more real to her than even her rescue.

Ace slowly lay down amid a collection of giant stones, haphazardly arranged in such a way that they provided a small niche of shelter for the group. It wasn't much, but it was far better than being out in the open.

Climbing from the monster's back slowly, Samuel steadied himself, then reached out for Hoshiko's hand to help her off. Ace let them get situated before he stood and gave a good, strong shake of his thick white fur and stretched his front, then his back legs. At once he flopped back down and yawned gapingly. Meanwhile, Samuel pulled Hoshiko into the cradle of the rocks, where the wind couldn't disturb them. Hoshiko shivered, but appreciated how Samuel brought her out of the howling wind. However, with only the thin sheet around her, she remained largely exposed to the cold.

"Are you alright?" Samuel asked quietly.

The question was almost impossible to answer. "I'll never be alright again..." Was Hoshiko's heartbreaking response.

A thick lump caught in Samuel's throat, and he felt his eyes sting. Fearing that his voice would crack if he spoke right away, it was all he could do to pull Hoshiko closer to him and run his fingers—he hoped soothingly—through her soft hair.

Ace's ears perked up, and the large beast crawled to the opening of the little rock shelter. He couldn't fit inside, but he didn't need to, because it wasn't all that deep. Getting as close as he could, his large body blocked even more of the wind, giving the two young people some relief. Solemnly, Ace let out a sympathetic whimper and laid his chin in Hoshiko's lap.

His head was surprisingly warm, and the thick fur around his neck covered her legs with their comfort. He looked up at her with regretful blue eyes, as if apologizing for a dozen things at once. His tail thumped pitifully on the ground.

"You're safe here." He offered tentatively, his ears folding flat in humble submission.

Hoshiko didn't know what it would take, what type of bravery or brand of goodness that she would need to make herself happy for her friends' sakes. But whatever that was, she just didn't have it. There was too much confusion, too much desperation and a sense of insanity that lingered in Hoshiko's mind and clung to her skin like some foul oil.

"...I...I'm sorry..." She apologized softly, avoiding Ace's eyes, staring at the hard grey rocks that surrounded them. Tears welled up as the girl's shame turned quickly towards guilt. She felt herself placing her own burdens on Samuel and Ace. "But...I can never be right again..." Her voice was hoarse, her words slow, as if Hoshiko was trying to remember how to speak, how to form logical sentences. "...He's done too much...I'm not the same...I...I never...can be..."

And letting her head fall forward and the tears flow Hoshiko sobbed out her next words. "I'm not the same girl you knew! I'm different now. I'm...I'm...tainted! He changed me! I can't...be pure or good. I'm...just...I'm...dirty."

Though Samuel recoiled slightly, clearly wounded by Hoshiko's words, Ace responded almost instantly. Lifting his head, he tilted it just a little bit, and in the deepest sincerity, he leaned as close as he could to the girl.

"Dear child... You don't know the meaning of the word 'tainted.'" He cracked a careful, fragile smile and nudged his head up under Hoshiko's hand. "No, you are not the same girl as you were. Nor tomorrow will you be the same girl as you are right now. But true taint, that is something you are not. I know darkness. I know filth, and I know impurity. I carry it with me every day, and I fight against it with brutal fervor. I've been waging war with taint for thousands of years, and I think that that is qualification enough to know what it looks like."

His blue eyes flashed slightly. "You...you are abused, weakened, and torn. Every shred of your strength and confidence ripped from you by a man whom you don't love. And that is why you feel dirty. But you're not. You need time to heal, and you won't be the same, but hear me now. You are not defiled. I never want you to call yourself impure again. I know impurity when I see it, and I will not have you challenge me thinking that you know better. You are brainwashed, but nothing more, and furthermore, Hoshiko..."

Ace smiled widely now. "You are beautiful. And you are worth every effort we made to bring you here." The Incarnus, big as he was, couldn't get much closer to his friend, but he was able to stretch his neck forward enough to lay his chin against her shoulder and softly lick the side of her face. His breath was warm, like he was, and the large beast nuzzled her neck as if she were as precious to him as a child of his own.

Although she didn't move a muscle as Ace was talking, Hoshiko listened carefully to Ace's words. She couldn't say that everything he said felt true or that she could even believe how highly he placed her in the rankings of goodness. But there was something about her friend's honesty that made her want to trust him. To go against the sense of desperation she struggled against and believe what Ace was conveying to her.

"But...his hands..." She murmured weakly, "They never leave my skin...Even now I can still feel him touching me. My mind isn't the same. I can't think straight, I can't get his voice to leave my thoughts. It's there taunting me...I can't see myself the same, Ace! I've seen things and felt ways I shouldn't!" Hoshiko's sobbing rose and became almost impossible to quell, choking out her words. "You don't understand! He changed me! I didn't want to be used that way! I don't want to be a mother! Ace how could you know what this is like! I'm violated! He did make me impure...Osamu did..."

She suddenly took notice of Ace's head upon her shoulder and she fought to look away from his imploring gaze. "Please...don't look at me..." She begged. "I don't want you to see me like this...I'm too ashamed..."

Ace's ears folded gently, his expression turning softer. He hadn't known about the baby, but it didn't much change his outlook on the situation. Samuel was still unsure of what to say. It was always hard for him to deal with emotion, and in this case it was so much worse. He felt a little inadequate, compared to Ace who seemed to grasp and even embrace feelings like this despite how uncomfortable it was.

"I'm not ashamed of you." Ace murmured. "But if it serves you well, I won't look."

His eyes fluttered closed and he nuzzled her neck sleepily. He was exhausted, and under all of his thick fur, he was battered and bruised from his violent struggle with Dialga and Palkia. His whole body ached, but he didn't mind it much. His friends were safe, and they seemed accepting towards him again. That was all that he desired, and so he was content.

A few moments later, when it seemed that the cold world around them was the only sound outside their thoughts, Ace spoke again, but in so soft a whisper that Samuel couldn't hear. Only Hoshiko, whose ear was close to the monster's muzzle, would catch his quiet words.

"You have been violated...but it's not your fault. Still, things won't be the same for you. The pain will linger in your mind for the rest of your life, but you are still not impure. Damaged perhaps, but nothing more." He shifted the way his head was resting on Hoshiko's shoulder, but in respect of her request, he kept his eyes gently closed, as if he was preparing to sleep.

"You're very young to be a mother, and it was not your choice, but it is the fate that was handed to you. No, I do not know what it would be like to bear a child, much less one that you did not want. That does not mean that someday I may not understand. The demon king plays foul games with me and my form has changed numerous times over thousands of years, but that is entirely beside the point. I don't understand precisely how you feel. But I do know what it's like to be forced into a situation you never asked for and to become something you never wanted to be."

He sighed softly. "I wasn't always a monster. I was once a much more noble creature—a guardian spirit. Until the demon king got a hold of me and corrupted me, twisting my soul to his own foul needs and thrusting me into the body of a monster that would do his bidding. Over time I've gained my sense of will back, but it has taken a lot of effort. And still I am not what I was... I will never be the creature that I was before I became a monster, and the demon king still devises his own uses for me..." Ace's voice faded a little, to sorrow.

"I am still his tool, even as I fight him with everything I am. But that is why I lean on you and Samuel. By myself, I am nothing to him. The demon king could do whatever he wishes with me, to the ends of destroying this body and holding my soul captive until he rules this world. But there is one thing that he underestimates. And that is the power of humans and the power of friendship. As long as I have you, I cannot fail..."

Hoshiko listened to Ace for awhile, but said nothing. Only, when Hoshiko felt positive that Ace had his eyes closed and Samuel seemed drowsy enough to not be watching her, the girl took a moment to steal a fleeting glance at her friends. Ace looked exhausted and in pain...but Samuel, he seemed just the way he had felt when hugging her. Too thin. To ragged. It made the girl's heart break, and she looked away with a guilty heart for being so self-centered.

Was it too much to trust her friends and give them respect enough to try her best to pull herself together? Maybe Ace was right. And although right now she felt no power or will left within herself, Hoshiko knew that somewhere inside was the person that had been with Samuel and Ace before. The person who could laugh and smile. The distant face of pleasure that Hoshiko once knew seemed like an unattainable dream at the moment, but maybe it was possible to reach it, one day.

"Ace I..." Hoshiko paused, not knowing what to say. Instead she reached one of her tender hands out of the sheet and placed it on Ace's muzzle softly stroking his face. "I'm sorry Ace...for everything you went through...I'm sorry for being so selfish..." Her eyes narrowed in though as she was tempted to look at her friend and see him looking back at her, but she was still too afraid.

Almost instantly, Ace seemed to melt at Hoshiko's gentle touch. The tension in his body disintegrated, and he leaned into her sleepily. He was careful not to crush her, but his substantial weight made him feel real to the touch. He wasn't a dream. He was really there. And even though he didn't look at her, a smile curled the corners of his lips, as if he could tell she was looking at him.

In that moment Hoshiko wondered if Ace really could feel her blood shot eyes on him with her pity and anguish showing in its rawest form. With bruises on her face and cuts on her cheeks it would have been a bit hard to recognize her. She certainly didn't look like their Hoshiko but underneath it all, she was still there somewhere hidden behind the grime. Yet Ace didn't even try to look, even if he felt her stare. Hoshiko felt his deep respect as he kept his eyes closed for her, and respect was something she hadn't gotten in so long. It was refreshing and warming to her heart which emotionally felt like ice and stone.

"...Thank you..." She murmured, without explanation.

"Anytime." The word came from Ace's mouth in a warm sigh. "I'm here for you."

With that, he curled up with her as best he could, his body and thick fur providing plenty of warmth and a delightful cushion compared to the rocks. Ace actually made a wonderful pillow—almost like the warm, soft clouds that only exist in dreams. Samuel slept close too, careful not to hog the beast for himself. He knew Hoshiko was cold and would need all the warmth she could get, so he dozed on the other side of her, so that she was sandwiched comfortably between them.

Surrounded by the warmth of her friends, some of the frozen walls around Hoshiko's heart began to melt a little. Once she convinced herself that by closing her eyes her friends would not vanish, Hoshiko felt able to sleep. It wasn't a true restful sleep but it was something different then her past nights of horror. The figures and images that frightened her so badly once sleep had taken hold of her became naught more than shadows in the darkness behind Hoshiko's eyelids.

She tossed and turned, waking sleepily occasionally but with someone to turn to, with two people who cared for her keeping her safe and sound, it was a far cry from Osamu's darkness filled home. And when her waking had turned to sleeping whimpers, it was at least assurance that Hoshiko was getting much needed rest.

That night, Ace slept, though not a deep sleep. He woke on and off, alert to every sound around them. Through the night he kept watch, and only when dawn arrived did he drift into a much deeper sleep.

* * *

Once daylight cut through the damp, painfully cold fog of twilight, Hoshiko was still in the depths of sleep. Muttering fearful words or tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes...but it was still precious sleep that the girl's body required.

Samuel awoke almost immediately when the sunlight hit his eyes. He was having trouble sleeping for long, his stomach cramping and beyond the point of growling for food. He hadn't eaten in a long time, save for a few little morsels here and there. He hadn't eaten at all yesterday, and he was too hungry to rest. But without food, his body was weak and tired, so he couldn't do much until his friends woke up.

Even so, he pushed himself to his feet and began shuffling around the rocky clearing, looking for signs of berry bushes or other things he might nibble on. He knew there would be plenty of stuff to eat in the forest, but he wasn't about to go in there alone. He'd probably wind up lost, or worse.

So, quietly, he wandered the clearing for a bit. He found some lichens on the rocks, but wasn't too sure if eating them was a good idea. It didn't seem like it would be, since he didn't know if they were poisonous or not. Even as he worked, the sound of Ace snoring reverberated off of the boulders and made him laugh. Big and scary monster? Hah. Ace was just a big baby. A big, snoring baby.

Eventually it was Hoshiko's turn to awaken, and letting her eyes flutter open, the young woman glanced quickly around the rocky area to see where Samuel was. At first when she saw that he wasn't with them anymore, a flush of panic made Hoshiko's cheeks heat and her hands shake. She was too sensitive and became greatly concerned that her friend was missing. Already frayed nerves were a difficult thing to soothe.

But hearing a rusting not too far outside, of the rocky cubby, Hoshiko peeked over Ace's huge monster body and saw Samuel milling around outside. Making sure that the sheet around her was in an appropriate manner and that it was almost tied across one shoulder like a dress, the young woman slipped out of the rocky niche, leaving Ace sleeping alone.

At first she was too nervous to approach Samuel, and so stayed back in the dark shadows of the trees that hugged the climbing boulders. When she was sure that Samuel has his back turned to her, Hoshiko stepped out into dim morning light that still hurt her tired eyes. She took silent steps towards him, her feet numb from the cold and barely registering the rocks and pine needles underfoot. She said nothing to get Samuel's attention, not even sure what she might say if she could.

Noticing that Samuel was looking in the bushes, Hoshiko surmised his mission of searching for food. She still wasn't sure how to talk to him, but she went on her own search, and only when she had found some berries that she knew were edible did Hoshiko go back to her friend.

Head bent down so her hair would cover her face, Hoshiko spoke in barely a whisper, holding out a handful of sweet berries for Samuel. With Ace snoring in the cave she felt somewhat glad at being able to have a bit of time alone with her closest friend. After all the only time they had gotten together in so long was that brief, sad moment back in the house. Maybe this could lift the weight of last night.

"...I...I found these ones..."

Samuel was startled at the soft sound of Hoshiko's voice above the crunch of his own shoes on the ground, but when he whirled and saw her, he smiled and put his hand on his chest.

"Oh, you scared me." He started walking towards her and looked in her hand. "Wow... Thanks." He took the food slowly and popped one of the berries in his mouth. It wasn't much, but its sweet juice made his mouth water. He wanted more. "I'm just so hungry, but it's hard to find anything. I'll probably be able to find more when we go into the forest, but I didn't want to wake you or Ace, and I didn't want to just wander off."

Hoshiko's shoulder's slumped a bit, feeling guilty that she had startled Samuel. But once he had started to at least enjoy the berries she felt a bit better for what she had done.

"I'm sorry I frightened you, Samuel..." Hoshiko said meekly, watching his hand for a moment as the berries started to disappear from his palm. "There's some more on the bush I found...follow me." And turning slowly Hoshiko lead Samuel back to the bush where she had found the berries. It wasn't far from their little makeshift camp but it was kind of hidden away by other bushes.

Once there, Hoshiko was no longer sure what to do with herself, but started to collect berries off the bush to give Samuel some more.

"...I'm sorry that it's hard for me to look at you Samuel..." Hoshiko said half to Samuel and half absentmindedly. "...It's not you...it's me...I know it makes you feel bad...I could tell from how tense you were last night in the cave..." Her words were soft and laced with guilt. "I don't want to make you sad..."

Samuel swallowed the last berry with a big gulp to help it get past the lump that swelled in his throat.

"I don't like to see you this way." He said. "But that can't be helped either. I'm sure things will go back to the way they were..."

He looked at the brilliant red berries peppered in the dark green of the bush at the edge of the clearing. Samuel knelt beside Hoshiko to help her collect them, plucking them one by one. With his hunger burning in his stomach, it was a wonder that Samuel's mind could focus on anything but gathering and eating the food, but Hoshiko just wouldn't leave his thoughts. Ace wouldn't either. It wasn't that Samuel didn't want Ace to make Hoshiko feel better; it was just that Samuel felt helpless and completely useless. He somehow knew that Hoshiko wouldn't have slept if it had been just him and her. But somehow Ace had soothed her to sleep. Somehow Ace understood something that Samuel didn't.

That was upsetting. Samuel wanted to be just as good at comforting Hoshiko as Ace was...

As Samuel helped in silence, Hoshiko felt a huge weight on her chest that didn't want to lift. It had been there in the sheltered rocks when Samuel wouldn't speak and it continued on into the night as Hoshiko meditated on what her friend might be thinking. She had seen him bothered but never had Samuel been so quiet. He always had something to say...but not now and Hoshiko felt as if she had the responsibility to change that.

"Ace really tried to help me last night." But quickly the girl bit her tongue and cursed her haphazard attempt to start a dialogue. "What I'm trying to say is...I guess...I didn't feel completely comfortable opening up to him...I hope I didn't hurt his feelings..."

Slowly Hoshiko crept beside Samuel and glanced at him. "I didn't want to let him see me...I'm too nervous that he might not take my sadness seriously. Like he might brush it off as something I need to understand and accept when I really just want someone to cry with me..." And forcing her eyes open, Hoshiko did something very difficult.

"Will you...look at me?" Hoshiko asked meekly staring straight at Samuel with bloodshot eyes and cut, bruised face. She just didn't look like Hoshiko anymore.

Samuel swallowed hard, his eyes widening a bit when it seemed as if Hoshiko had almost read his mind. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked over at her. She looked terrible, worse now in the light than she had even in the darkness of Osamu's bedroom. It pained him to see her that way. He knew he must have looked horrendous himself, but that didn't bother him as much. All he needed was some food and a good, hot bath.

He winced, realizing he hadn't had a bath in a long time. He didn't even want to think of how bad he must have smelled.

"I..." At first, Samuel didn't know what to say. Even so, he pressed on. He didn't want to miss his next chance to talk with Hoshiko. Ace would wake up soon with them talking, and so Samuel couldn't afford to waste time. "I don't think you could hurt Ace's feelings that way..." He said slowly. "Actually, Ace might seem insensitive, but I think he really does understand what you're going through." Samuel almost choked. "Better than I do anyways... I don't...really know much of anything..."

He felt the tears wanting to come to his eyes, but he forced them back, determined to put on a brave face. Emotion was something that almost scared Samuel in its complexity and its cause and effects. He didn't exactly see it as a weakness, per say, but he knew that _he_ happened to feel weak when he was overcome. He didn't like feeling that way.

"I'm just a normal guy. I haven't been through anything like what you guys have..."

It wasn't entirely true. His life had been far from normal. But he'd never talked too much about it. Maybe little snippets here and there, but it almost seemed to him like the less he talked about it, the better his future got. He'd told Hoshiko and Ace the most about his past, but even they didn't know everything. Samuel just...didn't like reliving what he'd been through. Even so, one thing he was sure of: he'd never been abused and tortured. Not like Ace and Hoshiko had. He'd been mistreated sure, ignored and pushed around. Lost his mother and watched his dad go crazy—in his own view anyway. But he'd never had a family that physically _hurt_ him. Not truly.

"You know a lot more than you think you do..." Hoshiko whispered, bravely not breaking her stare into Samuel's eyes. "Ace might understand some things but he doesn't know what you know. You know me Samuel. That's a whole lot different then just knowing stuff."

Finally looking away for a second Hoshiko sighed. "I just want my friend. I don't want a philosophy or an 'everything is going to be okay'." Shaking her head Hoshiko looked thoughtful. "I...just want someone to sit with me and understand my pain for what it is...without trying to fix it...and that's who I know you can be Samuel..."

Samuel's face flushed with color. He didn't quite agree, and he was a little flustered and embarrassed that anyone could think of him as an understanding, gentle man. He thought of himself as somewhat clueless about most things. Maybe that was his problem. Maybe the biggest thing he was clueless about was himself.

"I don't think I can understand your pain..." Samuel said, looking up finally. "I don't know what it's like to be in your shoes... Ace...well he kinda does. He's been through a lot of terrible things that I don't think anyone should go through. But even if I don't understand... I know you're right to feel pain. I wish I could make it go away, but I know I can't. Still... I'll be here for you. I want you to be happy. Even when I know there's no reason for you to be... I'm not much of a hero I guess. But I'll be good to you like you deserve. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Hoshiko listened to Samuel and sometime in the middle of his words she sat down, too exhausted and in too much pain to stay on her knees any longer.

"...No more about Ace..." She said softly after he had finished. "This isn't about Ace. This is about us as friends..." Shaking her head for a moment and finding extreme freedom in feeling comfortable enough to look at Samuel squarely now, Hoshiko sighed heavily. "I don't need you to relate to my pain Samuel...just to acknowledge it like you've already done. Can't you see? You've done everything already...you're doing that right now. It's me...my response isn't the same...I don't know how to be strong anymore...I guess I need time to find myself again..."

Stunned by Hoshiko's words, Samuel didn't know what to say at first. No, it wasn't about Ace. Whatever happened between Ace and Hoshiko was between Ace and Hoshiko. Ace was his own person, and didn't determine how Samuel and Hoshiko's relationship would be. Samuel hadn't thought of it that way.

Just as Samuel was about to say something, Hoshiko's expression became somewhat distant and unfocused, before she groaned softly with a hand on her stomach.

"...Gah...this is disgusting...I feel like I'm gonna be sick..."

Samuel moved to her side, a bit uncertain of what to do. He was a little uneasy about the thought of his friend puking in front of him—or worse on him—but he wasn't so unnerved that he wouldn't try to comfort her. Swallowing tensely, he put a hand on her shoulder, hoping that she could tell that he wanted to be there for her, even if he didn't know how.

"You're probably stressing yourself out." He reasoned, "Thinking about all these things can't be good for you. Here." He eased her to the ground slowly. "Why don't you rest for a moment. Take a few deep breaths."

Samuel managed to situate himself so that Hoshiko's head was in his lap. It wasn't comfortable, really, but he was able to ignore that by simply stroking Hoshiko's hair and noticing all of the bruises and marks on her cheeks. Anger began welling up inside of him, but he knew there was nothing he could do, save for protect Hoshiko now that she was here. He tried to force the angry thoughts about Osamu out of his mind, and considered how awkward Hoshiko must feel now.

"I'm sorry. I need a bath." He grimaced, hoping that it wasn't in fact he himself making Hoshiko sick.

Taking slow deep breaths as Samuel had instructed her did help quell Hoshiko's nausea, but what really made the difference to her was the care that Samuel was giving her. The gentle strokes of her hair made Hoshiko remember that there was such a thing as goodness. Closing her eyes and slowly exhaling again, there came a sound for Hoshiko's lips that almost made her feel strange. It was laughter. Quiet. Soft. With a hint of morbidity hidden behind the musical quality of the sound. But still it was laughter.

"Oh Samuel...it's not you." She said, glancing up at her friend. "It's my...condition." Hoshiko paused for a moment. "It's because I'm pregnant." And closing her eyes again she added. "This is more than Ace could ever give me...I want our friendship to be like this forever Samuel."

In the quiet of the little rock crevice, Ace's ear twitched and he opened one eye. What might have made a lesser creature fiercely jealous brought a soft smile to his lips. Closing his eyes again, he murmured to himself as both ears trained on the two young people. "You're a good man, Samuel..."

Samuel blushed slightly, at Hoshiko's words, not even noticing that Ace had awakened. He cracked a smile.

"Heh, yeah. Well. You don't have to worry about a thing. I plan on being here for you." A slight pause as his eyes wandered to Hoshiko's belly, wondering what was going on inside. "And for the baby too. It's not mine, but I still think every baby needs an awesome male role model." He grinned mischievously.

Laughter welled up from somewhere nearby, and Samuel knew it was Ace, but it surprised him that the creature didn't get up and come to greet them. Perhaps Ace realized that they needed some time to themselves, and felt the need to respect that... Even if he couldn't keep from laughing at Samuel. It wasn't Ace's fault that he had incredible hearing. Samuel wrinkled his nose.

Hoshiko considered what Samuel said. For her the baby was a difficult topic to discuss. She had no idea how to treat a baby and was petrified that she would make a terrible mother. That was if everything was alright with the baby to begin with.

She had tried her best to keep the child safe, but with Osamu's violent nature there was no guessing what could or couldn't have happened. Especially since Hoshiko had no idea what good signs and bad signs of pregnancy were.

"...Thank you Samuel..." Hoshiko finally said in the softest of voices.

"Well, you're welcome, and I mean it."

"I'm so scared...I'm petrified of this...this change. I don't know what it means for me...I don't know what it means for the baby...but it scares me to think of all the changes I'm going through. I feel like I don't know myself anymore..." Hoshiko's heart thudded against her chest at the thought.

"Hey... I don't know anything about babies myself." Samuel began, "And uh... I can't imagine what it must feel like having a baby of your own. Gosh, if I was going to be a dad, I think I'd have a heart attack. I wouldn't know what on earth I was supposed to do. But one thing I think: even though it is scary, it's kinda cool." He looked down at Hoshiko's belly again. "I mean, barring the awful situation that got you into this mess... A baby? Growing inside? That's just...that's just amazing. I think you'll be a good mom too. You're really caring. I can see how it would be scary though...if it were me, and I was gonna be a dad, I'd be really scared I'd mess something up..."

It was all with great intention that Samuel spoke to her, and Hoshiko respected that, trying deeply to share in her friend's wonder. But it was hard and frightening...so much so that the only wonder the girl felt was that of Samuel's.

"I guess it is kind of a charming..." Hoshiko said with a bit of a doubtful undertone. The idea made her heart ache. "I'm glad that you're here to be happy in my place Samuel...I need someone to tell me all the good things about being a mom and having a baby...because I just can't get my mind around it yet..." Hoshiko breathed out the words with gratitude. "I'm also glad that you're not going to be a dad...I would hate for you to have a heart attack."

"That makes two of us." Samuel agreed. "But let's see….I'll teach the baby how to do...um..." He paused, realizing he didn't know a thing about babies. "What do babies do?"

Samuel's lightheartedness helped some of the weight lift for a moment, and Hoshiko shook her head. "I don't really know what babies do Samuel..." Hoshiko tugged at the loose strings in knee of Samuel's jeans and cracked a faint smile. "I guess they sleep and cry and eat...they crawl eventually and walk. I don't know what they really need to learn. Except talking...but I know you'll be a good role model either way. So long as you stay still and don't tell too many stories."

"Oh, I have to stay still? This could be harder than I thought..." A pause. "Hey wait a minute...are you suggesting that I make things up? I do _not_ tell too many stories." He ruffled Hoshiko's hair very gently.

"I am quite simply suggesting that you will put dangerous ideas into my poor child's mind with tales of your adventures." Hoshiko managed to tease before drifting into silence. For a moment, she sat still, lost in distant thought.

Samuel looked away, smiling but hoping he hadn't been too playful and accidentally made Hoshiko uncomfortable. To his surprise, Hoshiko reached for his hand and brought it gently to her stomach under the sheet.

"Does it feel like there's life in there, Samuel?"

The boy's eyes went wide. He was glad that Hoshiko had the sheet to cover her, but he hadn't expected her to let him touch her. No, perhaps it wasn't sexual at all, and Samuel didn't feel that it was, but it was still intimate. Letting anyone touch the womb of your child was very intimate indeed, and it startled him, to be sure.

Sensing Samuel's nervousness, Hoshiko took her hand off of his. She didn't want to make her best friend feel uncomfortable in any way, it just felt so important to share this moment with someone, someone who wouldn't put her down or hurt her feelings for it. Someone who could almost tell her how she was supposed to feel, give her directions on how to be happy at becoming a mother. And even with Hoshiko's hand removed from the top of his, Samuel kept his hand in place.

He let himself relax a bit, and tried to see if he could feel the baby moving. He didn't really notice it, but the idea that a very tiny human was curled up and nestled under his fingertips made his skin tingle with amazement.

"There must be." He said slowly. "Or else I wouldn't feel so—" What did he feel like? "—Electrified."

"I know...I've considered that so many times." Hoshiko murmured. "I've never felt the baby move yet...but I suppose it's too soon. Yet...I can tell something is there. Something is changing and growing...and maybe I'm changing too...growing up a bit."

Samuel smirked and leaned forward towards Hoshiko's belly. Murmuring softly, as if to speak to the baby within, he said, "I won't put dangerous thoughts in your mind. No I won't. Uncle Samuel is too skilled to be dangerous. I'm what you call a professional. Can you say professional? Pro-fesh-on-ul."

Hoshiko shook her head. "Samuel, there is no profession for lunacy." She laughed very slightly. "But I know you can teach the baby how to be a good friend...maybe a best friend to someone someday...like you are to me."

A crooked smirk turned up one side of the young man's mouth. "I think I can. Hey. If the baby's a boy, I'll teach him how to climb rock walls and swim in the river. And maybe even ride monsters." He rubbed his hands together excitedly. "We could go on adventures deep in the jungle and find new species. Maybe we'll even tame Ace."

"Fat chance!" The voice of the Incarnus called from across the clearing.

Samuel grinned sinisterly and whispered. "Oh yeah, we will. You know it."

Rolling her eyes Hoshiko let out a dramatic sigh. "And if she's a girl? What are you going to do then? Dress up in pretty, pink dresses and have tea parties with her?" Hoshiko had to laugh softly at the image in her head, she felt it pushing away some of the darker images that lurked there, and it was refreshing. Even if it was silly. "You'd make a lovely duchess." Hoshiko poked at Samuel's knee and closed her eyes. "Well whether or not the baby is a boy or girl...I know the child will learn lots from you. And I'm positive taming Ace could be one of those skills."

She whispered back to her friend, a joke just for the two of them. Then, suddenly, Hoshiko groaned again and curled into a little bit of a ball. "I don't feel well at all..." She muttered with a soft laugh, trying to lift the weight of her words. "...But having you around helps."

Samuel's brow furrowed slightly. "We should get you somewhere more comfortable. And you need some clothes... It can't be good for you to stay out here for too long." He paused and looked towards the dark edge of the forest.

Pushing herself up awkwardly and getting herself into a sitting position, Hoshiko nodded in agreement with Samuel. "That's true...we do need to take care of some things, don't we?"

Samuel nodded. "And we have to consider how to approach your newfound freedom, We could always go to the cops again while the bruises are still fresh so we can prove that you've been abused but….." Samuel shuddered at the idea of Hoshiko possibly being sent back to her family anyway. "I don't know. Osamu does need to be locked up, though."

A shadow passed across the young man's face as he considered what Osamu had done to Hoshiko. The thought of her bearing Osamu's child... It made Samuel feel sick with disgust for the man and awash with pity for his friend. A child should have been something wondrous for two people to create together when they both felt ready. But Osamu had clearly taken liberties he was not offered. Now Hoshiko was going to have to live with that, just like she was going to have to live with bruises and worse yet: the emotional torment of having served as Osamu's wife.

Hoshiko looked down, trembling a little. Samuel thought it was because of the cold, so he leaned over her slightly, folding his arms around her fragile body. There was no way for Samuel to know that she was actually shaking with fear, until the young woman managed to speak. She had to swallow hard so that the words would come out.

"Even if the police lock Osamu away, they'll send me back to my family because I'm under age...so I don't have many options." And looking up at her friend, Hoshiko's face was wrought with sadness.

Samuel grunted in frustration. "I suppose no matter what the only real choice is to run, then." A short pause, "If we cut through the woods, we can probably get to Blackthorn City." Samuel's stomach moaned, and the boy looked down, embarrassed. He laughed weakly at himself. "On the way, I really need to eat something though. That and…well... I'd like to clean up at least a little. I think there's a river somewhere near the city. Maybe you could clean up too. It might help you feel better."

Looking around for a moment Hoshiko nodded at the thought of the river, thinking that it was a good idea to get cleaned up, but then she thought about walking into the city with a sheet draped around her, and she blushed with embarrassment and crushed self esteem. There was no way she wanted anyone to see her right now.

"...I can't go to Blackthorn like this..." She said, wringing her hands nervously. "...I'd probably be arrested..." Looking down at her hands, then her eyes darted up to Samuel's but then quickly retreated. "Could you go pick out something for me to wear? I can look for more clothes later. I just need…something that will cover me better." She tried hard to smile, but it was clearly forced. "I could stay with Ace just before we arrive...just outside the town."

Samuel nodded understandingly and touched Hoshiko's bruised cheek softly to push her hair back out of her eyes.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. When we closer to the edge of town, I'll get some things for you to wear. Meanwhile you can bathe and use the sheet to dry off with. Ace will make sure you're safe until I get back." Samuel stood slowly and eased Hoshiko to her feet as well. Then he glanced over and shouted across the boulder patch. "You hear that, you big oaf?!"

"Got it." A voice said from behind him, startling him half to death. He gasped and looked over his shoulder to see Ace standing right there, looking a little sleepy. Even so, the canine wore a crooked smile. "I'm just glad you thought of something. You can't forget that we have a big sum of trouble on our hands now that Hart has run off with those two dragons—" Samuel gently hoisted Hoshiko up onto Ace's back while the creature talked, but frowned at the monster, as if telling him to shut up. Ace didn't really notice. "—He has unspeakable power in his hands, and even though we were able to get Snap's research back from him, he could still gather enough darkonium to cause mass destruction in his wake. He's blindly running about under the direction of Arceus' servants, and if we don't stop him, he'll bring the world to its knees all by himself."

Hoshiko's sunken gaze widened a little. "Arceus?...Hart…what?" She could hardly process the news. "...W-What happened?" She wasn't really sure that she wanted to know but there wasn't much else to say. "Ace, if we need to, you can just drop me off at Blackthorn. Even if we don't somehow run into Koichi again, there is that old lady to take care of me...I...I'm sorry...I guess I'm a nuisance in your plan."

Samuel cast a glare at Ace, and the large creature shrank back slightly with a bit of a whine. "My apologies." He said sincerely, ears drooping slightly. "You must understand that it isn't because I'm not interested in helping you...I simply wish not to let things get out of hand. But we will take care of you, Hoshiko..."

"That's right we will." Samuel said to Ace gruffly, pulling himself up to join Hoshiko on the monster's back. "You're not a nuisance. Don't you worry about a thing, Hoshiko. There will be plenty more time for us to explain what happened later. Right now we just have to help _you_, okay?" He smiled a little bit. "You've been through enough."

Having Samuel make Ace stop, no matter how much Hoshiko really did want to care about what was going on, felt good. The last thing she needed was more burdens or stress. All Hoshiko could picture was sitting on the bench in Blackthorn, her and Samuel talking like they had before, all calm, all alright. Nothing to bother or scare her. That's what she wanted more then anything. Maybe then the haunting thoughts of Osamu would leave her, and she could find peace.

Hoshiko put her hands on Samuel's shoulders and held onto him as he sat in front of her. "You're right, I hope Koichi will be in Blackthorn...then again, I'm not sure what he would think of..." And looking down at the barely noticeable bump of her abdomen, the girl shuddered. "Of this." But sighing deeply she shook her head. "We had better get going soon. The sooner we get to Blackthorn, the better for all of us, right?"

Samuel nodded in agreement, but spoke only about Hoshiko's concerns. "I'm sure your father would be supportive of you... After all, it's not your fault that any of this happened... You're a victim of Osamu. If anything, it will just increase his distaste for that awful man, which is fine with me." Samuel happened to glance down at Ace and saw he was looking over his shoulder at them. The beast's ears folded back. He looked up at Samuel apologetically, but it was clear that Samuel forgave him when he ruffled the thick fur on the back of Ace's neck.

"Come on, you dork. Stop being such a big baby." Samuel laughed.

Ace snorted. "Well excuse ME for wanting to please you."

"You don't have to please me, and you know it. You're the one who called _me_ your master, I never declared you my pet. You're free to do whatever you like. Except harass Hoshiko. Got it?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "Fine." He wagged his tail anyways, and Samuel just laughed at him.

"Stupid monster..." He said with a smile and a shake of his head. "Alright, enough chatter. Let's get Hoshiko home to Blackthorn."

Closing her eyes, Hoshiko pondered what Samuel said. Was Blackthorn really home? She wasn't too sure, but if it was, then going there would have to be a good thing. She wasn't sure what to think right now, but trusting Samuel was what all that Hoshiko really wanted to do.

While Hoshiko thought, Ace took off at a slow run through the woods, leaves rustling and branches snapping sharply underfoot as he moved. Samuel held onto Ace's mane, and Hoshiko held onto _him_. When they reached a clearing with a wide enough opening in the canopy, Ace sprang and took to the air again, soaring up over the treetops, weightlessly dashing over the sea of green and brushing the canopy with his toes as if he was running along solid ground.

Samuel barely noticed the rich scenery. Up here, over the trees, the sun was already surprisingly warm, and it heated the rest of the morning chill right out of his bones and made him drowsy. The only thing that kept him from nodding off was Hoshiko's soft voice in his ear. Now that they were moving and had a little time before they arrived at their destination, she felt a little less like she was hindering them and more like she had a chance to talk.

"...Do you think the baby is alright?" Hoshiko asked nervously. "I...I did my best to keep my stomach protected from Osamu...I think I did an okay job..." The poor girl sounded terribly uncertain. She hoped that Samuel didn't mind her talking about it, and Hoshiko looked down at her hands on the young man's shoulders. "I really don't know how to feel about it Samuel...I feel guilty when I'm sad about it, but I can't help myself..."

"I'm sure the baby is okay." Samuel said, hoping to encourage Hoshiko. But he wasn't so sure himself. The way Osamu was with her, who could know? But they'd find out when they got to Blackthorn...that much was certain. "And I don't blame you for feeling sad... It's not something that you wanted, but I can understand the guilt too, I guess. After all...the baby is alive and it's yours. But don't worry...you'll adjust to the idea, I'm sure. And someday you'll be glad to have this baby...wait and see."

He frowned slightly to himself. "It's just a pity you couldn't have the baby when you were more ready...and with someone you actually cared about." He shook his head.

"Yeah, when I first found out I was so distraught I didn't know what do to or how to feel at all...now that's it's been awhile, I'm actually getting a little better, believe it or not...I guess I am actually getting used to it...but sometimes it doesn't feel all that great either. I never know what to expect." Hoshiko shook her head. "And...I wish it could have been different." Hoshiko's whole body went tense at the memory. "...I couldn't have ever imagined how bad it would be, Samuel..." Her voice waned to a desolate whisper.

"It's hard to imagine..."

Samuel said quietly, closing his eyes and wishing that there was something he could do to help. But he felt entirely helpless, and to think that Hoshiko felt the same way but had that tiny thing growing inside of her... That was truly scary. Yet, there was something about it that was fascinating too. How any body could carry another life...Samuel had never given it real thought before, but now that he was forced to, he was surprised at just how fascinating the idea was. To carry a child that is half you... How unusually charming it seemed. But in Hoshiko's sense, it was also tragic. The baby was half her and half someone she'd rather forget... That was a real shame.

"It's kind of cool..." Samuel laughed as he nervously voiced his thoughts. "I mean... scary, sure... And I wish it could have been under better circumstances of your choosing... But... I mean, I could never do what you're doing even if I wanted to." He burst out laughing, despite himself. He didn't mean to make light of it, but he did feel as if it was something miraculous.

At first Hoshiko was shocked by how Samuel could even laugh about this, but as she thought more about what he'd actually said, it was impossible for a small smile not to cross the girl's face. It wasn't much of a smile, but this smile was real instead of forced. It was the first time she'd been able to really smile at the idea of being a mother. She sat incredulously for a moment to let it sink in.

Of course after that, Hoshiko wouldn't have been Hoshiko if she didn't shake her head at Samuel. She raised her right fist, although it was weak, the girl punched him in the arm.

Samuel yelped, although it was certainly more in surprise than in pain. "Hey, take it easy there." He said. "You'll break your arm or something, hitting me like that."

"You're crazy, you know that?" She laughed a short, single note laugh. "But I like it that way." A pause. "And think of it this way. At least you don't have to feel sick in the morning, throw up, have your senses all messed up, be in pain and who knows what else. This being pregnant stuff isn't easy." She replied, almost smugly.

Samuel smirked to himself, "Yeah...you can have all that nonsense. But at least you get the satisfaction of becoming a mother."

"Oh yeah, well, I guess once it's all over I'll get that satisfaction." Hoshiko pondered the thought of holding onto the child that for now was hidden away. It was a strange thought, for sure. "But until then you'll have to deal with me complaining about feeling sick all the time." She replied, wanting to punch Samuel again but not having the energy to.

He laughed. "Yeah, but, now I'm determined to have my own kid someday. Get on the bandwagon. All that good stuff."

Ace chuckled, lightly, although he was still more concerned with getting to Blackthorn than anything else. Samuel just had that sort of effect on people, he supposed. Could command the attention of anyone and simply make people smile.

"You have to find a wife if that's the case." The Incarnus reminded his master.

"Well crud, there goes _that_ plan." He burst out laughing again.

"Aw, I think you'll find someone someday and have a kid, Samuel. I think you'd make a great father." She nodded confidently. "I'm positive you'll make a great father in fact. How about you get some practice in early by being a good uncle first?" She laughed gently. "You'd make the perfect uncle." And turning her head down to her stomach, Hoshiko whispered so softly that she thought nobody would hear. "...I...I hope I'll be a good mother...I hope the baby likes me..."

Samuel laughed nervously, Hoshiko's silent words not touching his ears. "A good uncle, huh? Well, I can try, that's for sure." The thought of holding a baby in his arms made him terrified. "I'm used to danger, adrenaline, falling off of things, jumping off of things, having things fall on _me_, having things _jump_ on me mercilessly..." He poked Ace's side and the dog just smirked quietly to himself, knowing full well that Samuel actually enjoyed the attention.

"What if I break the baby?"

Ace couldn't help but laugh at that. "You're not going to break that baby, Samuel. I hear that babies bounce anyways."

Now it was Samuel's turn to smack someone. "Oh hush, you. I'm not going to _drop_ the baby."

"Well then you don't have to worry about breaking it, do you?" Ace laughed aloud. "Stupid human."

"Stupid dog."

"You love me and you know it."

Samuel rolled his eyes at that. "Love as in: I'll refrain from killing you for that comment. Brat."

Ace snickered at Samuel, but quickly changed the subject. Unlike Samuel, his sharp ears had caught Hoshiko's near-silent musings. "You'll be a good mother, Hoshiko. Not like Samuel back there. He'd be a terrible mother."

"...Thank you Ace." Hoshiko replied softly, petting the monster gently for his comment. It was a comfort to know that others thought she would make a good mother, because she wasn't so sure. The girl had no experience at all with newborn babies, let alone her own. Taking care of the baby, taking care of herself, even feeding the child after it was born...she hadn't a clue where to start or how to act. "I think I'll need a book on motherhood." She laughed nervously. "I don't have the slightest idea where to begin..."

Where to begin. That was always a good question, Samuel mused. But whether anyone thought about it or not, the beginning wasn't what anyone had to worry about. Beginnings always rolled around on their own. All you had to do was take them as they came. That was the real hard part.

The beginning had already come and gone for Hoshiko. Now she was carrying Osamu's baby. A new life had begun. And her road to a new life with that baby was now in progress. There would be plenty of firsts on the way, but the beginning had already been taken care of. Samuel smiled slightly at that and reached up for Hoshiko's hands, sliding them down from his shoulders and wrapping them around his waist so that he could hold onto her more securely.

His beginning was already well on its way too. But where he was on this crazy road, he had no idea. But then again...he didn't need to. He was fine right where he was.

* * *

Blackthorn came up in the distance after a good amount of time had passed. It lay nestled amid the tress and mountainsides like an egg in a nest. Samuel was watching the scenery listlessly, but he came to attention when Ace announced the small town fast approaching. It was good news for Hoshiko. Samuel was sure she was sick and tired of sitting, and it would be good for her to get down and walk a bit.

They eased down at the edge of the city, where the bridge crossed from the forest into town. The river ran, sparkling, from somewhere high up in the mountains and trailed along the side of the comfortable little settlement like a silver thread. Samuel slid off of Ace first, then reached up to help Hoshiko down. Together, they all walked back into the forest and followed the riverbank a short way, just to make sure they would be out of sight of any passersby. The smell of pine and rich soil lingered, just as strong as Samuel remembered. It brought back memories of the old woman and Hart, and the bullet that almost killed Hoshiko. He looked over at the girl, and guided her to the shelter of a little grove of bushes growing all the way out from the forest and into the shallow edge of the water.

Sunlight twinkled warmly through the trees, and all evidence of the morning chill was gone, although a shivering breeze passed through every now and again.

"Alright, we're here." Samuel said. "Go ahead and get cleaned up and refreshed. I'll bring you temporary outfit that's hopefully better than this old sheet." He smiled encouragingly at Hoshiko and started walking back towards the trail.

"Just don't get lost." Ace called back to him.

"I won't." Samuel snorted. "And mind that you don't do anything _rude_ or ungentlemanly while I'm gone."

Ace smirked. "C'mon, Boy. It's me."

"That's what I'm worried about."

Hoshiko laughed softly.

Ace laughed too. "You have my word. I wouldn't dream of hurting Hoshiko, and you know it. Now run along."

Wrinkling his nose, Samuel paused to turned back and look one more time at Hoshiko, his expression becoming soft again. He forced a smile, but felt bad that he'd be leaving her, even if it was for only a brief while. She looked so frail and helpless. He couldn't help going back to her, and Samuel's arms went around her in a firm embrace, pulling her close to his chest.

"I'll be back, okay?" He said, pressing his cheek against her head, hugging her tightly.

The young woman hugged him back earnestly. Hoshiko leaned her head against Samuel's chest, feeling the ultimate security of her best friend's arms around her.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright." She smiled up at Samuel. "It'll be no time before you come back, I know it. Just make sure you take your pokémon with you, Samuel." Hoshiko didn't let go of her friend for a moment, but realizing that they would have to part if Samuel was ever to leave, slowly Hoshiko stepped back. "Everything'll be alright now, Samuel." She put on a brave face for him, and it wasn't as hard as she'd thought it would be. She still felt tormented, haunted, and disgusted. But now she didn't feel so alone. "Thank you Samuel..." She said as she looked at him wistfully.

"You're welcome." The young man smiled back at his friend, turning reluctantly to leave. He started towards the path and called back over his shoulder. "I'll pick out something that you'll look really cute in!" He waved his hand to say goodbye and darted off.

Ace chuckled. "That won't be hard!" He called to his master, who no longer heard him-or if he did, did not reply. The Incarnus glanced over at Hoshiko and grinned. "I suppose we should get you taken care of. Come with me." He led Hoshiko down to the river's edge, enticed by the smell of the crystal clear water. He was desperately thirsty. "Hopefully the river won't be too cold." The monster added a bit cautiously. "At least the sun is warming everything up now."

"I don't mind too much if it's cold..." Hoshiko said with hesitant politeness.

The girl stopped at the edge of the water. The sight of it made her heart leap. It was so fresh and pure, welcoming her with gentle babbling. The trees hanging out over it draped their beautiful bows low, and the morning sunlight cast a strange sort of brightness in some places and shadows in other. It captivated Hoshiko like never before as she rediscovered the outside world. It was truly worth the ardent longing that she had to see the outdoors again. Being cooped up in the same dark house for so long had taken its toll on the young woman, but now there was too much to savor.

"Thank you, Ace." She said turning to him with a gentle smile before turning away and towards the thicker bushes that covered a section of the river. There she could bathe and make herself feel much more refreshed. Although Hoshiko felt she could never wash the feelings of Osamu's hands from her skin, it didn't hurt to try, and maybe with her friends now there to support her things could be—no, would be—different. "It's a little chilly, but not too bad!" Hoshiko called back to Ace.

Ace walked up to the edge of the water, his ears tilted towards Hoshiko as he listened to her voice. He put his head down though, and began to drink, lapping fervently at the cool, clear water. The crisp, wet feeling on his desperately dry tongue only made him drink more, and as the liquid cascaded down his throat, he indulged as if he hadn't had a good long drink in days. Perhaps he hadn't, and was dreadfully dehydrated, but he certainly didn't pause for a long, long while.

Finally, when he'd satisfied himself, he looked up and licked his lips to catch whatever water he could before it dribbled from his chin. His bright blue eyes danced excitedly as he watched the water sparkle in the sunlight that poured through the trees.

"Ah, marvelous." He practically sang... before moving a few steps back and taking a flying leap into the water with an impressive splash.

Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh at Ace's antics, feeling refreshed by the crisp, cool water as she cleansed herself. She remained focused mostly on what she was doing, though, and didn't see Ace as he moved closer. Bounding through the water, using his hind legs to propel him from the river bed on forward, the monster carried waves with him all the way to where Hoshiko was, ears forward and focused as he let the water fully refresh and awaken him.

"Well hello!" He almost shouted, lifting a paw to bat at the surface of the water.

"ACE!" Hoshiko shrieked, diving behind the bushes. Her head peeked over them with eyes wide as she watched the creature. "...Ace...you should have warned me..." Hoshiko's heart was racing and her hands were trembling.

Heaving out a sigh though, the girl hoped that she hadn't sounded too harsh. He had just scared her so badly that she didn't now what to say or do. The poor girl's heart was thudding against her chest, and even behind the bushes she tried to cover her bare chest with her hands.

Ace hesitated, tilting his head in confusion. His bright eyes searched Hoshiko's face until he seemed to comprehend what he might have done wrong.

"I'm sorry." He said at last, straightening up a bit. "I shouldn't have splashed you." Then he laughed. "But you're already wet, so I didn't think you'd mind." He started swimming in circles. "I won't splash you again, unless you tell me to." He laughed again and turned to face her.

"By the way, there are certain plant extracts that can help get rid of dirt. Since oil isn't soluble in water, you might try some." He started swimming to the bank of the river, as if he'd spotted something. "And plant extracts smell nice. Samuel would be pleased."

Hoshiko let out a sigh of relief and shook her head at Ace's innocence to her sensitivities. But listening to him the girl found some truth to his words and being versed in the world of natural plant extracts and items, Hoshiko looked down to see what type of bush she was hiding behind.

"You know...you're right Ace." Hoshiko added, smiling a bit as the distractedly plucked leaves from the bush. "We would use stuff like this at home since we stick things that are all natural." She mused over the thought for a second before breaking open the leathery leaves like a person would with aloe to find the extract within.

"I'll collect some extra for Samuel too so that he can use the leaves. They're great" Hoshiko looked down at the collection in her hands. She broke several leaves and crushed them in her hands, smearing the juices in her palms before continuing her washing. Every once in awhile she glanced over her shoulder while Ace splashed around like a child.

"You know, it's been awhile since I've seen you. I'm glad you're alright." The Incarnus chuckled. "And it's been awhile since I've gone swimming too. It's more of a luxury than anything, but I guess one has to indulge sometimes."

"Yeah, it has been awhile, has it?" Hoshiko considered. There were plenty of times she had thought about when she had last seen her friends, but being back with them now was already making it feel almost as if they had never been apart. "I'm glad you two are alright too, you know?" She said, looking over the bushes. "I spent so much time worrying over you guys that I might have driven myself mad with it. I couldn't handle the idea that Hart had taken Samuel, it killed me." Hoshiko chewed at her lip and then ducked behind the bush again, sighing.

Ace playfully jumped at a stick that floated by, caught it, and tossed it into the air. It fell in front of him, splashing Ace's nose and making him sneeze. "Heheh... Oops..."

Hoshiko looked back in the white wolf's direction.

"Be careful. If Samuel comes back and you're damaged, he won't think I took good care of you."

Ace snorted and shook his head roughly to clear his nose. Then he poked his head up over the bushes to look at Hoshiko. Hoshiko shied away a bit at first, but as Ace continued to talk she became more comfortable.

"Me? Damaged? Nonsense." He laughed. "Why you'd have to do more than splash a little water in my face to damage _me_. I'd let you take a swing, but you might hurt yourself." He smirked, paused and then let out a slow sigh. "At any rate, I didn't worry about Samuel until I realized Hart had taken him... And that was well after he freed himself. But I worried a great deal about you. And I feel sort of...responsible for what happened to you guys... If I had been there none of it would have happened but... I left..."

"You worried about me?" Hoshiko asked, watching Ace with wide eyes. "I never thought..." The girl's voice trailed off as she considered how silly it was that part of her had thought Ace might not care. "Thank you...but...please don't blame yourself." Hoshiko added with deep sympathy. "Osamu...he would have found a way to get me either way...It's not you..."

Looking at her arms and hands, Hoshiko didn't feel very confident. "I can live through this anyway...right? I mean so what...I was probably going to have a child anyways...just...just not at seventeen...that's all...no...big...deal..."

Hoshiko tried to smile but her heart was heavy with thoughts of Osamu. "He is all too determined..." But forcing herself to smile and push out a laugh, Hoshiko brightened her eyes for Ace. "How could you blame yourself? I don't. You helped Samuel save me."

Ace nodded slowly, considering Hoshiko's words as she spoke them. It was kind of her to think highly of him, but he wasn't so sure it was rightly placed. Even so, it made him feel good to know he was receiving gratitude.

"You'll live through it." Ace agreed. "But it wasn't what I wanted for you. Not in the slightest. Had I remained with you instead of letting my frustration and emotions get in the way, I could have protected you better." He sighed. "I never meant for any of this to happen, and persistent as Osamu is, I know that I can outgun him. And if I find myself in a position where I can't, I can always escape. Rescuing you is simply to make up for what I didn't do in the first place. Unfortunately the consequence of not taking care of you now leaves you in the situation you are currently in..." He looked up at the girl apologetically. "I should have known better..."

"No, Ace...no." Hoshiko said gently. "You don't have to take care of me like that...I'm not really your responsibility." Hoshiko looked at Ace with sympathy for the burden he had placed on himself. She didn't want to be such a weight on Ace's shoulders and although it was comforting to know he cared so much, Hoshiko just didn't find it fair.

"I don't want you to feel so much pressure just because I'm here...I don't want you to feel like you have to take care of me. I...I know that Koichi hasn't been around and I know that my family hasn't really tried very hard but it's not fair that you have to do that, Ace!" Hoshiko looked over the bush and her eyes were glistening with traces of tears.

"Ace, I'm sorry! I don't want you to be so hard on yourself! This isn't your fault, please don't blame yourself! None of this is your responsibility!" Looking away, Hoshiko but her lip hard but muttered to herself softly. "If I had only been stronger...if I could have run away, fought Osamu...I shouldn't have let him do this! Now everyone feels bad...I just ruined everything...I'm so weak..."

"It isn't your fault. You're not weak. Osamu is far too strong. And cruel. It is him who bears the ultimate responsibility for what has happened, but as your friend I should have been there to protect you." Ace paused and rested his chin on the branches and leaves of the bush, ears flat.

"I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't take care of you, Hoshiko. And it's an honor, not pressure. I would like you to let me care for you, and give me time to learn from my foolish mistakes. I've made many of those over the years, as you might imagine. I like to think that with each one I get a bit smarter." Ace tilted his head, looking pitiful simply by being sopping wet. "It actually feels good to know I have a more intimate purpose than simply guiding the fate of the world. A purpose so grand is mighty, but very impersonal and exceedingly lonely. It's...actually kind of nice to have people to care for."

"Thank you Ace..." Hoshiko said looking back at him with a half hearted expression. "It's not that I don't want you to worry or care...I just feel so guilty that you feel responsible for what happened to me...because I really don't want you to." Looking at her friend with a weak smile though Hoshiko felt her heart warming with Ace's compassion.

"But I guess I feel the same way too...I care about you and Samuel, and I would be horribly lonely if not for you two. I mean...that's all I've had..." This time a genuine smile graced the girl's face as she reached her arm over the bushes to rub Ace's head. "Thanks Ace..."

A soft smile lifted the grim expression haunting the Incarnus' face, so much that his eyes lit and the gleam of his white teeth caught the light. Ears lifting only to fold again when Hoshiko pet him, Ace replied contently and pushed his face firmly into the girl's hand.

"You're welcome, of course." The creature sighed. "I'm honored to think that you feel the same about me. I know Sam would agree." A slight smirk. "He simply adores you, and I can see why. Aside from your dazzling beauty, you have a heart of gold."

Hoshiko's cheeks blazed red as she tried to figure out just what about her made Ace think she was beautiful. Hoshiko has never had the idea that she was beautiful in her mind, and her family did nothing to help her self-confidence. So having Ace in fact tell her that she was made her feel kind of awkward at trying to grasp the concept.

"...Ace...me beautiful?" Her eyes looked to the left slowly, not positive on how to take a compliment. "Ace thank you...I...don't think I quite understand, but I hope someday I'll be able to see myself like you and Samuel do...because sometimes I feel like I don't know the same person you guys do." Hoshiko laughed nervously and then tried to change the subject a little bit. "Maybe I'll see myself better in what Samuel picks out for me to wear."

A mischievous glint flashed in Ace's eyes. "Well, you're welcome, and I'm sure you'll look good in whatever Samuel picks for you. And don't worry, you may not feel beautiful at the moment, but you are." He looked her over for a moment, not trying to be rude in any sense, but not fully realizing what he was doing until he'd already observed her for what he imagined might have been too long.

Distractedly, he opted to continue the conversation. "I think that it's hard to know people, even yourself. I think what people know of one another is basically a conclusion reached based on what they've seen. It may or may not be fully accurate, but it definitely has some credence to it, most of the time. I also think that people tend to judge themselves more harshly that others do. In your case, I'm sure it's true. Samuel too. I think he's rather tough on himself."

Despite feeling encouraged by Ace's words, Hoshiko still felt self-conscious. It didn't help when she happened to glance up and notice him studying her body. She expected him to respect her just as much as Samuel did, and there was a deep sense of embarrassment and even hurt welling up inside of her. Couldn't he just understand that she was sensitive, especially right now?

"Thank you for your kind words Ace..." The girl said sullenly before retreating out of the river and back to the bushes where she could dry off and wait for Samuel under the cover of her sheet.

Why couldn't Ace just understand how she wanted to be respected? Hoshiko felt violated and it showed plainly in her face. Ace watched Hoshiko walk off for a moment, feeling somewhat guilty just by the look he'd received from Hoshiko, and how she'd fled his presence. For all of his philosophical sharing, he hadn't been able to completely overcome his own miserable downfalls. Heavy hearted and scolding himself harshly, he climbed out of the water and shook out his coat. Wet, he looked a lot skinnier than he did dry—an odd thing of note. He was mostly fur it seemed. Once he'd fluffed himself out a bit, he went to sit under a tree where just enough sunlight could trickle down and help him dry out and warm up. Samuel was going to be angry with him. He just knew it. He would have to be extra well-behaved tonight, or risk getting yelled at.

* * *

Afternoon rolled around, with the sun high in the sky and the temperature much hotter. Ace had spent a good deal of time by the water's edge, drinking and relaxing, only once in awhile stealing a glance in Hoshiko's direction to make sure she was okay. And to see if she was still mad at him. In the meantime, Ace also noticed the sound of someone in the woods—a good ways off still, but headed in their direction. He didn't doubt it was Samuel. Oh if only Hoshiko would cheer up before the boy got back.

The unfortunate thing was now that Hoshiko didn't cheer up anymore. Instead she remained huddled up against a tree with her head dipped down low, fingers rubbing the edge of the sheet. How could Ace have thought she could ever feel beautiful after that? Samuel hadn't regarded her in such a way, he was the one who had tried to protect her when she had felt most vulnerable. But she had trusted Ace to respect her, and he hadn't.

It only proved more so in her mind that she was simply an object to so many. Samuel thought of her as a person, why couldn't Ace have treated her in the same way? Was it impossible to respect her? Was she so misplaced in her trust that she couldn't even believe in Ace anymore? Hoshiko said nothing but she could hear Samuel's footsteps as he came down the forest path towards them. It did nothing to raise her spirits though. She simply felt violated again.

There was nothing more painful to Ace than knowing that he was the cause of Hoshiko's pain. He got up and walked over, meaning to apologize, but it was too late. Samuel appeared at the edge of the water and immediately noticed the downtrodden posture of Hoshiko and the pitiful display of Ace crawling towards her, head low.

"What did you do?" Samuel demanded, picking up his pace as he approached.

Ace's ears drooped, and he hung his head, tucking his tail between his legs. "I didn't mean to. I promise. It just sort of happened. I wasn't—"

Suddenly fearing the worst, Samuel stormed over to Ace and looked almost like he was about to kick him. "Damnit, Ace. What did you do?!"

Closing her eyes, Hoshiko felt her head pounding. The last thing she wanted to do was be part of or the cause of an argument. Their group didn't need this, just as much as she hadn't needed Ace observing her the way he had. Biting her lip hard and then looking back at Ace and Samuel, Hoshiko's eyes narrowed emotionally.

"Calm down!" She practically cried. "...Ace...he...he was trying to comfort me I guess...but..." Looking away from the two, Hoshiko's shoulders slumped even further. "He..._looked_ at me. I...I was behind the bush...but he..." Closing her eyes and heaving out a breath of heavy frustration. "How did you think that was supposed to make me feel? I...I've completely had my dignity taken away from me! Was that supposed to help!?"

Hoshiko could barely look back at Ace but instead just stuck her head in her knees. "I'm just trying to live with myself right now...I didn't need you looking at me like that! You think I have myself wrapped in this sheet for no reason?! How was that supposed to make me feel?"

Samuel shot a cold glare at Ace, and the monster lowered himself to the ground, flattening out and pressing his head between his paws. The canine could _feel_ Samuel's anger.

"I _told_ you to be a gentleman. What on earth were you thinking?!"

Ace whimpered helplessly. "I—I wasn't thinking." He admitted. "I didn't realize until it was too late. I can't take that back."

"I can tolerate your stupid high-and-mighty self-righteousness." Samuel spat. "And I can deal with your meandering mind and roving eyes when they're on me. But how could you do that to _Hoshiko_?!" Samuel paused and reached into his bag, pulling out a pair of loose capris and a baggy t-shirt, along with some socks and shoes. He gently handed them to the girl near his feet. "Here. Go into the woods and put these on. I'm going to have a talk with Ace."

It was like the world's biggest weight lifted off of Hoshiko's shoulders when Samuel gently handed her the clothes he had gotten. It was like having a security blanket in those few articles of clothing, and standing up, Hoshiko went off as Samuel had instructed her.

Samuel waited until Hoshiko had moved away far enough that he couldn't see her, then he whirled back on his monster, for the first time standing over him like a real master would. "What's the _matter_ with you?! Hoshiko?! REALLY?! Do you have any sense of decency? Heck even sense of the common variety would do! Don't you care about her at all?!"

Ace winced. "Of course I do..."

"Why would you _look_ at her?!"

"I—I don't know."

"I ought to cut a few choice items off of you and make sure this never happens again!"

Ace whined. "Now just a minute. I don't think of Hoshiko that way. Not intentionally! I just told you that I never meant to do that... I would never hurt her! I wouldn't dream of doing anything to make her feel like she wasn't worth anything."

"And yet you had the gall to oggle her like she was some bag of meat." Samuel snapped.

"It wasn't my intention..." Ace didn't look up, too ashamed of himself to make eye contact. "It was habit. Instinct I guess. My brain didn't kick in right away..."

"I suppose you're going to excuse yourself by reminding me again that you're a monster." Ace had nothing to say to that, so Samuel continued. "Well that's no excuse. Not when we're talking about our _friend_."

Ace sounded like he was about to choke. "It's no excuse, but it's the only reason I have, even if it's not a good one. I honestly wasn't thinking... But I promise you I didn't mean anything by it. I don't see Hoshiko that way. I don't think of Hoshiko that way. Opportunity just came and I wasn't paying attention when it blindsided me... I'm really not that bad of a guy."

"You're not a guy." Samuel hissed, and he felt anger for both his own and Hoshiko's sake rising. "You're a—" He stammered in his anger and frustration, trying to think of something suitable to call the beast. "You're a _thing_. You're a low, perverse, predatory _thing_, hunting down any innocent that you can for your own pleasure, and don't you DARE try to deny it."

Ace whimpered. "Please...stop. Don't call me that..."

"Why?" Samuel grumbled. "Truth hurts? Maybe you needed to hear it then. Maybe it'll snap you out of it. Maybe you'll be a little more conscious of other people and not so absorbed in your own mess of a mind and body."

Now Ace sounded like he really was about to break down. "I don't want you to think of me that way, Sam. I don't mean to be that way...please... No more...it hurts..." But he wasn't about to get up and leave. Not this time. He couldn't leave them the way he had left them before. Even if they hated him. No, they didn't hate him...but it sure felt like they did. "...I want you to think of me as a person...even if I—" A sob escaped. Ace quickly looked away, "—Even if I'm not..."

"If you were a person," Samuel began, "You'd be the one science wanted to pick apart to see where nature went wrong." Ace flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. "And you'd be the one the cops locked up, just to make sure you didn't make any more little people like you."

Samuel turned his back to Ace, and Ace couldn't say a single word. He just lay there, shaken as if he'd received physical blows. But Ace was sure no physical blow could ever hurt like this.

Slowly, he got up. His legs felt like they wanted to give away, and he felt completely crushed inside. Even so, he knew he couldn't leave this as it was. Moving away from Samuel, he trudged to the edge of the forest where Hoshiko had slipped out of view, and he sat down, this time taking special care not to even lift his gaze from the ground where his feet sat beneath him.

Talking was hard. His voice didn't want to leave his tightly constricted throat, but he forced it. "H-Hoshiko... I..." Sorry didn't seem quite good enough, especially if his simple gaze had made her feel as low and worthless as he felt right now. No, sorry was nowhere near good enough.

* * *

Changing into the clothing was bittersweet, as Hoshiko could hear Samuel's fuming, only a few yards away. She knew he was condemning Ace. Part of her felt that what Samuel said was justified; Ace had no right to look at her and he should have realized that she deserved much more than that after everything Osamu had put her through. Temperance would have served Ace well, and it would have served Hoshiko too. Now that it had happened though it was impossible to take back and Hoshiko hated that she just couldn't get over it yet. That she couldn't help but feel like her last shred of dignity had been taken away. Was there no one she could trust? No one but Samuel of course...

Thoughts swirled around endlessly in the girl's mind as she changed, feeling grateful to shed the sheet that reminded her of Osamu's cruelty and slip into the new—even temporary—clothes that Samuel had brought for her. It felt, metaphorically, like a new beginning. Or at least a fresh start. Her friend had listened perfectly, the clothes were lose, baggy and showed absolutely nothing of Hoshiko's figure. It covered up most of the bruises on her legs, back and shoulders. Surely her arms and face still looked bad but truly it was a great improvement.

And then Ace's voice broke into moment of silence. What was she supposed to say? He sounded broken. But she was broken too. There was no way Hoshiko knew what to say, but slipping out from the cover of the bushes Hoshiko emerged fully dressed with the sheet left behind.

"...I...just need some time..." Hoshiko forced the words out without looking to Ace. She needed Samuel's support now more than ever, and so went to retreat with her friend.

"I understand..." He said hoarsely, getting up again to move away. He walked to the edge of the river and sat, pondering his mistake and wondering—did Samuel really think so poorly of him? If so...was there anything Ace could do to ever change that? And would Hoshiko ever trust Ace enough to relax around him again? Or would Hoshiko now see him as everything Samuel declared him to be? Would she remain hurt? Ace let out a shuddering cry and lay down to wait until everyone was ready to go, resolving himself to silence until they decided he should be allowed to speak.

Samuel stole a glance at him from the corner of his eye. His anger had subsided somewhat, but there was still enough churning inside of him to leave a bad taste in his mouth. He realized he might regret saying everything that he had said to Ace. He knew it was cruel, but in some ways, particularly at the moment, Samuel felt the things he'd said were true. Ace was a flirt, sure. Ace had always been a flirt, and Samuel had even warned Hoshiko of it the first time they'd met. That by itself wasn't so bad. It could even be charming. But for Ace to move beyond that innocently flirtatious spirit, especially with someone as badly damaged as Hoshiko, was almost sinister in Samuel's opinion.

Leaning against a tree, the young man waited quietly until Hoshiko emerged. Then he moved towards her. She looked better—not as good as she should have looked, but the bruises would heal physically. Hopefully the emotional scars would too.

"That looks a little more comfortable." Samuel said softly, as if Hoshiko was a timid creature of the forest that might flee if he spoke any louder.

Ducking her head low as Hoshiko heard Ace crying, her heart hurt at the feelings that flowed throughout her. Hoshiko didn't know what to think of herself anymore. Was it possible that she was too sensitive and the argument had been her fault? But how could what Ace had done be right? A dark shadow hung over Hoshiko, and her sullen eyes reflected emotional turmoil.

But Samuel was a light to her darkness, and looking up into the honest and gentle eyes of her friend made Hoshiko see a glimmer of goodness. He was soft and delicate with his words and Hoshiko couldn't have asked for more then that from her best friend. It let her know that she could trust Samuel. Trust was something Hoshiko needed more than ever.

"They're really comfortable...Thank you Samuel." Hoshiko whispered. She took a step closer to her friend, but retracted out of reflex. It was too hard to bring herself close to anyone right now.

"Samuel...I'm sorry...I'm sorry I'm so sensitive...I...just can't handle this anymore. Aren't I more than a body?"

Samuel looked almost shocked at the question. "Of course you are!" He said. "Listen. Don't let anyone make you feel any less than what you are. You're smart, fun, and a really good friend. That's how I see you anyway. I wouldn't dream of finding a better friend than you. Even if I could dream it, I don't think it would happen. You're tough too. You _have_ to be resilient to get through everything you've been through."

Samuel hung his head slightly. "Listen, I'm sorry about Ace too. He's a jerk. I assumed that since he's always been relatively well-mannered towards you that he wouldn't harass you or anything like that...I don't think he meant to hurt your feelings, but that's no excuse for what he did."

"I know he didn't mean to hurt me..." Hoshiko trailed off, rubbing some of the t-shirt material between her fingers anxiously. "But still...I just can't handle it Samuel. You didn't do that...as soon as you realized...you brought me that sheet. You didn't even think of it. Samuel, why couldn't Ace be like you?" Her eyes glanced up at Samuel and she shook her head. "You respected me. I didn't even have to ask you..."

Hoshiko's heart wrenched and it was visible in the girl's eyes and the lines on her face. "...I didn't mean to make Ace seem bad...I just felt so violated, Samuel. My dignity is already gone...What more could be taken away from me? I have nothing left...Why couldn't he consider that?" Hoshiko's eyes watered. "And now because I'm so weak and I couldn't get over him looking at me...now I made you two argue! I can't do anything right..."

"Ace isn't like me because he's _not_ me. He's Ace, and good, bad or ugly, that's all that he is. Nevemind that, though. You didn't make us argue. If you noticed, he didn't disagree with me on anything I said."

Samuel shook his head. "I didn't have to think about it because it came natural to me to cover you up. Ace doesn't have the same instincts. I think that his instincts are an altogether different variety. He should learn to consciously curb his natural habits if that's the case, and he deserved a good tongue lashing. Maybe more. I'm disappointed in him, because I thought he had enough self-awareness to keep from doing anything like that. I'm sorry that I didn't realize that he's still just a monster at heart. I guess maybe I wanted to believe he was more than that...something better..." Samuel looked away somewhat sadly.

If Hoshiko had felt bad before, now she was devastated. A crestfallen expression washed over her face as she looked at Samuel in his sadness. "But...Ace _is_ more..." It was hard to believe at the moment but Hoshiko forced her mind back to better times when the monster had helped them and been a companion on their journey. And despite her and Ace having their differences, it was impossible to deny Ace even a small brand of humanity.

"Samuel...you know it's not true. Maybe Ace did look at me..." The girl swallowed hard trying to get past choking on the words. "But that's human too, right? All those men at the Dance Theater looked at me too, and that was with layers of clothing on...Maybe it's just that you're exceptional...and Ace happens to be normal." Chewing at her lip Hoshiko hoped that the words would help heal Samuel's sadness. "I-I'm sure Ace never would have done anything anyways...I'm just over sensitive...I mean Osamu...He...He did that to ms so many times I just feel like that's all that's going to happen to me. It's all I've existed for...Just to satisfy his...his...body...I'm so scared of what people will think of me. Pregnant at seventeen!"

Samuel's chin lifted a little and his eyes locked with Hoshiko's, searching them as he listened intently to everything that she said. After a moment, he felt an odd sense of relief, and perhaps a mild twinge of guilt. If Ace was normal, then he didn't deserve to be scolded quite so harshly. At least not to the point of being accused of not being a person. Slowly, Samuel put one arm around Hoshiko to comfort her. She felt a little cold, but he figured it was because she'd bathed in the river.

"I guess if most 'normal' guys eyed your body with clothes _on_, it says something of Ace that he never did that... Maybe he just couldn't resist the temptation when you weren't covered... But that still doesn't excuse his behavior." A brief pause. "Either way, Ace isn't a 'normal' guy... He's... well he's very different." The boy glanced over at the Incarnus, knowing that he could never fully explain just how different Ace really was. The monster had stopped crying, but was still laying by himself, ears low and chin on the ground. He looked miserable, but Samuel could tell that he was listening. He also wondered what Ace would do if he continued this line of conversation. He knew that Ace was a bit self-conscious himself.

Samuel hesitated, and spoke again when he felt he had more to say. "I know Ace wouldn't have done anything else... Not like Osamu did. Ace isn't like Osamu. I don't think anyone could be that evil, and..." Samuel paused. "I don't know how Ace views you in his mind, but I'm pretty sure that he doesn't view you as his plaything. I think, overall, he'd like to see you safe and happy. At least that's what I think based on how he's behaved in the past..." Samuel reached for Hoshiko's hand and squeezed it. "I don't know what other people will think of you. Some people might condemn you, especially because they don't know the circumstances. But what matters is the truth and what _you_ know. You didn't choose this..." He held her hand tighter. "It's not your fault, no matter what other people say or think. I'm sure you're scared though... I would be too, if I was going to be a father." He laughed at himself dryly.

"Of course... If I was going to be a father, chances are that _would_ be my fault. Sooo... it's not quite the same thing, but you get the idea. My point is...this is a big change. A life change. It's normal to feel afraid and uncertain... But I'm going to be here for you, okay?"

Samuel's words were welcome to Hoshiko's ears. She needed his confidence and certainty to keep her centered and to keep her eyes on the future in a way that she could accept it. Squeezing Samuel's hand back in her currently delicate temperament, Hoshiko let her head rest sideways on Samuel's shoulder.

"I missed you." She said softly. It was a strange thing to say at the moment and yet it wasn't. Because this was exactly what Hoshiko missed about Samuel: His gentle ways with her, the slight humor to lift her mood, a laugh or a smile. Even sometimes comforting her in sharing with her somberness. Watching her friend for a moment in silence Hoshiko didn't move a muscle. Maybe Samuel valued her as a friend like none other but Hoshiko knew that she had found someone who was one in a million too. He was her best friend. Nothing would change that. And in a life that was moving and changing so rapidly that was the anchor that Hoshiko needed.

"...I missed you so much." Hoshiko closed her eyes and squeezed her friend's hand even tighter; convincing herself that Samuel was real, never changing and always steadfast.

"I missed you too." Samuel ducked his chin so that he could speak softly in Hoshiko's ear.

* * *

They would need to continue on through the woods, and life would go forward whether they wanted it to or not. Samuel even suspected that, eventually, Ace and Hoshiko would be right with one another again, and the trial would pass. He also knew that he would need to apologize to Ace for being so hard on him, and offer his friend comfort in that he only meant to protect Hoshiko, and should not have treated Ace so harshly. But for now, Hoshiko was top priority. Ace could wait, and Ace would wait, because Samuel knew all to well that—even if he had abandoned Ace in the past—the Incarnus could never abandon _him_. The evidence lay in the fact that the monster had thrown himself in the way of Dialaga and Palkia to save Samuel's life, and despite all of the accusations that Samuel let fly, he knew that no matter what, Ace would never leave him.

The group returned to the trail through the forest, Samuel and Hoshiko walking together, Ace treading slowly behind. It wasn't too long before they reached the edge of the pine woods and stepped into the bright sunlight. The scent of food roasting for lunch filled the air. A few people milled about in the dusty streets, but this place was quiet and welcoming—a peaceful hideaway for refugees like the trio. Hoshiko kept quiet as they entered into the "city." Seeing the people moving about with lives of their own helped her to think about her life, and while she kept going back to Osamu and what Ace had done, she tried to remain focused on the positive. She was safe now, and there was a possibility that she could soon see her father again.

The small apothecary where the old woman lived wasn't too far from the forest road. After a few minutes of walking, the small building came into view. Hoshiko felt her heart skip a beat when she saw it. In front of the building sat the motorbike that she had seen with Koichi in Ecruteak what now seemed like ages ago. The excitement banished Hoshiko's deep silence for a moment.

"Samuel! He must be here!" She started, grabbing his arm loosely, Hoshiko walked a little faster. She wasn't strong enough to pull Samuel along, but he went willingly.

The front door to the apothecary was wide open, and it was obvious that work was going on. A broom stood up by the entrance of the door, and in the eaves of the building hung countless bundles of freshly picked herbs. A wheelbarrow filled with more of the herbs sat under the front window, just outside of the garden gate. Hoshiko led Samuel to the front door, knocked on the frame, and then stepped inside.

"Um, excuse me!" She called somewhat timidly but with undeniable anticipation in her voice. The old woman stood hunched over the kitchen table, her back turned to bother Hoshiko and Samuel. "Is Koichi here?"

The old woman waved her hand dismissively, apparently too busy and too tired to address them face to face for the moment.

"Yes, yes. I'll be with you in ten minutes. Just let me get this stuff together..."

"HEY!" Samuel smirked, crossing his arms. "Old Bat. Hoshiko is talking to you."

The old woman whirled around with surprising speed, and despite the fact that Samuel had anticipated her attacking him with the cane, he hadn't expected it to come so fast or so hard. Hoshiko yelped in surprise, and Samuel found himself sprawled out on the floor on his face, while the old woman rubbed her old hands together and looked up at Hoshiko.

"Well I'll be. You came back after running off again." She shook her finger scoldingly at Hoshiko. "You kids today are so ungrateful and disobedient! You could have been killed, leaving this town in your condition! I don't know what you were thinking going after that miserable little punk, but you must have been out of your mind. It's just lucky I used all my energy giving that boy a good whack or you'd get one too, Hoshiko."

Samuel stumbled to his feet and rubbed the bump on his head, moaning slightly.

"Oh, I'm really sorry I left." Hoshiko started in shock as she recalled the last time she'd seen the old woman. "Honestly Ma'am. I didn't mean to cause you any distress...but I needed to save Samuel." She replied gently, shaking her head. "You don't understand. He's not a miserable punk! He's my friend, honest. Really, he just saved me from a really bad situation..."

Her head lowered and she sighed. Maybe the woman had been so busy scolding her that she didn't even notice any of the obvious marks on her body. Or maybe her eyesight just wasn't that good. Hoshiko didn't expect her to really notice the bump on her stomach because, after all, someone who didn't know her well might think it was just a little extra weight. But then again...this woman was supposed to be good in the medical field.

"...Please," Hoshiko murmured weakly, "Can you tell me if Koichi is here? He's a doctor too. I think I saw his motor bike outside your house, Ma'am." Even though she wanted to say more, Hoshiko suddenly swallowed hard and groaned. "Ugh..." Holding onto the middle of Samuel's arm and hunching over slightly, Hoshiko muttered softly. "I feel...so...sick..." It wasn't something that she hadn't been used to. During the pregnancy so far she had experienced quite a bit of sickness in her stomach, which apparently was supposed to be normal... "...I feel like I'm gonna be sick..." She muttered out lastly, glancing up at Samuel with a look on her face that matched her voice and feelings.

Samuel gasped sharply in the middle of rubbing his still aching head, and he looked at Hoshiko with a mortified expression on his face. The old woman though didn't seem bothered much by Hoshiko's sickness, though. In fact, she seemed prepared and hurriedly pulled her aside and gave her a trash can. She then turned back to Samuel and leaned against the table for support.

"Koichi is here, but he's busy right now." The woman explained.

Samuel went back to rubbing his sore head. "Jolly... I hope he knows how to fix cracked skulls."

"Quiet your whining, Boy. I barely touched you. Back in my day we got _real_ beatings, and we needed 'em! None of these little love-taps."

"LOVE-TAPS?" Samuel shouted and moaned, "That's hardly loving or a _tap_. I think I'm hemorrhaging in my brain."

The old woman rolled her eyes and turned back to Hoshiko. "Well, it looks like you've got yourself a fine predicament. Nasty stomach bug or some other."

Hoshiko came out from behind the counter, slightly bent over and holding onto her stomach. Her cheeks were red from both embarrassment and simply from being sick.

"Ugh..." She groaned, finally straightening up and standing beside Samuel once more, still holding onto her stomach. "...Stomach bug?...Uh...I guess..." Hoshiko said, still a bit dazed, but shaking her head to try and clear her mind

The old woman gasped and squinted her small eyes. "But look at your arms and your face. If that boy's been manhandling you I'll beat him till he's straight."

"Hey, now, I didn't do that." Samuel protested firmly. "I would never hurt her."

Hoshiko came to attention. "No! Nonononono! Samuel didn't do any of this! He's the on that rescued me from the person that did this." She looked at herself, as if she was seeing the bruises for the millionth time. "Honestly, he didn't do anything but good! Please don't hit him any more! Please….all we want is to see—"

As if on cue, as Hoshiko was about to mention him, a man—tall with unkempt black hair—strode out from the back of the house and looked at the elderly woman, at first not noticing the two youths right away.

"Hey Ma, would it be alright if I take some of that root you got from Cianwood for a-Huh?" Koichi cut himself off, looking up at Samuel and Hoshiko with shock. Automatically his eyes went to his daughter. "Hoshiko!?" He asked, partially with shock and more so with concern. "What happened...?" His eyes went wide. "I...I really mean...what..._happened_?"

Too in shock herself to say anything that she had meant to say, Hoshiko looked down quickly, as if she was completely ashamed, wrapping her arms around herself like she had back in the forest. The girl tilted her head to Samuel.

"...Can you explain for me?" She asked softly, suddenly feeling too emotional to say anything to Koichi.

"I'll tell you what happened, Sonny." Hoshiko's grandmother frowned bitterly and came over to get a better look at Hoshiko, now that Koichi was clearly showing more interest in her. For the first time, she noticed the girl's slightly swollen abdomen and her face got even more sour.

"That boy's been beatin' her and now he's gone and got her pregnant!"

"NO!" Hoshiko suddenly shouted, while Samuel too answered in shock:

"What?! No!" Samuel jumped forward to defend himself, looking at Koichi with eyes that pleaded for understanding, since clearly the old woman was too stubborn to listen to him. "For the last time I haven't done a single thing to hurt her, and I'm not the baby's father I can guarantee!" He looked at the old woman. "Listen, she was married to Osamu, and after she rescued me from Hart, she was forced to go back to her family. Osamu's been treating her terribly, abusing her physically and emotionally. I brought her hear because I knew she'd be safe from Osamu in this place. The baby is _Osamu's_."

Samuel crossed his arms. "But we need you to help us." He glanced at Koichi. "You're her dad. I know you'll understand... She needs to have an examination, just to make sure everything's okay..."

And with that, he whirled to face the old lady who seemed to be sneaking up behind him with her cane. "And I DIDN'T HIT HER SO STOP BEATING ON MY HEAD!"

The old woman frowned, lowering her staff of mass destruction and waving her finger at Samuel menacingly. "I ain't deaf, Boy. No need to shout."

Hoshiko now understood that the old woman was her own grandmother, judging from Koichi's reference to her as 'Ma'. It didn't take a genius to realize that, considering the other things that the old woman had told her some time ago about her missing granddaughter. But she couldn't help herself. Despite the fact that she was glad to be amongst family that wanted to take care of her, she was sick and tired of her constantly bothering Samuel.

"Leave Samuel alone! He's my friend! He's never done anything to hurt me, ever!" She seized the woman's cane, trying to get it away from her in case she decided to strike Samuel again after all. It was out of character for Hoshiko to be disrespectful to someone older than her, but she was so overwhelmed with emotion and inner turmoil that she felt she simply had to defend the only person who ever showed any sincere concern for her.

Koichi intervened. "Whoa! Whoa! Hoshiko, hold on." He took her shoulders gently, making her let go of her Grandmother's cane. "Calm down, okay? Please, please just calm down..."

Despite Hoshiko not wanting to, the girl turned to face her father. The man looked at her with gentle, worried eyes. "...Is any of this...true?" He had to hear it from Hoshiko herself before he could believe it.

"Every word Samuel said is the truth." Hoshiko closed her eyes sadly.

Swallowing hard, Koichi looked down at his daughter sympathetically. "...I'm sorry." Gently Koichi embraced Hoshiko and ran a hand through her hair. "...I'll do everything I can to help you, Hoshiko, and we're going to start with that examination." He broke away from the girl and looked at her stomach curiously. "How long has it been?" He questioned, placing a gentle palm on her stomach.

"About two months...I think." Hoshiko said softly.

"Alright then, we'll get this all figured out, Hoshiko. I promise." And putting an arm around her, Koichi started to lead Hoshiko back to where he had been before, to a room where he could examine her and they could have a father daughter talk about what had happened.

But before they vanished, Koichi turned to face Samuel. "I don't know how to thank you, Samuel Oak. You've done something for my daughter that I would never have been able to do. I owe you my very life."

Samuel smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, unused to any sort of praise for doing much of anything.

"Hey, it's no big deal. She's my friend, and anyways I owe her. She's saved my sorry backside plenty of times too." He grinned broadly and noticed a flash of white from the corner of his eye. When he turned to see, Ace was resting his chin expectantly on the windowsill from outside. Samuel stifled a laugh. He was still angry with Ace, but the monster looked absolutely inconsolable to the point of abject cuteness. Plus it amused Samuel to see him waiting.

Walking over, Samuel couldn't help himself, and reluctantly rubbed Ace's ear as he turned back to Koichi idly. "It really was nothing, Mr. Koichi... She deserves better hands than she's been dealt. 'S the least I can do to give her a better chance. I'm really glad you were here... I feel much better with her in your hands."

"Thank you, Samuel..." The man replied once more before he and Hoshiko departed.

Getting Hoshiko to sit down on the bed that would have to do for a medical table first, he took Hoshiko's hands gently and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. It was the first moment they had actually ever gotten together in both their lifetimes and for Koichi and Hoshiko it was a surreal and special moment, even with the issues and pain surrounding it.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you..." Koichi said softly, his voice broken with emotion.

"Please, don't be. I knew you couldn't do anything. Neither could I. I was just lucky that Samuel did his best to save me. He's been my saving grace ever since we met, I think." The girl sighed deeply. "I know he feels bad too. I think everyone does right now. But I don't want them to. Even if I had to go through all of these terrible things, I still have people that care..."

"You're right Hoshiko...and please know; I'll be here for you throughout this whole time. I won't let you go now that I can help you, this time I know I can." He said, watching first her expression and then paying attention to her abdomen. "At least in this I can help you Hoshiko. I wish I could make it all go away, because that's what I'm supposed to be able to do...as your father. But I wasn't able to protect you from all the evil things that can happen and now you're suffering. What happened to you was bad enough and now, its consequences are..." He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Permanent." Hoshiko said it for him. "And it scares me. It scares me like nothing has ever scared me before. I don't know what to do about it..." Hoshiko had tried to keep a better front for Samuel. She didn't want him to know how badly she was hurting over the whole situation. Slowly, Hoshiko started to sob, letting Koichi embrace her, the girl's tears soaking his shirt. And although he wanted to keep her there forever where she could be safe, he had to let her go.

"How about we get you checked out now Hoshiko? Make sure everything is going okay for you and the baby. I know it's tough but at least if you know that you're both healthy then it'll put your mind at ease. And I'll get you some things later that will help you along with the pregnancy process."

Hoshiko nodded in silent agreement.

It took quite some time for the examination to conclude. After all, Koichi wanted to be as thorough as possible. This was his daughter and inside of her was his grandchild. Eventually, the two emerged from the room, Koichi with his arm around a saddened Hoshiko. In his other arm, Koichi carried several packages of different traditional medicines and even a few books for Hoshiko. She was all cleaned up and her bruises had been taken care of as well as they could be. But still, in Hoshiko's eyes there hung such a deep sadness that she could barley even stand looking at anyone.

Samuel was leaning against the wall by the door, and Ace had actually fallen asleep with his chin resting on the window, lulled to satisfaction by Samuel's slow and steady stroking of his ear. By now Samuel had stopped, but the boy was looking a bit sleepy himself. Not to mention, he was very hungry and running low on energy, despite having had a small snack when he'd gone to get Hoshiko some clothes.

When Hoshiko came out, Samuel lifted his head and smiled at her, but his expression changed instantly when he saw the look of sadness on Hoshiko's face.

Samuel stepped forward. "Is everything...okay?"

"The...baby is...okay..." Hoshiko assured Samuel, still not looking up at him or anyone for that matter. Her swollen red eyes were glued to the floor with a feeling of uncertainly rising inside of her. She didn't want to say any more.

But Koichi felt that Samuel deserved an explanation, even if Hoshiko didn't feel strong enough to say anything. He set down all of the medications and books onto the counter and sighed heavily.

"Yes, the child that Hoshiko is baring, by some miracle is healthy. By any standards, in Hoshiko's condition it should have been a miscarriage, but it looks like my little girl's baby had just as much willpower as she does." But looking down at Hoshiko, Koichi's expression became grim. "She's in worse condition then she looks, though. It seems that all of the beating Osamu did to her effected her a lot more internally than externally...Long story short..." Koichi didn't want to say it, didn't want to make Hoshiko hear it again. "She won't be able to bare another child again. It will be virtually impossible for Hoshiko to get pregnant; even if she would choose to later on in her life...Osamu put her body through too much trauma..."

Looking away from the general direction of anyone, Hoshiko felt her stomach turn and tears stinging her eyes. Wiping them away slowly, the girl wrapped her arms around herself as was her new habit. All that was left for Hoshiko was trepidation.

Samuel's brow furrowed at the news and he slowly stepped forward to face his friend. "Hoshiko..." He whispered gently. "I'm really sorry... I wish I could have come for you sooner but I just couldn't have. I did my best...I promise."

For once, Hoshiko's grandmother seemed to sympathize with Samuel. At least she didn't whack him over the head anymore. Walking over to Hoshiko, the old woman held out a bag with a finely ground herbal powder in it.

"These are for you too, dear." She said gently. "I know Koichi's got a good mix there, but this is an old remedy passed down through the women in my family... it's a recipe that's said to ensure a healthy child who can handle anything." She smiled slightly. "Take it, just in case."

Hoshiko didn't say anything for quite some time; she knew that Samuel had done his best, and that absolutely none of this was his fault. He should never feel that it was. But inside the news was still hard to swallow, and trying to keep her emotions down was hard. So the easiest way to deal with it was silence. Any future plans that she might have had, if she ever did plan on loving a man in her lifetime and having a family with him...those thoughts were dashed. All because of Osamu. So, quietly, Hoshiko took the package of herbs from her grandmother, nodding respectfully as she did and uttering a soft word of gratitude. She tucked the package carefully into her bag.

Samuel let out a quiet sigh. "You'll be alright, Hoshiko..." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

Hoshiko looked up. Samuel's touch was welcome, but she wasn't so sure everything would be alright. She just didn't know. She had been trying to believe it would be, until now, but again she felt crushed. Imagining that she'd make it out of this practically unscathed, the harsh reality that she now had to face for the rest of her life made her wonder, and her heart ached. Hoshiko just wasn't sure.

But she was sure of one thing. That Samuel was her friend, and he was there for her. So was Koichi and her grandmother. Taking Samuel's hand from her shoulder and holding it with both of her own trembling hands, Hoshiko looked into her friend's eyes.

"I know you did your best, Samuel. I know you did everything you could. And I wouldn't have made it out without you, I know it. Neither would the child inside of me...My baby..." Her face went shocked at the dawning realization of what she said. "...My...baby..." She blinked a few times, trying to clear her mind. "Samuel, you saved...my baby..." And quite suddenly, Hoshiko grabbed onto Samuel in a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you Samuel!"

Samuel was surprised by the sudden embrace, and by Hoshiko's gratitude, even though he shouldn't have been. He was convinced he wasn't much of a hero though, so it was hard for him to feel like one. Gently, he returned the gesture and sighed quietly.

"You're welcome, Hoshiko. And...the baby's welcome too. I'll be happy to save the both of you again if it comes down to it." He smiled softly and leaned back to look the girl in the eye, giving her shoulder a firm squeeze. "Both of you deserve to have someone fighting for you instead of against you." Samuel looked over at Koichi. "Thank you so much...for helping us. I know she's your daughter, but I still can't help feeling glad. 'Til now the whole world's been against us..."

"The whole world is still against us." A gentle voice came from the direction of the window. Ace's eyes were half open, and apparently he'd awoken sometime during the conversation but opted to watch quietly until now. "We have problems awaiting solving..."

Samuel frowned at Ace, and the monster's eyes darted away from him. "I know that...but...maybe just for tonight, we can pretend that we don't. For Hoshiko's sake."

Ace nodded. "Very well then. But...only for tonight. Tomorrow we must immediately get back on track, but until then I promise not to mention it."

"Thank you..." Samuel said quietly.

Hoshiko was grateful that Samuel had bartered time for them to at least enjoy a little bit before all of the craziness would start up again, and Hoshiko knew it could and _would_ too. "I don't think I'll ever have to stop thanking you Samuel." Hoshiko laughed wanly and shook her head.

Samuel smiled at the girl, and turned to Hoshiko's father again. "Koichi... Tell me...is there anywhere we can stay tonight?"

Koichi looked at the two and thought a bit. "Well there's a few places around where they let trainers board overnight, but why pay? We've got an extra room here and I can sleep on the couch so Hoshiko can have my room. I'm usually up half the night mixing medicine anyways." He chuckled and picked up the bag of medicines that he'd given to Hoshiko.

"You listen to this too, Samuel. I'm sure Hoshiko will forget." The man laughed in spite of himself. "Take one of each every day. The orange tablet is your vitamins. The red one is your minerals. You'll need extra since I know you don't eat meat...now you're getting everything for two. So remember that. When you eat, eat more." He pointed to some dried up plants bundled tightly in string.

"This herb is for morning sickness, which can pretty much happen any time of the day. This pack here has different nourishing properties for the baby. You should drink this once or twice a day. Um, the rest are labeled. That stuff is for later on. Now rub this lotion with the blue lid on your bruises and the pink one on your stomach. It'll help from stretch marks and keep the area nice and moisturized."

Taking a deep breath in, Koichi laughed. "Annnnnnnnnd the books are for you to read. Go figure, eh? A few on pregnancy itself. One on what's actually happening inside of your from each week and lastly a book for after the baby is born." Putting everything in the bag, he patted Hoshiko on the back. "And take the herbs your grandma gave you every evening with a meal."

Then placing his hands on his sides he added, "Speaking of meals, I bet you kids are hungry. Why don't you go and grab something to eat." He fished money out of his pocket and passed it to Hoshiko. "My treat. I hate it admit it but I've got a lot catching up to do on presents and stuff for you Hoshiko..." The man laughed nervously.

"Don't worry, Koichi." Hoshiko forced a smile, then turned to Samuel. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm starved! "

Samuel grinned hugely at Hoshiko, brow raised. It was hard to believe she'd been sick only an hour or so before. He smiled also at Koichi. "Thanks man." Finally, he turned back to Hoshiko and rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I could eat a rapidash." He burst out laughing as they headed outside, and he held the door open for Hoshiko. "Of course, I won't do that."

Hoshiko's grandmother watched the two as the door closed behind them, and she spoke softly to Koichi as they watched the two leave.

"That boy is serious trouble..." She said with a slow shake of her head. And then, added with a smile, "But at least he has a good heart."


	18. My Wish For You

**Chapter 18: My Wish for You**

Samuel hadn't eaten so well in months. Living off of the rations in his bag while he had it and whatever scraps Hart and his goons had thrown to him had been hard. He realized he was lucky not to have starved to death. Now, sitting at the table with platters of everything he could ever dream of eating laid out in front of him, he feasted like never before.

Ace had been pouty to be left outside, but the dining house was too small for large monsters to be allowed to roam it. Samuel had promised to save him some food though, and that was enough to keep Ace from whining too much.

Samuel scarcely talked at all during the appetizer, the first course, or the entree... but now he was finally slowing down and getting full. There was still desert to be had, but now he could take a breath. And now he had time to talk. The desert plates arrived, and Samuel started to eat that too, but he paused midway and looked up at Hoshiko with a grin.

"This is good." He said, for the first time actually speaking of anything. Pure evidence that Hart had starved him half to death. "What about you? You like it?" He laughed.

Hoshiko, too, faced a great deal more food than she was used to. In fact, she hadn't eaten so much in her entire life, and she felt like she must burst from trying to fit everything that the meal had to offer inside of her. But on the other hand Hoshiko had never seen anyone eat quite so much either. The girl couldn't help but laugh once in awhile as she watched Samuel eat. But at the same time, Hoshiko also felt bad for Samuel...she still didn't know everything of what happened to him, but judging only from his appearance and how much he was eating, she could guess that he had suffered. Even so, tonight was a night for them to forget about all of those serious, sad things and just enjoy themselves.

As dessert arrived Hoshiko had gotten a cup of hot water from the waiter and put some of the herbs her grandmother gave her in the mug and stirred it up, waiting for a moment before drinking or eating anything else.

"Oh, it's a wonderful meal, Samuel! I've never had so much food in my life and it's absolutely delicious!" Hoshiko smiled at her friend genuinely and glanced down at her dessert, taking a little bite. It was a comforting expression from someone so traumatized. For this moment, it almost felt like nothing was wrong. "I'd ask you the same..." She couldn't help but sputter with laughter. "But I think the answer is obvious!"

Samuel's cheeks tinted pink and he laughed a little bit before taking another bite and swallowing.

"Yeah..I guess so huh? But boy, I tell you food never tasted so good." He sighed and happily finished his plate of desert, before the two of them paid the bill and collected leftovers to give to Ace. With the extra food bagged up, they went outside and Samuel opened up the bag to give Ace access to the meal. He hungrily started to eat it, while Samuel and Hoshiko sat down in the grass under a nearby tree. Samuel watched Ace for a moment with a quiet smile on his face, not saying a word. Ace noticed him watching from the corner of his eye, and gave a swish of his tail, despite not looking up from chowing down. There was still a touch of tension between them, but something about Ace just made Samuel smile, and vice versa. He couldn't stay mad at the monster for long. Especially not when Ace seemed so pleased.

Hoshiko was happy to be able to give Ace her leftovers. After all, there was way too much for her to ever eat and even though she and Ace hadn't been on the best of terms lately, the dog still deserved it after all he had done to help her and Samuel. She honestly felt bad that he hadn't been able to come into the restaurant with them.

Once she sat with her friends under the tree, Hoshiko took a deep long breath of the fresh air it. She hadn't had much real fresh air for awhile so taking in as much as possible was an absolute treat. Maybe it was the fresh early-evening air, or perhaps it was the lingering pleasure of having eaten a good meal, but somehow, Hoshiko felt better. Not a lot better, but good enough that she felt able to consider the things that she enjoyed again. While dark and sad thoughts still pressed her mind, she somehow ignored them, dwelling instead on where she was right now.

"If you thought that was good cooking, you haven't tasted what I can cook." Hoshiko smirked confidently, although she wasn't all that experienced in cooking and knew that more then likely her food was in no comparison to what they had just eaten so bountifully.

Looking up, Hoshiko smiled. Behind her, hanging off of the huge and beautiful oak tree stretching its wide boughs over their heads was a swing. Someone had obviously put it there and, it looked homemade. It was probably placed on the tree for someone's child; maybe even for all of the children in town whose parents visited the diner. Hoshiko slowly climbed up so that she could sit on it and watched Samuel for a second, too tried to push herself on the swing.

"...Isn't it a beautiful night?" Hoshiko said gently.

Samuel snapped out of whatever daydreams were occupying his mind, and he looked away from Ace long enough to notice Hoshiko sitting in the swing. He got up, naturally, and went over to give her a very gentle push. Placing his hands on her back, he gave her the motion to ride softly into the gentle mountain breeze and back again. The air was cooling quickly, but it was delightful in its own way.

"It's wonderful." He admitted, looking back out over the distant treetops and the stars in the sky. "I haven't really had a chance to appreciate this kind of stuff lately but...it really is beautiful." He took a deep breath and let the chill air fill his lungs. It made him feel awake and alive. There was a gentle moonglow emerging through the colors of the setting sun. Everything gleamed and seemed to have a light of its own.

"I haven't had a chance to take it in either." Hoshiko admitted, laughing ever so slightly as Samuel started to push her on the swing. She liked the motion of swinging, it reminded her of the carefree days she did have as a child. Even if sometimes they were far and few between.

Samuel continued pushing Hoshiko. "Just think... Someday you'll be able to show your baby the Blackthorn nights. Teach him or her how to sing songs about the twinkling stars... You'll have your own miniature family." Samuel chuckled. "A family full of love..." He sighed happily. "Gosh... what an amazing thing..."

Pushing some of her hair behind her ears and holding onto the rope that held the swing to the tree, Hoshiko sighed, and it actually sounded blissful. "That's a pretty incredible thought..." Hoshiko whispered. "And I guess I'm lucky. I don't have to wait all that long, only seven months. It seems pretty far away sometimes, and other times it feels really close." She peered down at her stomach. "I would love to show them the stars here at night...and maybe I could teach him or her to count for the first time using the stars. Do you think the child would like that, Samuel?" She looked back at him, hoping that he also thought it was a nice idea.

And then pausing for a only a second, Hoshiko started to speak once more. "You know how you told me someday I'd be really happy to have the baby? I think that came sooner then I thought...I think talking with Koichi really made me realize a few things. See, Koichi told me that whether or not I got pregnant didn't really have any baring on the other things that happened to me...So...in other words, this was my first and last chance in life to ever have a child Samuel...and...no matter what, I didn't miss it. So, I guess I should be grateful, shouldn't I?"

Samuel smiled slightly to himself. "I think you should. After all...this baby is _your_ baby. And no matter what, nothing is gonna change that. And just like the little ducklings follow the mother Farfetch'd everywhere she goes, your baby is gonna follow you, and something tells me when you see that you'll be in love for real."

"Hehe, yeah, it's a pretty cute idea. Having a baby following me around all the time. I never expected it to happen so fast...but I have a feeling that you're right. Besides, me and the baby are going to have a lot of bonding time. Koichi said it'll be a pretty magical experience, bonding with the child inside of you. Apparently he's delivered a lot of babies over his time as a doctor. I never knew that." In reality, Hoshiko never had expected this all to happen so fast. She still wanted to be an irresponsible and reckless teenager, but now she was almost forced to be careful and responsible.

Samuel laughed. "Personally I've never thought so much about babies in all my life. Never gave them a single thought really. But now I sorta hope one day I have one..."

"It's not hard to get one." Ace's voice piped up with a laugh. The big canine lumbered over to the pair, licking his lips and flopping down in the cool grass. He stretched his legs out, spreading his toes and making his claws appear all the sharper. "The question is... do you want a lady?"

Turning to Ace, Hoshiko shook her head. "Not hard to get one? Maybe not in Samuel's case. He's a guy. The girl is the one who gets all the work! I never expected pregnancy to be so difficult. Honestly, I don't know how other women make it look so easy. This is rough stuff."

Samuel rolled his eyes, more at Ace than Hoshiko, though. "Well I'm not too worried about all that right now. I have a long time to decide anyways. For the moment I'm just happy I get to be an uncle." He laughed. "It's a wonderful idea."

Ace opened one eye and smirked. "As long as the baby doesn't pull on your hair and your ears and climb all over you like an impish young pup."

"I worry about my safety more with you than with a tiny baby, Ace." Samuel snickered.

"Come now... I haven't once hurt you... much. At least not that you didn't get over pretty fast."

"Hush you. You'll scare Hoshiko. She'll learn of your rabid nature."

Ace puffed out air through his nose and closed his eyes, laying his head calmly on his paws. "She knows I'm not rabid. I'm as gentle as a lamb."

Samuel threw something nondescript at Ace. Hoshiko fell silent for a few moments, focusing on her breathing, trying to use her senses to really, really understand and feel the child within her. It was a pretty interesting sense and there was part of it that Hoshiko liked it.

"I wonder how...big...I'll get..." She laughed gently, a little uneasy, perhaps.

Samuel laughed at Hoshiko's out-loud musing and he grabbed the swing and pulled it to a gentle halt so that he could answer her before setting it in motion again.

"You'll get just big enough." He smirked. "Don't worry about it. You gotta accommodate the baby _somehow_."

Ace ignored the size conversation and went on dwelling on other things. "If Samuel gets to be the baby's Uncle, I need an appropriate title as well. No doubt the child will adore me. Probably because of my delightful charm and soft, fuzzy nature." Ace murmured, eyes still closed.

"You get to be the baby's Auntie." Samuel sneered.

Ace growled a little bit and lifted his head. "I beg your pardon." He snorted. "I was looking for a more suiting title than _that_. I refuse to be the baby's aunt. What an atrocious idea."

"You had...what in mind exactly?" Samuel laughed. "You're not human, so how can I _possibly_ assign you a role?"

"I could be the baby's guardian angel." Ace decided with a chuckle.

"Angel? Not a chance. How about...You be the diaper changer."

"Very funny." Ace narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"Hey someone's gotta do it." Samuel shrugged. "May as well be the one who's not afraid to get down and dirty with the baby."

"Her _uncle_ would be more suited to that sort of work." Ace protested again.

"Her _auntie_ would be funnier."

Hoshiko couldn't help but start to laugh hard while Ace and bickered back and forth so humorously.

"Hahahaha, guys! Guys!" She tried to get them to stop but without any luck, not that Hoshiko minded at all. It was too funny to actually want them to stop either way. "Samuel, you be the Aunt, Ace you be the Uncle! I'll be the mommy and we'll make one big happy family!" Hoshiko burst out laughing once more but quieted herself, realizing that she'd messed up. "I mean Samuel is the Uncle! And Ace, you can be the baby's pet! That's better then being an aunt."

Ace snorted in disgust, but it was clear that he wasn't particularly offended. He was still wagging his tail at least.

"I am nobody's _pet_."

"Not even mine?" Samuel smirked. "Despite the fact you call me master even when I tell you that you don't have to?"

"That is entirely different. Besides. Samuel would make a better Aunt than an Uncle anyways." Ace glanced at Hoshiko with a smirk. He's quite ladyli-" Samuel tossed a rock at Ace's head. It clacked against the creature's armor.

"Aw shut up, man! I am not!" He went back to pushing Hoshiko on the swing.

Hoshiko rolled her eyes at Ace and Samuel. "Boys." She muttered, looking at them with a chastising expression. "Honestly, if you can't play nice I won't even let you near the baby! So you better start proving that you can be gentle as mareep!" Hoshiko smiled to herself as Samuel started to push her on the swing again. "We'll still have to find someone to change diapers though because...I'm so not ready for that."

"Ace will do it." Samuel poked the monster.

"Boy, one day I'm going to eat you while you're sleeping and not leave a crumb of evidence for anyone to find." Ace sneered, bearing his teeth in a bizarre sort of sneer. "Hoshiko will come out one of these days... 'Where's Samuel?' and I will say, 'Oh I don't know. Something probably ate him. Finally.'"

"She'll know to suspect you, Moron."

Ace rolled onto his back, exposing his soft, fuzzy underbelly and wagging his tail playfully as he looked at Samuel and Hoshiko upside down. "Who would suspect this adorable face?"

Hoshiko shook her head with a funny look on her face. "I _would_ suspect you! And if you eat Samuel, let me tell you, I'll eat you!" The girl pretended to bite at Ace with a giggle and then shook her head at how silly she had acted.

Then something dawned on her, and Hoshiko couldn't help but look between Ace and Samuel, resting her gaze on the young man at last. "You guys said...'her'." Her expression was curious. "...Do you think it's a girl?" Hoshiko asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

"You know... I dunno if the baby's a girl or a boy. I didn't even realize I suggested I thought I did." Samuel laughed sheepishly. "But wouldn't it be cool if she was a girl? She'd be so tiny and cute."

"You know, it makes sense that it would be a girl. In our family we have this weird thing that every woman had a girl. I mean I've never even heard of someone in my family _not_ having a girl...so I'd say it's a safe bet." And looking pensive for a second, Hoshiko laughed gently. "That means you can start buying her presents now Samuel! You know, stuff girls like." She nodded decisively.

"Oh yeah, and you know what? You missed my birthday." Hoshiko teased. "You never even got me a present!" She pretended to be in a huff, but obviously wasn't. "That's pretty bad Samuel, forgetting your friend's birthday like that..."

Samuel's eyes widened and he gulped, almost falling over. "I uh...well I... I rescued you for your birthday?"

Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh once more. Being rescued was indeed a present, and Hoshiko would have taken it over any material item, but it was fun to bother Samuel. So Hoshiko tilted her head side to side as if she was thinking over what Samuel had said.

"Well, that's a wonderful present for sure. But it sure isn't a birthday present. You know, I'm like other girls, I like jewelry and clothes. Shiny things! Silvery things!" The girl couldn't help but laugh at herself.

Ace shook his head slowly. "Oh boy, Samuel. You're never gonna win ANY girl over by telling them you rescued them because its their birthday. Women are sensitive creatures to be loved and cherished." Ace plucked a flower from the grass with his teeth and sat down near the swing, holding the pretty object out to Hoshiko with a toothy grin.

"Yeah, you _would_ know how women work, wouldn't you?"

Ace gently dropped the flower in Hoshiko's palm and rolled his eyes. "And what if I do?" He smirked. "My physical state of being is an advantage, not a weakness. So don't try to use it against me." Ace smiled and turned back to Hoshiko. "This flower is for you on your birthday. It's only unfortunate that it's scarcely half as lovely."

"Oh please." Samuel rolled his eyes.

Looking down at Ace as he placed the flower in her hand, Hoshiko pretended to be quite flattered. His words, kind as they were, vaguely reminded her of the conflict back at the river. However, Hoshiko was in a better mood, and she could tell Ace was trying to be nice to her, even if it was in the spirit of teasing Samuel. This time, at least, she didn't feel threatened by his flattery.

"Well Ace, I never knew you were such a ladies...monster." She giggled slightly and took the flower, putting it into her hair. "I'll press it and keep it forever!" She smirked and then looked at Samuel. "Don't be too jealous Samuel!" She said dramatically. "It's not your fault that Ace got me a belated birthday present!"

Samuel rolled his eyes at Ace again, to which the monster responded with a very happy wag of his tail.

"Ace is the biggest flirt in the universe." Samuel protested. "I'm surprised he hasn't yet realized that he's a monster and not a man."

Ace sat down and tilted his head. "Charm is a universal quality, not restricted to one species or gender." He smirked. "You're only jealous that you don't have an ounce of it."

Samuel crossed his arms. "Oh yeah? I think I'm _very_ charming."

"Nope." Ace stretched in the grass and yawned. "Not even a little."

Suddenly, Samuel jumped on Ace and put the huge dog in a headlock, which looked quite funny considering that Samuel was not even half his size. Ace just laughed and rolled over onto his back playfully, at first smashing Samuel underneath him. Fortunately the young man was able to scramble out and crawl back to a more commanding position, pinning Ace down.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Samuel panted, despite the fact that he was now extremely winded and Ace was just relaxing.

"Oh no! I've been gotten!" Ace stretched and yawned again, this time more dramatically. Then he sneered, showing his bright white teeth. "But still not charmed."

Laughing at the outburst between Samuel and Ace, Hoshiko pointed at them from her spot on the swing. "Right now, neither of you are very charming! You're acting like little boys!" She slowly stood up and crossed her arms in front of her.

"If that's the best you can do for charming a girl then I think you've both failed miserably." But sitting herself down on the grass beside Ace and Samuel, poking both of them in the side she smiled widely. "But if you're trying to entertain a mother-to-be then I've got to say you're doing a marvelous job!"

Hoshiko fell back onto the grass and stretched out. As she lay there, she stared up through the gnarled tree branches at the twinkling stars. For a moment, peace came over her, and she felt less trapped inside her own battered skin and a little more free. The deep, endless sky made her feel small but undoubtedly alive. Perhaps all of her painful problems were invisible in the scheme of the entire universe. They felt big to her, but right now she felt small. The universe was huge. The only thing that felt bigger than the universe right now was the comfort of having people who cared about her close by. That in and off itself gave her reason to hope.

"...I think I really love life. You know that? I really do." Hoshiko wrapped her arms around herself and continued to stare up at the sky wistfully. "Despite everything that's happened and you forgetting my birthday." Hoshiko giggled slightly for poking fun at Samuel once more. "...Life is pretty special."

Ace and Samuel both glanced over at Hoshiko, and Ace thumped his tail against the ground pleasantly. He looked quite relaxed, even if Samuel was climbing on him like a jungle gym. Samuel grinned sheepishly at Hoshiko's jesting, meanwhile, and he decided to calm down a bit, sprawling himself out across Ace's stomach and laying his head against the creature's chest as he looked down at Hoshiko.

"Life really is wonderful..." He smiled at the girl. "And just so you know, even little boys can be charming in their own way.

"It's true," Ace agreed with a soft chuckle. "It's just too bad you don't have any of that kind of charm either."

Samuel just laughed and looked out towards the horizon, where he could see the sky and the far off land meet. He buried his hands in Ace's warm fur. "This is the life I wanted for you, Hoshiko. Full of freedom and the little things that make everything so much brighter. And I'll keep right on working to make sure that's the life you have all the days of your life..."

Ace smiled at that, looking up at Samuel with admiration, although the young man didn't notice. Watching them, Hoshiko smiled up at Samuel, her face hidden in the grass a bit as she rolled over.

"Samuel, I don't know how to thank you...honestly. There's been so much happening to me that I can't even think straight, but I can't say thank you enough. I can't even begin to understand why you want to help me so much..." She replied gently. "I don't deserve any of it. I haven't done half of what I could to repay you. But I want to. I really want to."

And shifting her eyes away, Hoshiko sighed. "Samuel, if we ever can go back to Ecruteak, I want to show you something...a place that I went to while…while you weren't here." Her eyes closed, trying to hide her emotions but there was a clear sadness on her face. "I think it's the biggest reason I have to thank you..." The girl reached out her hand, running her hand through Ace's fur gently.

Ace glanced in Hoshiko's direction when the girl stroked his fur, and he smiled at her, giving her hand a gentle lick and then closing his eyes, clearly content in the company he was keeping. Samuel lifted his head just a little bit, curiosity and slight amusement on his face, at least up until he saw the faintest gleam of tears in Hoshiko's eyes.

"Hey..." He said softly, "You've helped me too, you know? But that's not even why I want to help you... I want to help you because you're my friend...and you're a really good person. You deserve to have as happy a life as you can. I can't give you a whole lot, but I want to try and at least get you on that path." Samuel paused and smiled a bit. "I'd love to see anything you want to show me though... It really would be an honor." He laid his head back down again, his face pillowed in Ace's thick white fur. He quietly studied Hoshiko's eyes in the moonlight.

"Anywhere you want to take me, I'd go." He laughed. "After all, I'm towing you all over the place in some of the most dangerous situations possible. I think I owe it to ya." He winked.

"...It's not anywhere I want to go back to, but I need you to know, Samuel. I need you to understand how important what you've done is. It's incredible how you're so modest about helping me, but sometimes I think that you don't know what it would have been like if I didn't have a friend in you Samuel..." And turning to see him looking at her, Hoshiko wiped away her tears with her free hand, still petting Ace.

"And this'll prove it. Then you'll know for sure." And reaching for her neck, Hoshiko gripped tightly onto the necklace that Samuel and brought back to her. "The only thing I had was trust in you, everything else was gone. And even though I had been convinced you'd died, I still had to trust your promise. That's it, Samuel. There wasn't anything left of me..." She wondered inside if Samuel knew what she was talking about. Hoshiko wasn't trying to be cryptic. It just wasn't something that she out and out wanted to say.

Samuel's eyes locked on Hoshiko for a moment, and although he was very comfortable where he was, he allowed himself to slide off of Ace and crawl over to where Hoshiko was, flopping down in the grass beside her. He rolled over to look at her quietly, supporting himself on his elbow.

"I could have died...all too easily..." He said slowly. "But I didn't let myself. I knew I had to make it back to Ecruteak...because of you. I'm alive because I knew I couldn't leave you hanging... I owe that to you, Hoshiko, for making me promise. You've really done a lot more for me than you know, but I'm glad to be able to help you. And I understand if you have a need to show me something. I want to see it, so that I can understand you even better than I do now."

"Really?" Hoshiko blinked in shock. "I didn't realize that you were relying on me too...I just thought...well I thought you were just such a fighter that you'd never give up..." Hoshiko watched her friend's face carefully with a somber expression.

"Then I guess we were kind of in the same boat. Because...where I want to show you, well…. It's...the river in Ecruteak." Her eyes were still looking at him and yet there was a hint in nervousness at the memory she was recalling. "...At the back, behind the Tower, there's a spot where the river flows rougher then anywhere else and there are...many rocks..."

Hoshiko's eyes closed. "I went there...so many times. Whenever I got the opportunity..." Exhaling a slow breath, Hoshiko's eyes opened weakly. "If it wasn't for you..."

Samuel's brow knitted in concern, and he reached over with his free hand to pull Hoshiko close to him.

"I'm glad you didn't do anything foolish. I know it must have been hard with how Osamu was treating you. But now aren't you glad you hung in there? It's worth it, isn't it?"

"I knew that even if Osamu could kill me, he wouldn't." Hoshiko sighed. "There was no way that he would take me away from him. Osamu wouldn't give me that kind of satisfaction..." Her eyes looked burdened. "But I knew that even if he took everything away from me that there was one thing, just one thing that I could take away from him. And it would take away his power. He couldn't do anything anymore." She wiped her eyes, probably trying to get rid of tears that were threatening to drop. "It would be the only way I could trump him, and I was so close that I could feel the spray of the water on my face." Opening her eyes and looking at Samuel, Hoshiko shook her head. "I had my foot in. There wasn't anyone around...I totally prepared for it...All of it..."

And looking intently at Samuel, Hoshiko paused for a moment. "But I could hear your voice in my head. I could hear you promising me to bring back the necklace. And...and I couldn't do it." She whispered turning her head into the grass. "I got so scared that you'd be mad at me. Mad at me for killing myself and giving up, because I knew you wouldn't." She turned her face away, but managed to smile, albeit weakly.

"Osamu didn't take everything away from me." Reaching into her pocket, Hoshiko took out Samuel's scarf. "He didn't get this! Even if he tried to burn it! And I've got something to remember it by." Hoshiko held out her arm to show off the burn scars. "Because I got it before he could."

Samuel looked at the scars and felt his throat tightening. It was hard for him to hear all of this, but he smiled slightly. "I dunno what I would have done if I came back and found you weren't here to be rescued. How would that make me look, being the hero and all?" He winked, trying to lighten the painful situation.

Ace laughed softly and rolled onto his belly to lay his huge head on Samuel's shoulder and get a better view of Hoshiko."Not to mention, who would we have to try and charm?" The canine grinned a rather toothy grin.

Hoshiko looked up at Ace, and then at Samuel. "Yes," she said at last, after considering everything. "I'm happy to be here...very. Because I like being with my best friend and yes Ace, even if you guys can't charm me, I do love some good entertainment."

Ace chuckled deeply and wagged his tail, pleased that Hoshiko was smiling again. Seeing the poor girl miserable was rather hard. He'd grown quite fond of her over the time they'd known each other, despite their struggles.

"Well that's what we're here for. The Ace and the Joker." He laughed and buried his muzzle affectionately in Samuel's neck. Samuel laughed, despite himself, all too ticklish too hold it in.

"Hey, cut that out, ya big doof." He reached up to try to push Ace away, but the large monster was too strong and resisted the force all too easily, instead snuggling deeper into the crook of Samuel's neck and making him squirm under the sensation of fur against the very ticklish skin between his cheek and shoulder. "Knock it off!"

"Ace!" Hoshiko couldn't help but start to laugh just from watching. "Ace! Ace stop it!" The girl tried to push Ace's muzzle away from Samuel, of course without prevail. At last, the young woman simply fell back onto her back and started to laugh uncontrollably.

Samuel laughed all the louder, and finally Ace just closed his eyes and laid there, like a big fuzzy rock, letting out a monumental sigh that messed up Samuel's hair. Samuel rolled his eyes, but it was clear from his smile that he wasn't really mad. He looked back to Hoshiko, ignoring Ace now and focusing on her.

"Well... I didn't give up. And I'm glad you didn't either. Looks like we saved each other, huh? Even without being right there the whole time. Guess that makes us a good team." He shook his head.

"But for goodness sakes." He laughed. "You didn't have to go diving into the _furnace_ to rescue that old scarf. But I guess if you just _had_ to have something that touched me at some point in time and _could_ have my skin cells on it then I _suppose_ it's okay." He teased playfully. "Don't ever wash it. The evidence it belonged to me might be destroyed!" He smirked.

"Oh yeah!" The girl waved the scarf in front of Samuel's face, still laughing but not nearly as much as she had been. "Of course, if I have to have some sort of incriminating evidence against you at some point then this'll be perfect!" Hoshiko smirked, placing the scarf on Samuel's face and shook her head.

"Here!" The girl lifted her head, not propping herself by her elbow. "Put it back on my head, Samuel! I'm not going to leave it in my pocket forever!"

Samuel chuckled and awkwardly reached for the scarf. The position he was in made it difficult to tie it on straight, but he managed, with only a slightly messed up look to it. The young man laughed and shook his head.

"Well, it's a new style anyways." He smirked and settled back into the soft, cool grass. "Call me crazy, but it suits you."

"Well, I'll call you crazy anytime but I'll have to see the style first before I find out if it suits me."

Samuel sighed happily and looked up towards the sky, watching the stars glisten brighter than he thought he'd ever seen them. It was like seeing windows into other worlds.

"You know...we should get you back home, so you can get some sleep." Samuel smiled.

Hoshiko then let herself looked up into the night, much like Samuel was. The view was incredible without any compare.

"I don't want to go to sleep..." Hoshiko replied in almost a whisper, still watching the stars intently. "If I go to sleep, I might wake up and find out that all of this was just a dream that I can't hold on to...or everything might change. I want to say like this Samuel, because it's perfect. And I know I'll miss times like this..."

Hoshiko glanced over at Samuel. "Really, if those stars actually do work...then maybe before we go back, we should make wishes on them first. They're the prettiest I've ever seen, so if a wish is going to be granted then it's bound to be by one of those stars...They just look like they want to do something nice for us. Don't you agree?"

Samuel nodded slowly. "I betcha they do. It could never hurt to ask." He laughed softly and closed his eyes for a moment. "But...even if we stay and watch the stars for a little while and make our wishes, you have to go to sleep sometime. You can't stay awake forever. And I don't want you to catch a cold, laying out here like this. The mountain air is freezing."

"Don't worry...I'll go to bed soon." Hoshiko assured Samuel, knowing that he wasn't just worrying for her, he was worrying for two. And it reminded Hoshiko that she should be too. But she couldn't pass up the moment that they were spending together right at that very moment.

Samuel looked back at the sky. "Gosh... if I had to make a wish...what would I wish for? It'd have to be something big. Something really awesome, but special at the same time."

A whisper in his ear sent a pleasant chill down his spine, "You're not supposed to tell anyone what you would wish for, or it might not come true." Ace's voice was so soft that it was hard to hear him.

"Aww, I know that. But I wouldn't tell anyone what I'd wish for anyways."

Ace sighed softly, seeming to be half asleep. "Hoshiko should wish for a real husband. So that her baby has a daddy. And she should wish for diapers. Lots of diapers."

Samuel chuckled softly. "You should wish for the world to be saved, Ace. So that you don't have to do it and you can have a beach party instead. With lots of babes."

Ace laughed and showed his teeth a bit, but didn't open his eyes. "That would be very _exciting_." He admitted. "But to be honest, I'm quite happy right here..." He nudged his nose against Samuel's cheek.

Hoshiko was content to listen to her friends for a moment, and didn't say anything until they were done.

"...Heheh, I like your suggestion for me, Ace. You never know, I might wish for that." Hoshiko replied gently, but then smirked at the dog with a laugh in the back of her voice. "But you should be the one wishing for the diapers." She laughed, poking the dog in the nose before going back to focusing at the stars.

Ace's eyes popped open and he lifted his head, sneezing suddenly. Samuel laughed and shielded himself. "Jeez, Ace. Did you have to do that all over me?"

"Sorry." Ace laughed, looking rather sheepish. "And I don't know what on earth I'd need diapers for. It's not _my_ baby."

"But you're the diaper changer." Samuel reminded Ace, playfully.

"I'll leave that to the ones with thumbs." Ace yawned.

"That's nonsense. You can have thumbs if you feel like it."

"Hush. Don't want Hoshiko to know that or she won't give me a better job." Ace laid his head down again.

Hoshiko raised an eyebrow curiously. "You're going to have to be the diaper changer, because I'm only seventeen and I already have the biggest job of all! I'm too young to change diapers!" Hoshiko laughed. "And Samuel is the uncle, so he has to buy the baby presents and coddle the baby. And by a process of elimination that makes you the diaper changer!" Hoshiko looked at Ace quite decisively and smiled.

Then she turned to Samuel. "Samuel, I think I know what you should wish for." She glanced at him. "How about, you wish to become the greatest pokémon scientist of all time, and everyone will know your name. You'll be able to bring pokémon to those kids in Olivine and to all sorts of kids who love pokémon." She paused for a moment but wasn't done. "And then you can meet a nice girl and get married. And have kids, just like you wanted. Because if you're going to experience all the adventure that life has to offer then that would be a good start..."

As she trailed off, it was obvious that Hoshiko was getting groggy, if not for anything else just from her pregnancy and the changes in her body affecting her.

Samuel was caught off guard by Hoshiko's wish for him. He looked at her in surprise, and thought about it for a moment. "A pokémon professor, huh? That sounds like it has a nice ring to it." He smiled a bit. "I betcha I could do it too... I like being in the lab...and I like studying monsters..."

"I bet you could do it, Sam." Ace smiled. "If anyone could, it'd be you."

Samuel grinned broadly. "Thanks... And I would like to have kids someday." He laughed nervously. "I guess I have to get married for that huh? I wish I wasn't so awkward with girls."

"You're fine with girls." Ace yawned.

"Well, Hoshiko doesn't count. And _you_. Well heaven only knows what _you_ are, so you don't count either." Samuel protested.

Ace half-opened one eye and raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "I like to think of myself as the Uber Charmer. Covers everything."

Samuel laughed. "The what? Gosh, you've really lost it this time, haven't you?"

You know I'm right. Ain't nobody can resist me."

"Hoshiko does a fine job."

"Well I just haven't worked my magic on her yet." Ace laughed. "A flower is hardly my full potential, as you know."

Samuel just rolled his eyes. "Bad dog. Keep your mind out of the gutter."

"It's not." Ace protested with a whine. "My half-asleep ramblings shouldn't make sense to you anyways. If they do, it's because you have problems."

Samuel laughed. "Yeah, and it's big, white, and can't keep his thoughts, paws, tongue, teeth, or anything else for that matter to himself."

Ace whimpered. "I'm hurt. You know I'm innocent as can be."

Samuel patted Ace's head by reaching over his own shoulder. "Innocent and monster don't mix. Innocent and _King_ of Monsters clash royally." Samuel chuckled and looked back at Hoshiko with a grin.

Hoshiko smiled sleepily. "...Why don't we make wishes for each other instead of for ourselves? It seems so selfish to wish for myself..." Hoshiko said softly, her eyes slowly starting to close. "But...if I was to make a wish for me Samuel...what do you think I should wish for?" She asked, fighting to keep her eyes open just so she could hear Samuel's answer.

Samuel presently battled with Ace's big head to keep the big dog's muzzle out of his neck. "Let's see... something you should wish for..." He trailed off for a moment, but piped up again out of the blue.

"I got it. You should wish to always be free as a bird, to fly wherever you want, and to never have to be afraid of being caged up again, so you can really truly soar like you were meant to. You should wish for the sky, so that you can teach your baby to fly too, because if they're anything like you...they'll be able to soar too."

Yawning, the girl turned her head back to the sky. "I like that wish best, Samuel." Hoshiko started, eyes only half open. "No offense, Ace, but I don't think I'm ready to wish for a husband. Even if I realize that my child should have a father. I mean, it didn't kill me, right? Koichi and I got to send letters, but he wasn't ever present in my life until now..."

And turning to face Samuel, Hoshiko smiled gently, eyes almost completely closed. "That's why I like yours best. Because I get to be free and so does the baby. And if I make that wish it means I'll be free to help you and Ace forever." And yawning deeply one last time Hoshiko's eyes closed completely, only muttering one last phrase before she completely fell asleep. "I wish I may...I...wish...I might..."

Samuel smiled when Hoshiko drifted off, and he slowly sat up, scooping Hoshiko up in his arms and getting to his feet very carefully. He looked down at her quietly while she slept, and then glanced over his shoulder at Ace. "Come on..." He whispered. "Let's get her home and tucked into bed."

They arrived back at the apothecary awhile later and crept inside quietly, so as not to disturb anyone. Finding the room set for Hoshiko, Samuel carefully carried Hoshiko to the bed and laid her down, taking off her shoes and pulling the blankets over her.

"She must be exhausted..." He whispered.

"She's had a very long and difficult past couple of months. And so have you." Ace reminded. "Wouldn't you like to get some sleep?"

"I would, but... I think I'll take a bit of a walk first." He stared out the window for a moment and then closed his eyes. "There's someone I need to talk to... about a lot of things. I'd like to do that tonight if I can." He turned to Ace and the monster nodded knowingly.

"Of course, Samuel."


	19. And He Said Dance For Me

**Chapter 19: And He Said "Dance For Me"**

Through the windows of the apothecary, illuminated by the silvery-white moon glow of the heavenly body of night, the shadows of two figures fell silently upon the cool mountain soil. Two forms, bathed in white, strolled quietly side by side past the darkened windows and to the shelter of a wide-boughed pine tree. Samuel's face was turned down, wrapped in shadow, but the figure next to him, a lady—perhaps—by the shape of her splendidly curving figure, was mostly cast in white. The moonlight lay so brightly upon her fair cheeks, her flowing white hair, and her strong shoulders that it paled her to unearthly hues. The ghostly figure wore strange clothes, not usual items found in every marketplace. A white tunic, and white pants, made all the brighter by the light of the moon. Brown boots clad the feet, and a silver belt with dragon eyes cast in rubies wrapped the ghost's perfectly rounded hips.

They stopped under the tree, and Samuel leaned against it, his elbow pressed against the rough bark and his hand on his cheek pensively as he stopped to look at his companion. From the apothecary, their voices could not be heard.

"You should probably stay...to take care of her." The ghostly figure spoke in a strangely deep voice that did not match the exotic delicacy of the body producing it. "She needs you. I need you too, but not so much as she does. The strength of my experience and the knowledge of my collected millennia support me. I'm not weak."

"I know you're not." Samuel frowned slightly, "But Hoshiko is strong too, and she's not going to want to stay here."

"It figures. I could have guessed it, but I needed to be sure."

"You seem upset..." Samuel frowned even more.

"Not on my account. I'm not the one who's pregnant; Hoshiko is. I'm worried about her."

"Well you don't have to be. If there's _anything_ I learned about Hoshiko over all the time I've known her, it's that she's not the sort of girl who will just lay there and take a beating. She has a fire inside of her, even after all she's been through. I can feel it when I look at her. She'll be fine." Samuel ran his fingers through his hair tiredly.

"Her father may not be so pleased at the idea of her following you."

"We'll see." Samuel insisted. "If it really bothers him, he can come along too." He laughed out loud, shaking his head in amusement at himself.

"That's probably not a good idea."

"It couldn't hurt much, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it."

"As long as it doesn't break in crossing..."

"You stress too easy, you know that?" Samuel sighed. "Sure things aren't great, but if you worry about them how is that gonna make it better?"

"It doesn't... You're right. But it weighs heavily on me from time to time, and I can't help it."

"Well...don't let it." Samuel extended his hand and rested it on the shoulder of the one facing him. "I got your back, okay?"

"I know..." A soft smile, then a glance off in the distance. "I should probably go and let you head inside."

"Wait." Samuel grabbed the figure's arm. "I feel like... I owe you a serious apology."

"No...You don't. If anyone should apologize, it's me. I've messed up, big time. I hurt Hoshiko and dragged you both into this nightmare. But even in my apology I can't be as sincere as I'd like. I can't change what is, and I can't change what I do about it. I have to keep on the same way...even though it hurts. At least I can honestly apologize for making Hoshiko feel worse after everything she's already suffered, even if I can't apologize for what happened at the convention."

Samuel looked down. "I can forgive you. And maybe someday Hoshiko can too. But if you're the one who owes an apology, why am I the one who feels guilty and conflicted?"

"Because you regret not being able to prevent the things that happened. But don't despair... I'm just glad to have you back. Although I wish I'd have known you had been taken hostage by Hart. That would have significantly made your escape easier."

"It wouldn't have." Samuel laughed. "You would have just gotten me into more trouble on the way out, I'm sure."

"I suppose you're not as helpless as you once were." A chuckle, and a light touch cemented the understanding between them.

Samuel lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned his back against the tree, feeling the bark against the back of his neck. A sudden rush of adrenaline mingled with slight confusion as his friend approached more closely. Their bodies touched. He swallowed, shakily.

"I may owe a _small_ portion of that to you. Microscopically. I think I've learned to be strong from you dragging me around."

"So much credit. I guess I'll take what I can get. I know you appreciate my efforts judging from the look on your face, and that's enough for me."

"I have a look on my face?" Samuel almost squeaked the words, a bit shocked and embarrassed.

"Well now you have a different look, but yes." A laugh. "You know... It's been a very, very long time since I've danced. Too long. I only vaguely remember just how thrilling it was."

"Wait a minute." Samuel laughed, leaning into the tree more. "You're not...asking _me _to dance with you."

"No, of course not."

"Good, because I don't know the fir—" Samuel was cut off upon being grabbed by the hands and pulled into a bit of a spin. He almost fell over, and had to catch himself. He failed, but his new found dance partner picked up the slack.

"You don't have a choice." Samuel's partner laughed, all too amused.

"You have no idea how embarrassing this is..." Samuel whined. "People are going to see us. And they're going to think we're crazy."

"People should be in bed. I'm not worried."

And that was the last word they spoke—other than for Samuel receiving dancing instructions now and then, on where to place his feet—until the end of the dance. Samuel found himself swept away into the motions of a drifting, swiftly-paced waltz. Around him the world spun, and stars and gleams from candlelit windows turned to ribbons of silver and gold wrapping him and his guide in delicate threads.

Self-consciousness dominated the young man's thoughts, but not really because he wasn't an experienced dancer. Moreover, he became consumed by one thought—one feeling—that spanned the breadth of his consciousness: He actually enjoyed this, though his mind warned him that he shouldn't. The exercise kept Samuel from freezing to death, but he still realized he was shaking like a leaf, especially when the dance seemed to shift to slow motion and trail to an end.

They eased to a halt, together under the tree, his face stunningly close to his partner's. Samuel gulped. Opening his mouth to say something, he was abruptly cut off.

His heart literally stopped and started again at three times the pace, and he was blown away by the suddenness and the unexpectedness of the soft, warm lips against his own. Although his first reaction was to quickly break away and inquire about sanity, he was stopped by a hand on the back of his head and a numbing, warming rush that almost shut his brain off and left him stranded between the realm of confusion and surprise. Eventually, he accepted it, and lost all sense of his mind, leaving it behind for just a moment. He closed his eyes and draped his arms around his dance partner's neck until the moment was past, and he found himself again looking into eyes that froze him in place and held him there with a firm sort of gentleness unique in his experience.

"Get some sleep." The dancing moonlight ghost whispered in his ear. "It'll do you some good."

* * *

An icy gust of wind blew, and Samuel lifted his head to find himself slumped against the base of the pine tree. Now, feeling his senses coming back to him, he reflected, and felt like he'd just woken up from a strange sort of dream. How long he'd been sitting before he felt his mind coming back to him, he wasn't sure, but now he realized that even if it was cold out here, he didn't feel like going back inside.

He looked to his side and realized the warmth keeping him from wanting to take shelter came from a fully armored Incarnus, looking every bit as human as Samuel himself. Samuel blinked a few times to try and clear his mind again, but looking at Ace sleeping just clouded it up more. He nudged Ace with his elbow, jostling the monster-human's head against his shoulder and mumbled very softly.

"Hey... you can't carry us around like _that_."

Ace stirred, having fallen into a deep sleep, but he didn't open his eyes even as he became aware of Samuel trying to wake him. "I'm not carrying you anywhere right this moment... why don't you go to sleep?"

"I can't sleep..." Samuel frowned a little bit. "I feel my heart beating too fast... It's not letting me get any shuteye."

"You were quiet a minute ago. Close your eyes."

Samuel sighed and did so, but when he felt Ace's arms fold around him, he opened them again and blinked. But the Incarnus didn't say anything.

"Ace?" Samuel asked. He got no response. "Ace, wake up." Samuel said, louder. But still nothing. Samuel stared for a long time at the Incarnus, bewildered. But after a bit, he realized how comfortable Ace looked, and, not wanting to disturb him, he sighed and closed his eyes, laying his head on Ace's and putting his arm around the strange creature.

"Goodnight..." He whispered, before he fell into a long, deep sleep.

* * *

Bright light squeezing in between the lids of his eyes made Samuel squirm a bit, but he was too tired to wake up completely. His body felt numb all over from sleeping against a tree, but he was warm, and comfortable without any pain beyond a couple of tired muscle aches. He could tell it was morning. In his head he told himself to wake up. But even the sound of footsteps didn't urge his eyes to open.

_It's morning and time to get moving..._

He said to himself in his head, over and over again. But he didn't move a muscle. He just sat there under the pine tree, half slumped over the curled up Incarnus, sleeping awkwardly with his head in Samuel's lap.

_Get up..._ Samuel said to himself again. _The whole world is moving..._ His leg twitched, and he toppled over, landing on Ace who didn't seem to notice, still fast asleep himself. _Stupid world..._ Samuel snubbed reality, deciding sleep was better.

"Now, if I had known you were going to sleep out here, I wouldn't have slept on the couch last night." A humorous voice came from above Samuel along with a tall, slender shadow cast onto the young man. A soft chuckle and a nudge in the side and the voice came once more.

Samuel suddenly jerked awake, more at the sound of Koichi's voice than the nudge. Sitting up abruptly, he shielded his eyes from the sun and looked up, startled. Samuel suddenly realized where he was, and felt awful.

"I'm so sorry!" He said, "I don't know what on earth I was thinking. I meant to go inside. Certainly didn't mean to make you sleep on the couch."

Chuckling to himself, Koichi smirked. "Don't worry about it, Samuel. I didn't really sleep last night anyways. I hardly sleep at night. I seem to do my best medicine mixing at night. And I made a list of things you can expect to see from Hoshiko during her pregnancy. Women go through a lot of different stages and sometimes they aren't quite themselves. That way she won't catch you off guard." He shook his head, then looked down at Samuel with amusement.

"What are you doing out here anyway? There was a perfectly good guest room in the house that I had gotten ready for you." Clicking his tongue the man shook is head. "I'm not sure how Hoshiko picks her friends but she'd got to find one a little more civilized next time." It was obvious that the man was kidding and if Samuel was to look up he would see the frame of Koichi standing above him with a little smirk on his face.

Samuel's eyes widened, "I uh…well…." Embarrassed, and without an answer he felt comfortable telling, he quickly turned his attention back to Ace, still passed out in his lap. He rapped on the helmet on Ace's head, but the Incarnus just flinched and shoved his hand away. "Wake up already." Samuel frowned, trying to haul Ace off of him. "Why do you weigh so much anyways?"

Ace didn't answer, but reached up and covered Samuel's mouth with his hand. Startled, Samuel grabbed Ace's wrist and tried to pull it away. "Don't shush me!"

"Then stop talking..." Ace muttered a growl. "I'm trying to sleep."

Koichi lifted his brow and studied the strangely dressed person resisting Samuel's efforts. He glanced back at Samuel's face. "Why don't you come in? I'm not serving breakfast outside. It's already on the table and that doesn't come outside either." He laughed once more. "Hoshiko isn't up yet though, I tried to get her up but it's a no go. I suppose that's natural though." Koichi sighed. "Lots of little adjustments here and there but she'll get used to them" He tried to sound lighthearted about a topic that made the man feel like the most inadequate father in the world. "Who knows, maybe she'll get up for you."

Samuel sighed, and stood up with some difficulty, letting Ace's head hit the ground. The Incarnus' eyes opened suddenly in surprise, and he frowned up at Samuel. Not saying anything though, as Samuel dusted off his vest and jeans, trying not to think about how disastrous he must have looked, Ace grabbed his ankle and pulled it out from under him, sending him sprawling on the ground before hopping up himself and stretching.

"Good morning, Koichi." Ace said, pleasantly, stretching and cracking his shoulders.

Watching both Samuel and Ace curiously, Koichi rubbed the back of his head, more then a bit stunned. "...Okay...So we're going to need another place for breakfast then?" He eyed Ace for a moment before bending down to help Samuel up.

The Incarnus brightened and nodded enthusiastically. Koichi pursed his lips.

"I'm not sure who you are...but if you're a friend of Samuel's them you're welcome in too." He replied waving the two on to hurry them up and into the house where the table was already set.

* * *

It smelled remarkable inside, and as soon as Ace and Samuel stepped in, the warmth from the morning fire in the potbellied stove started drawing the chill from their skin and bringing warm color to their faces. The door closed, sealing out the cold air, and Samuel stepped into the kitchen, rubbing his hands together feverishly to warm them. He was terribly aware that he needed to change his clothes and freshen up, but it helped ease his mind to see the food waiting for him. Samuel's place at the table was obvious; it was the only plate that had meat on it. Koichi gestured to the table, then turned. Looking to Samuel and then Ace, Koichi laughed nervously.

"Call me Ace." The Incarnus reached for Koichi's hand and shook it firmly. Koichi shook it back and smiled politely.

"Ace." Koichi nodded, "Well, give me a second to get another plate of food ready." He moved towards the stove. "Samuel, why don't you go and see if you can wake up sleeping beauty while I get the rest of the food ready? My mom's outside getting some herbs from her garden. She'll be in soon too."

Samuel was eyeing his plate of food hungrily and he licked his lips. His stomach growled, but on Kochi's suggestion that he go wake Hoshiko, he snapped out of his food-induced trance and grabbed the back of the chair, pulling it out. "Here, you sit down and eat mine, Ace. I'll take the next plate that comes out." He glanced at Koichi gratefully. "I'll be right back."

He'd started walking towards Hoshiko's room, and he chuckled at the idea of Hoshiko as a dreaming princess. He glanced over his shoulder. "By the way, Koichi, there's something I have to ask you, but I'll let it wait until after breakfast."

"Sure thing!" Koichi saluted Samuel with one finger against his brow. "Whenever you feel like asking me."

Satisfied, Samuel turned and finally stopped at the entrance to Hoshiko's room just off the kitchen. He opened the door, choosing to ignore the soft grunts of frustration coming from behind him as Ace awkwardly re-adjusted to the idea of silverware—he hadn't been in human form in countless centuries. Samuel slipped inside, into the darkened room.

Seeing Hoshiko comfortably sleeping on the bed, he smiled slightly to himself. Hoshiko was wrapped up in thick layers of blankets, her hair all messy from nuzzling her head into the pillow. She looked perfectly comfortable and content. It was nice to see her without any cares, and Samuel almost hated to disturb her.

"Hoshiko." Samuel called so softly it was almost a whisper. "It's time to get up, you know?"

As soon as she heard Samuel, the girl buried her head under the pillow she had been laying on. "I'm tired." She whined, obviously half asleep. In fact, it took mere moments for her to drift off again, falling back asleep with her head still hidden beneath the pillow. Hoshiko wriggled around in the blankets, one foot sticking off of the bed but it didn't seem to bother the sleeping young woman. Obviously, Hoshiko wasn't prepared to wake up.

* * *

Koichi worked over the stove to prepare more food. He didn't mind new company, but he wished he'd known ahead of time. Still, he remained friendly. As he was cooking, the man looked back at Ace, and was shocked at his behavior. The creature-turned-human was still struggling to manipulate the silverware and was making a bit of a mess.

"So...you're a friend of Samuel's?" He asked, with eyebrow raised.

Ace was having a good deal of difficulty adjusting his fine motor skills, and by the end of Koichi's inquiry, he'd just given up and was using his fingers to bring the small breakfast sausages to his mouth. He paused after a bite, though, and looked up. Realizing he was being impolite, he forced himself to stop eating so that he could talk. He was well aware that humans ate much slower than he was used to eating, so that they could talk to each other.

"Yes..." Ace looked back down at the plate of food, tempted to go back to eating but trying hard not to just take the whole thing up into his hands and shove it down. "I am..." He casually and very slowly picked up another piece of meat, biting off the end of it while staring at Koichi curiously, but with mild frustration at being interrupted. His expression was mostly pleasant though, if not somewhat confused. "You...probably don't remember me much if at all. I've never actually been inside the apothecary, just looked through the window. Wanted to avoid breaking anything."

He went back to eating.

Watching Ace skeptically, Koichi rubbed his chin. "Breaking something?" He asked, looking quite confused. "I see...well, you seem okay. You haven't broken anything yet. And I tend to be a bit of a clutz myself. So...yeah...don't worry so much." He replied awkwardly, before going back to cooking. "If you want anymore food, just let me know." He poked passively at the skillet, making sure Samuel's eggs and sausage were cooked properly.

"I think there's a _slight_ difference between you and I." Ace laughed mildly. "Several, actually. And I do believe that if I had come in here yesterday I probably would have accidentally destroyed most everything in this small room. But that's why I stayed outside all day. I haven't been like this in a long time, you see, and I wasn't so sure I should even try to—" Ace stopped, realizing he wasn't too sure if he wanted to reveal his status as a monster. Maybe it was better if Koichi thought he was a human, at least for now.

He laughed at himself, cleared his plate in a few hungry bites, and held it up hopefully. "If there is more, I certainly accept the offer."

"Um, yeah, there's more." Koichi looked at Ace's plate strangely and brought over the frying pan over, scraping out more eggs and sausage, making sure there was more then enough for Samuel left over. He then stood, looking at Ace.

"Thank you." The creature said almost instantly, perking up as the food piled onto his plate. He sat up straight, barely waiting until the plate was set down on the table in front of him to help himself.

"…So….There are differences between us? I didn't think you knew me all that well...after all I don't know you." Koichi paused, unsure of what do to or say. "...Either way, as long as you're not breaking anything now..." He smiled weakly, starting to question Ace's sanity.

Ace looked up from his plate of food and grunted to clear his throat. He seemed to be eating more like a Viking than a gentleman, but he also didn't seem to think that was too big of a problem. He was more worried about coming across as rude by not holding conversation.

"Even without knowing you too well there are plenty of things I know right of that bat that you and I are very different on." Ace smirked slightly, showing a bright white smile that showed slightly sharper than normal canine teeth. His grin was truly wolfish.

"Fair enough I guess." Koichi mused over Ace's comment. "I couldn't say that myself, not knowing you and all but I'm inclined to agree for the simple fact that you seemed so convinced over the fact." He paused, hearing stirring in the other room. Imagining Hoshiko was probably finally getting up, the girl's father started to put food out on the plate that he had prepared for Samuel.

* * *

Samuel laughed and sauntered over to the side of the bed, sitting down and looking out the window before glancing down at Hoshiko again. He pulled the blankets away from her face and poked her side through the thick bedding.

Peeking out from underneath her pillow for a moment, Hoshiko's eyes were barely open enough to make out the fuzzy frame of Samuel sitting beside her. She watched him only for a second before retreating back underneath the pillow

"This must just not be a day for waking up." Samuel laughed. "You have _no_ idea how tired I was this morning." He smirked, "But I'm up now. And...there's breakfast waiting for you." He stood up and started to pull the covers off of Hoshiko, very slowly so as not to shock her completely.

Hoshiko tried to fight Samuel by pulling back on the covers, although her arms and hands were no where near as strong as his. "I'm pregnant! Let me sleep!" She groaned, snuggling harder into the pillow and blankets. "We need our sleep!"

Samuel burst out laughing, unable to help himself, although he realized that it probably wasn't funny to Hoshiko. "Well that's all fine and dandy, but you'll miss talking to your fabulous company. There's someone rather...interesting sitting at your father's breakfast table, and rumor has it that he's a king. You wouldn't want to snub breakfast with royalty now would you?" Samuel gave the blankets one firm yank and threw them off of Hoshiko with a big grin.

Hoshiko could hardly make out what Samuel was saying as she tried to block him out with the pillow over her ears, but there was one thing that even if she wasn't fully awake, she was fully aware of. Samuel had taken her blankets. Slightly annoyed at this the girl took her pillow into her hands and went to smack her friend with it, with a lot more force then she had tried to pull away the blankets.

"I waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanna sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!" Hoshiko cried out as if she were a child that wasn't getting her way.

Samuel laughed but reached his arms up over his head to block the pillow attack, eventually grabbing the soft fluffy item and tossing it back at Hoshiko...but soon realizing he had given her ammunition back, he went to grab it and see if he could pull her out of bed.

"Come on." He half-grunted and half laughed. "If Ace comes in here to wake you up it won't be nearly as nice as me doing it. But it _might_ be funnier." He chuckled.

Pulling back against the pillow as Samuel went to pull it back away from her, the two locked into sort of a tug of war match, but Hoshiko couldn't compare with Samuel. She was forced to let go as her arms and fingers tired, and she flopped back on the bed as Samuel stumbled backwards in surprise and crashed into the wall. Blinking a few times at the sudden noise, Hoshiko tried to clear her vision.

"...Ugh..." Hoshiko muttered out a bit of a complaint softly, before going to sit up on the bed, looking at Samuel and holding onto her stomach. "...Sorry Samuel..." She apologized, obviously looking as if her stomach was sick. The girl went to stand up but was a little shaky on her feet, between be tired and woozy it looked like she might barely stagger to the kitchen.

Samuel hurriedly brushed himself off and reached for Hoshiko's arm to help her out, and when they at last emerged from the dark room, Samuel waved at Koichi in greeting before noticing Ace pigging out. Samuel sighed.

"For gosh sakes, Ace. Manners_ please_."

Ace blinked, and looked up at Samuel in confusion, swallowing the huge mouthful he had. "Sorry..." He wiped a little bit of food from the corner of his mouth, looking slightly embarrassed at having been corrected. "I'm just hungry I guess."

"You guess?" Samuel laughed. "I could have told you _that_ judging from your face-in-plate methods." Samuel sighed and laughed again. "I hope he's not causing you any trouble, Koichi. I'll boot him out if he does."

Ace shrugged off Samuel's comment about booting him out and looked from Samuel to Hoshiko with a mischievous grin. They both looked a mess. Hoshiko looked like she'd fallen asleep upside down in a wind tunnel, and Samuel's pants were stained and badly wrinkled, while his vest was buttoned completely wrong, a fact which had somehow slipped past Ace's notice until now.

As Hoshiko was led into the kitchen, the girl was stunned, watching carefully the man who her friend referred to as 'Ace'. Slowly, the girl sat down at the table with Samuel's help, otherwise she surely would have toppled over, especially with the way she couldn't take her eyes off of Ace.

"A-Ace?" She questioned, looking back to Samuel, as if the human in front of her might have been a mirage. The young man grinned at Hoshiko and gestured towards the strange fellow at the table.

"Ace" wore a pink and gold breastplate and other pieces of matching armor. His skin was as pale white as the tunic and tights under the plating. His snow white hair hung in thick, long cascades of very loose, almost wavy curls draped over his shoulders. His facial features were perhaps the most astonishing. His jaw was strong but rounded, and his high cheekbones had an almost delicate quality that was strikingly feminine in nature. But it had to be Ace, his ice blue eyes glinted like a frozen lake in the sun.

The creature nodded and half-bowed his head respectfully to Hoshiko, despite having both hands buried in his food. Seeing how shocked Hoshiko was at the man, Koichi felt a little relieved and more comfortable with his assumption that Ace was strange, but little did he know that she didn't find the situation odd for the same reasons he did. Turning to his daughter, he smiled.

"Good Morning Hoshiko. I see Samuel was able to wake you up." He chuckled, recalling how he had heard her fussing just moments ago.

Hoshiko nodded sleepily. "Morning Koichi." She gave a drowsy smile and looked down at her breakfast plate.

"One of the girls in the village just had a baby. She was older then you...but my mom is good friends with her grandmother and so they wanted to give you some of her clothes to tide you over until you can pick up some yourself." Koichi smiled uncertainly, not sure how Hoshiko would take the idea of hand me downs. "Your Grandma put a few dresses in your room, I think. Maybe you could try one on if you like."

Silent for a moment, Hoshiko considered the offer, and despite the fact that she didn't entirely like it, she forced a smile. "...Uh...Thanks..." And quickly went to picking at the food on her plate.

Ace watched Hoshiko for a moment and happened to notice that her plate was devoid of sausage. Being the incorrigible carnivore that he was and feeling sorry for Hoshiko, he picked up one of his own sausages and held it out to her.

"Here, have one of these." The creature's voice was definitely Ace's, so there could be no denying it, even with whatever doubts Hoshiko might have had before. Now, she was certain. The humanized beast reached across the table, only to find his hand met by Samuel's, which quickly jerked the piece of meat from his hand and tossed it back onto his plate.

Hoshiko actually pouted. Surprisingly when the sausage had gotten close enough to her, Hoshiko actually sniffed the air with interest, which was incredibly odd considering the girl hadn't eaten a bite of meat in her entire life. But just like that, Samuel reminded her of that fact, and though she was glad that he was standing up for her, she felt rather disappointed.

"She's a vegetarian, stupid."

Ace made a face. "Well I'm sorry. She has teeth for vegetables _and_ meat, so that doesn't make sense to me."

"Shut up and eat your breakfast." Samuel sat down next to Ace, across from Hoshiko. "Sorry... He's a bit... well...lacking in human etiquette."

"Hmmmmm, that actually smells good." Hoshiko smiled sheepishly in Ace's defense.

Koichi couldn't help but laugh a bit at Hoshiko's interest in the meat. Leaning his elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand, Hoshiko's father smiled at her. "Yeah, well, that's part of the weird cravings that pregnancy gives you. Just resist it, I mean, you don't have to stay vegetarian if you don't want to but..." The man shook his head with a smile.

"Oh? Heehee, I didn't realize I'd get cravings..." Hoshiko's cheeks went red but then she took a sip of the hot water and herbs Koichi had placed out for her.

"Don't forget the vitamins." He pointed at them sitting on her napkin.

"I won't."

Samuel rubbed the back of his neck nervously, feeling a bit strange at having been wrong in defending Hoshiko's tastes against Ace's manners. "Well, I guess Ace's manners aren't so bad then." He laughed. "And even if they were, it really has been a few thousand years since he last 'ate dinner at the tables of kings' and 'danced with everyone at the royal ball.' Well then. I suppose we should cut him some slack."

Ace sighed and paused in the feast that he had resumed while Samuel had been talking. "Boy, if you go around telling everyone stuff like that, it will have been pointless for me to even bother with this transformation. I'm doing this so that we can go in amongst the human population with less suspicion now. They've seen too much of a certain Wulfspade, and that's not good for me. There _are_ monster hunters out there, you know? They would pay a pretty penny to tie me up and take me away, and sever my head. You're just lucky Hoshiko and Koichi are very trustworthy."

As Ace started eating again, clearing his plate a second time, Samuel put a single bite in his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and spoke. "Well, I wasn't planning on telling the universe. But I feel like Koichi and Hoshiko deserve to understand the situation, don't you?"

Ace grunted and in between licking his fingers mumbled, "Sure." He looked down at his empty plate and frowned at the absence of food.

Hoshiko replied, turning to Ace and Samuel after having swallowed the last of her vitamins. "Wow Ace, I never knew you could uh...be...human." She smiled. "Although you might want to work on the licking your fingers thing...that's kinda gross..." Hoshiko picked up her fork and started to eat slowly.

Ace, resting his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand sighed at last and glanced at Hoshiko, accepting that he probably wouldn't be fed anymore. "Technically, I'm certainly not a human." He pointed out casually. "But, with the power of the Medallion I have discovered that I can look quite the part, but I'm one hundred percent monster, as it were. Kind of disappointing, really, but I will never _be_ human even if I wanted to be. I can only appear as such. But appearances are everything sometimes, am I right?"

"Sometimes." Samuel agreed. "If you're trying to impress somebody. But I assure you, you're not going to be impressing Hoshiko even if you _do_ look like a human."

"Well I don't see why not." He glanced at the girl with a smirk.

Samuel smacked him on the back of the head. "You being a monster is one good reason. Another is that you're not exactly a _man_."

Ace frowned. "Using the same excuse twice isn't fair."

"It's not the same, and I think you know it."

"Just because you're a monster expert and boast an understanding of biological mechanics doesn't mean you can go around flaunting it at my expense. For all intents and purposes, I am a man."

"Not really."

Ace sighed. "I don't think Hoshiko or Koichi for that matter are interested in just _how_ unusual I am." He looked over at the two. "Please excuse Samuel. He's a nitwit sometimes and his rambling is ceaseless."

Samuel smacked Ace on the back of the head again. "I have another good reason Hoshiko wouldn't be interested in you.

"Not related to my gender I hope?"

"She's not interested in _anyone_, remember?"

Ace sighed again. "Fair enough. I concede defeat. But that doesn't mean that I am going to refrain from being a pleasant gentleman to her."

"Pleasant gentleman means incurable flirt." Samuel pointed out to Hoshiko and Koichi.

Ace quickly changed the subject. "I will no longer lick my fingers, Hoshiko, if it bothers you so. But I wonder how I'm supposed to clean my hands—"

A napkin fell on his head, dropped from above by Samuel, who was getting up to clear his dishes. "And when you're done you can stuff it in your mouth. It keeps the words from coming out."

Hoshiko smirked as she watched Samuel and Ace exchange. She couldn't help but find the dynamic between them humorous, and it seemed even funnier than when Ace looked like a monster.

Koichi was less amused, only because he didn't completely understand. To him, none of what Ace said really made much sense, but Hoshiko seemed fine with it, and Samuel—although prone to bickering—didn't seem bothered either. Koichi decided not to question the situation further. The man just wanted to work at accepting everything that Hoshiko knew and did. After all, she had been through enough stress and interrogations in her life from the other half of her family. So instead he looked at Ace and his empty plate.

"You...uh...need more?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"_Is_ there more?" Ace sat up straight, looking very, very hopeful.

Samuel heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. "He'll eat until you stop feeding him, Koichi. Might want to quit while you're ahead. Ace isn't starving."

The Incarnus made a face nothing short of a pout, and slumped down again. "If you didn't always ruin my fun, maybe I'd like you more." He protested.

Samuel raised an eyebrow and cast a sideways glance. "No thanks. I think you like me enough." He laughed, and went over to the sink with the empty plates.

Hoshiko stood up, wanting to help him. She gathered up her own half-empty plate and noticed Ace looking at her while he struggled with the napkin, cleaning each finger clumsily. Without resisting compulsion, Hoshiko added her own touch of humor to the breakfast table conversation before it could fully die away in the silence. Taking up a glass of water that had been left over, the girl poured just a little over Ace's head with a small laugh as she went by to put the glass into the sink. Ace jumped, startled, and touched the top of his head in surprise as a cool trickle ran down his cheek. He mopped it away abruptly and stared at Hoshiko in shock.

"Water helps." She noted with a giggle to the bewildered monster, gesturing towards the napkin that he was holding crumpled in his hands. She moved back over to check the table for more dishes. "And Samuel was right; I'm not interested in anyone! And don't forget it!"

Ace nodded soberly.

Seeing that the table was cleared, Koichi smiled as he stood up. "Thanks guys, I'll take care of the dishes in the sink."

Looking at the group, Hoshiko forced an awkward smile. "I guess I'll go and try on one of those dresses on." And with that Hoshiko ushered herself into her room to change out of her temporary, now thoroughly wrinkled and slept-in clothes.

As Hoshiko left, Koichi grabbed a chair and brought it over to where Samuel returned to sitting. Easing himself down the man looked at Samuel expectantly. "You...had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Leaning back in his chair with his arms folded, Samuel nodded slowly. "Yes, sir," He ignored Ace, who in the background was trying to dry his head with the napkin, bothered by the water on his scalp. "You see, I know that Hoshiko is going to want to come with Ace and I when we leave. And I know that she probably should stay here and rest, but she's not the kinda girl who's gonna want to do that. So I was wondering if it's okay if she comes with us. If you really wanted, you could join us to take care of her if she needs it but... I feel like I have to warn you... Things are gonna get really...dangerous and I don't want you or Hoshiko to get hurt."

Ace looked up and sighed. "Samuel... I told you... It's not a good idea to bring Koichi into this. It's not something a doctor should just up and—"

"Ace. He has a right to know what could happen to his daughter, and he has a right to have a say or to join us. Especially now that she's carrying his grandchild... Besides, if Koichi joins us, that means that he can offer first aid if anyone needs it. And I'd be willing to bet you we're _all _gonna need it."

"This guy is a doctor, not a daredevil. If we take him to face Hart or anyone else for that matter, he's liable to get hurt."

"If he has pokémon, he'll be okay as long as he can run, jump, climb, and swim." Samuel glanced at Koichi, "Whaddya say?"

Exhaling slowly as he wiped his hand across his face, Koichi watched Samuel for a moment, not saying anything for quite some time. "I...had considered this all night long." He started, a distressed look on the man's face. "But I hadn't realized what kind of...danger you...three face..." Hoshiko's father wasn't only completely bewildered, he was now worried out of his mind.

"I had promised myself I wouldn't ask questions." Koichi seemed to be talking more to himself then to Samuel for the moment, and yet at the same time he was speaking with the young man. "I had resolved myself to trust Hoshiko's judgement and know that she would keep herself safe..." Closing his eyes and looking pensive the man wasn't sure what to do now, completely torn between his daughter's life and the life within her or the girl's freedom.

"...I said that I wouldn't keep her here if she didn't want it. Because no matter how much I want make sure she's safe, make sure her child is safe, get to know my daughter more in the time of her life where I can actually help her, and even if my heart aches at the idea of letting her go again and not wanting to lose my precious child, I knew that Hsohiko had been cooped up for too long. She learned to resent her mother and sisters for keeping her from what she wanted the most, and now I'm left with the same decision...and it's damn hard." The man's shoulders drooped. "I would love to say I could come...but from your ideals I doubt I'd make it that far. I'm a bit of an eccentric, unpredictable and I certainly don't look before I leap...but I'm getting older now...and I wouldn't be able to withstand whatever it is that you're doing." And looking down at his hands, Koichi didn't want to say the words.

"...Of course, Samuel. If Hoshiko wishes it...she's...free to go..." The man swallowed hard, feeling a lump in his throat that threatened to bring tears in its wake.

"But please, if you don't mind, tell me at least a little bit of what might happen...please..." His eyes opened to look at Samuel. "And please, I know you already have but I must say it. Please protect her, Samuel. Protect her and her child. Even if she was to live and lose the baby, that would be it for her. No other children. It's important that Hoshiko's child is healthy and so is she. I'm sorry if this is a big request but I'm already being an irresponsible father...I have to do something to make my guilt just a little less..."

Samuel sighed heavily. It was hard for him to hear Koichi speak and know he must be suffering. The father's love for his daughter was strong, and Samuel knew it had to be painful for Koichi to speak any of this. The choice to let Hoshiko go, knowing she'd be in danger was something even Samuel wouldn't have wanted to do. But he at least could be with her. He hadn't exactly expected Koichi to follow them, but secretly he had hoped it. It would have meant they were a little safer anyways. But he knew the doctor probably wasn't equipped to handle what they would be facing. Sometimes he wondered if he himself was.

"I have to be honest with you, Mr. Koichi... I don't fully know what all could happen. But you saw some of the things she could face. She's already had her arm broken, been shot, and been battered mercilessly under my watch... We're fighting monsters...of all vicious sorts...and human beings who may as well _be_ monsters. We're traveling through very harsh landscapes and not really knowing what's ahead in the next moment. It's a day-to-day existence...and it's tough. I can't guarantee Hoshiko's safety..."

Samuel hung his head. "But I can guarantee that I will continue to do my very best to try and protect her. I just couldn't go off and leave her with Osamu though... I had to give her a better life somehow. She wants to be free... But if you choose to keep her here than at least I can know that she won't have to suffer abuse every day of her life. At least she'll have someone who loves her to watch over her." He sighed.

"Samuel is right..." Ace stood up slowly from the table and walked over, putting his hand on Samuel's shoulder. "We can't lie to you. There is a chance that if Hoshiko comes with us you won't see her again. But we would not allow any harm to befall her if there was any means of preventing it. The decision is yours... and it's not an easy one... But we do pledge to take care of her to the best of our abilities if she comes with us..."

Koichi looked away. "My parental instincts are telling me to keep her here and not to let her go...because she's my child and I want to protect her to matter what..." But looking at his hands, it was obvious this wasn't an easy choice. Despite his reservations of trying to stay strong and being the eldest human in the ground he hadn't want to cry. But slowly Koichi found himself wiping away tears and trying to get his words straight.

"She's already had so much taken away from her." He choked. "As a child the tradition of the Kimono Family took away her freedom. And Osamu, the worst of all, took away her innocence and choice to become a mother. Leaving her mentally and physically scarred for life. He removed her option for the rest of her carefree teenage years. Having a child at seventeen is nothing a young woman needs to go through, especially not Hoshiko...On top of that he took away her belief in the love a man and woman can share." And running a hand through his hair the man shook his head slowly.

"What do I stand to take away from her by keeping her here? I stand to take away her freedom once more and destroy her trust in me...that's too much of a risk." Looking up at Samuel, Koichi sighed heavily. "If I hadn't been there when she was shot, Hoshiko surely would have died...but I was there and she's here now...and I know if I was to keep her here and she lived forever, Hoshiko would miserable...but at least if I let her go with you...although I might not...see her...again..." The man was obviously broken up.

"I want her to be happy Samuel. I don't want to take anything else from Hoshiko because of my own selfishness. Please, she can go...You have my blessing to take Hoshiko with you." And looking away he wiped away a few more tears.

"There's a radio transmitter on the counter there. I use it to communicate with the remote villages I travel to...Take it so that if you need me at any time you can contact me, I'll come, it doesn't matter where you are. I can use a pokémon to get there." He swallowed hard. "...I...would like to deliver the baby...if Hoshiko will let me..."

Samuel glanced over at the counter, as did Ace, and then they exchanged an unspoken word. Samuel nodded, and Ace walked over to grab the radio, lifting it carefully from its place and bringing it back to his master. As the weight of the radio fell into his hands, Samuel felt the outer shell of it and clung to it as if it were some sort of lifeline. Indeed, this was almost as good as taking Koichi with them. Perhaps it was better, in some ways. Nodding slowly, he moved to speak once more.

"Thank you, Koichi. You have my word that we'll protect her, and I will contact you whenever we need you. You won't be left hanging and wondering what has happened to your daughter." He paused. "You should contact us once in awhile too. I'm sure hearing your voice would delight her."

"No. Thank _you,_ Samuel. There isn't anything that I can do to repay you for everything that you've done for Hoshiko. Like I said before," Koichi stood, placing a hand on Samuel's shoulder. "I owe you my life."

But before Koichi could say anything else, Hoshiko emerged from her bedroom, wearing one of the smaller dresses that she had been given. It was fitted across her chest but everything down from that flared out pretty nicely. It was a light cotton and very feminine. Actually it didn't look so much like a maternity dress, rather a cute fashion statement. Not to mention Hoshiko didn't mind that it was short. She had enough of long Kimonos in her lifetime and liked the freer feeling of this outfit.

Hoshiko had been in the room quite a bit longer than it would take to get changed, and oddly enough Samuel's scarf was wrapped right around her head so that no one could see her hair.

"How do I look?" Hoshiko smiled sheepishly at her friend, Ace and Koichi.

"Absolutely ravishing." Ace's rich voice spoke out first. "It suits you very nicely indeed. I dare say it may even be the prettiest thing I've seen you in yet, and that's saying something."

"Hehehe." Hoshiko smiled at Ace. "Why thank you." The girl replied coyly and then she looked at Samuel with a bit of a smirk.

Samuel rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement. "It's cute, Hoshiko. I like it. You did your hair different too I see. Any reason?" Samuel slid the radio into his bag.

"My hair? Oh that. Well. I just thought I'd try something new."

There was an impish look on her face as she reached back to the knot in the scarf and undid it. The red material fell away softly and she folded it gently between her fingers as her hair tumbled down across the back of her head. Hoshiko's new, shorter hair cut hung just above her shoulders, and although Hoshiko wasn't professional and the cut looked a bit messy and uneven in some places, it really suited Hoshiko and her personality.

Samuel chuckled, amused by Hoshiko's do-it-yourself hairstyle, and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Oh, by the way, I talked with your dad. He says you can come with us." Samuel smirked, known that was probably exactly what Hoshiko wanted to hear. "And he gave us a radio. No more getting stranded with no way out for us." He laughed. "Do what do you think? Are you ready for adventure or would you rather stay here where you can sleep in in the mornings and nobody will force you awake?" The young man grinned mischievously.

Hoshiko smirked back slightly, but then forced a serious expression. The girl just had to have a bit of fun. Looking at Koichi for a second before Samuel would notice, Hoshiko winked at him, hoping he'd understand.

"...Well, I dunno, I've been thinking about it and I have to be really careful because I'm pregnant now and life is...kind of different for me or it's supposed to be anyways..." She played with her fingers, looking sad and nervous. "...Maybe after I have the baby...maybe then I could come with you and Ace because I don't want to lose the baby, Samuel..."

Samuel was caught off guard. Ace raised an eyebrow in surprise too, but he didn't say anything.

"Wow... Well I..." Samuel laughed a bit, "I honestly didn't expect that." He rubbed the back of his neck, but managed a smile. "You're right though... the baby needs to come first."

At last Ace chimed in. "Absolutely. And if anyone knows the danger, it is I. I think you would be much safer and happier here, Hoshiko."

Samuel sighed. He was actually a bit disappointed at the idea that Hoshiko would stay behind, but he knew that Ace had always encouraged the girl to remain behind. He didn't feel it was right to drag her along on this journey, and Samuel could understand why. It was just that he didn't necessarily agree. Slowly reaching back into his bag, he pulled the radio back out and looked at it quietly.

"I guess I won't really be needing this then..." He said slowly.

Behind Samuel and Ace stood Koichi, who was shaking his head at Hoshiko with a little smirk on his face. He couldn't believe how she was tricking Samuel. A hand on his chin he couldn't help but look at his daughter with a bit of a reprimanding smile.

Hoshiko couldn't help herself though, but she felt a deep pang of guilt as Samuel started to take the radio out of his bag, quickly the girl went over to him and placed both her hands on the radio, starting to push it back into his bag.

"Why would you want to get rid of that radio?" Hoshiko smirked. "I want you to radio Koichi when I'm ready to give birth. I doubt any of us could do a very good job of delivering a baby." And at that, Hoshiko locked eyes with Samuel, wanting to see his reaction. "I mean unless you or Ace want to try your hand a being midwives."

At first, Samuel was deathly confused. He stared at Hoshiko with nothing but a blank expression on his face, trying to figure out what she was talking about. After all, how could they help if Hoshiko was going to stay behind?

Ace on the other hand, caught on right away. A slow smirk crept over his features, and he slapped Samuel on the back. "Tell you what. If you don't feel like calling Koichi, I'll do the honors of midwife, just because it's more suiting to me. Would that make you feel better?"

Looking up at Ace, Hoshiko smiled, realizing that he had gotten the joke, but Samuel hadn't, and in a way Hoshiko felt bad for actually playing such a nasty trick on her friend. But it had to be done; they always had fun with each other. Samuel blinked several times, shaking his head.

"Wait... What?" He looked at Hoshiko, but finally it dawned on him. "You're coming with us after all?" He tried not to sound hopeful, but when the words escaped his mouth he realized how pitiful he must have been.

Hoshiko threw her arms around her friend in a hug, laughing happily. "Of course I'm coming!" The girl had a huge, wide smile on her face to accompany her joyous laughter. "I wasn't going to let you go out there yourself and get into a ton of trouble without me to save your sorry hide, Samuel Oak." And looking at him now with a smirk she continued. "After all, I still have to make sure you keep that promise to the kids in Olivine, and now that I'm pregnant all that means is that _both_ of us will make sure you keep your promise."

Samuel blushed in surprise and embarrassment at the fact that he had actually fallen for Hoshiko's little trick. It took him a moment to hug her back as he recovered from his confusion and shock, but finally he managed.

"Hey wait a minute." He said finally. "Save _my_ hide? Hah. I'll probably have to save _yours_ more than you save mine, Miss Hoshiko."

"Oh no, you don't know that!" Hoshiko shook her head and with a mischievous look the girl punched Samuel in the arm. It was practically a custom now, and she was feeling more like her old self now that she'd had a good sleep in a safe place and was dressed comfortably and fed well enough. The old memories still lingered of course, like monstrous shadows in the back of her mind, but she could ignore them when faced with her friends' contagious joking. "If anyone needs saving, it's going to be you! Don't convince me otherwise or I may not come." Hoshiko threatened with a laugh.

"Now, now." Ace interrupted with a warm laugh. "We all know I'll be the one doing the most saving."

Samuel slapped Ace's shoulder, then shook out his hand, which stung from the metal of the shoulder plates. "Dangit." Samuel laughed and hissed through his teeth."

"See? You can't even pat my back without hurting yourself." Ace snickered.

"Augh, I wasn't. I was gonna give you a right good smack cuz you deserved it."

Ace laughed again and looked at Hoshiko. "What did I do?" He asked, innocently. "I don't think I did anything wrong at all."

Hoshiko looked up to Ace. "Oh pssssssh, you're not as innocent as you act!" She wrinkled her nose at the humanlike beast, still laughing.

But Koichi had to get in on the fun, if even for a moment. "Hehe, if there's going to be a hero in this group, let it be the doctor, okay?" The man reached from under the counter and pulled out a compact white case. "Or at least let it be the first aid kit." He approached the three and went to pass it at Ace since Hoshiko and Samuel were hugging again.

"...Hahaha!" Hoshiko squeezed her friend tightly, "You should seriously know I wasn't going to let you go anywhere without me!" She was obviously tickled pink at the prospect of more traveling, even if it was a dangerous adventure.

Ace took the first aid kit and let his arm drop to his side, waiting patiently for Samuel who didn't seem too eager to release his hold on Hoshiko. The young man felt a thump on the back of his head as Ace used the first aid case to test the thickness of Samuel's skull.

At once, the young man released Hoshiko and spun around. He jumped to grab the case away, but Ace had faster reflexes.

"I'm making sure it works!" Ace insisted, pushing Samuel away with his free hand. Through short breaths, Samuel panted while still grabbing for the case and trying to smack Ace's hand away.

"First aid is supposed to be used to cure injuries, not to cause them!"

"Exactly." Ace grinned smugly. "But since you don't have any, how will the first aid kit be useful unless I give you some?"

"Hey!" Hoshiko looked at Ace with shock, seeing her grandmother's cane leaning against the counter near where they were standing. With an impish smile, Hoshiko grabbed the cane and whacked Ace twice, finding it hard not to laugh at what he had done.

Ace let out a yelp of surprise and backed up. Although the blow had been absorbed by the edges of his crowning helmet, he was quite startled. Completely unharmed but stunned that Hoshiko had actually attempted to strike him, he made a face and whined helplessly, covering his head as if he expected to be assaulted all out.

With eyes wide though, Koichi went over to Hoshiko and took the cane from her, which wasn't hard as the girl started to burst with laughter.

"Ace deserved it!" She said between her hysterics.

"No one deserves to be whacked with anything!" Koichi said exasperated. "I thought you three were supposed to work together!"

"I agree with Koichi." Ace whimpered. "I most certainly didn't deserve that. What did I ever do to you anyways? I mean...that wasn't an accident."

Samuel rolled his eyes and finally took the first aid kit from Ace, tucking it in his bag. "You're such a big baby, you wuss."

"But Hoshiko wasn't supposed to hit me." Ace whined. "She's my friend."

"And I am...?" Samuel raised his eyebrow.

"Cruel to animals."

"I'm not your friend so long as you hit Samuel!" Hoshiko muttered, looking at Ace with a bit of annoyance. "You can stay my friend as long as you don't hurt Samuel." And with that Hoshiko turned to Samuel and looked at his head. "Is your head okay?" She asked, sympathetically.

"I'm fine. Not even a bump." Samuel rubbed the back of his head with a short laugh.

Making a face and trying to slink away before anyone could assail him anymore, Ace was suddenly captured in the crook of Samuel's arm. Caught in a headlock, he was subjected to a surprise noogie that, although it didn't hurt him any, ruffled him up good. He pushed Samuel away, and Samuel smirked at him teasingly, but didn't say anything.

Eying the group, Koichi shook his head with a slight smile. It was obvious that Hoshiko was happy, and all of the pain he felt from letting her go seemed to be miniscule compared to his joy over seeing his daughter finally happy and carefree.

"You know, you guys. My mother isn't as forgiving as I am about Hoshiko going..." He looked out the window. "I don't want you guys to leave...but...I think it would be best if I broke the news to her myself." He smiled knowingly.

Hoshiko looked at Koichi with a bit of regret, running over to her father and embracing him tightly. Koichi returned the favor and kissed the top of Hoshiko's head.

"Don't worry, whenever you need me, I'll be here." He said gently, holding Hoshiko closely. He could tell she was ready to cry.

Turning back to Koichi after flashing Ace a wry smile, Samuel sobered and put his hand on Hoshiko's shoulder.

"Thanks a lot Koichi. We really appreciate it. We'll be in touch for sure. And now that we have this radio, Hoshiko's an awful lot safer than she was before." He looked at Hoshiko, and although he knew it was an emotional moment, he also knew it would be good if they left before Hoshiko's grandmother showed up.

"Come on..." He said gently. "Make sure you have everything you need. We'd better get going."

Hoshiko turned her head to look at Samuel as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Y-You're right..." Of course, the girl still wanted to come with Samuel and Ace, but it was a tough decision to leave her father after only having less then a day with him. She knew she was going to miss Koichi. Reaching up, Hoshiko kissed her father on the cheek.

"I love you." Koichi smiled, kissing her forehead and then letting the girl go.

Hoshiko blushed and smiled up at her father. "Love you too—" And then turning to grab her bag from her room, Hoshiko hesitated. "—Dad." And before Koichi could say anything she dashed into her room to get her things.

Koichi didn't need to say anything; the look on his face spoke volumes about how it felt to finally be referred to by Hoshiko as her father. And since Hoshiko was back in her room, Koichi dug into his pocket and handed Samuel a folded piece of paper.

"That's the list I told you about, detailing what to expect from Hoshiko and how to care for her." He chuckled, reaching into his pocket once more and took out some money, giving it to Samuel also. "You guys might find this helpful too, and maybe you can use it to get Hoshiko some brand new clothes for me. No more hand-me-downs." He smiled at Samuel as the boy gratefully took his gifts, and no sooner did Hoshiko emerge, ready to go.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road, boys!" He stepped back away from Ace and Samuel and waved them off.

"Thanks Koichi."

Samuel laughed and saluted him, turning around and starting to walk for the door. He noticed Hoshiko, then, and he glanced in her direction, distracted. He wound up accidentally bumping into Ace, who quickly snatched Samuel and gave him a noogie in return for the one he'd received. Samuel flailed, but laughed upon being released.

"You're such a jerk." He batted Ace away.

"Much obliged." Ace gave him a mischievous grin. "A little punk like you needs one of those around to put him in his place now and then."

Samuel shook his head with an amused roll of his eyes and waved back at Hoshiko for the girl to follow. "Come on! Your dad gave me a list!" He laughed. "Now we're invincible!"

"A list?" Hoshiko questioned with an eyebrow raised in confusion as she followed along with Samuel, making sure that the entire time as Koichi stood at the door she waved to the man. "Bye!" The girl cried out one last time with a smile on her face.

"Goodbye!" Koichi called, fighting the instinct to run after her.

When she finally turned away, Koichi closed the door and went to the kitchen table, pondering everything that had happened. Taking his own radio into his hands, playing with it a bit, he imagined what sort of news he might get transmitted to him.

Outside, Hoshiko turned to Samuel. "What kind of list?" She asked at last.

Turning to Hoshiko, Samuel smiled. "Oh, it's just a list of all the things to watch out for. Things you might do to me when you get cranky because of your pregnant self." He sneered.

"A list of _what_!?" Hoshiko looked at Samuel's hand, practically mortified at the idea. Quickly the girl went to swipe the list away but just as soon as she had, Hoshiko was bent over, holding onto her stomach and whining. "OOoooooooooooooooohh, I feel so siiiiiiiiick." She groaned, not straightening up for quite some time. And once the girl had she was too embarrassed to look at Samuel.

The young man had stopped walking and looked back with concern for his friend. He watched Hoshiko worriedly until she seemed able to walk by herself again, and then slowly started on once more.

Still embarrassed, Hoshiko thought of how she might change the subject—anything to get her mind off of the nausea. She then realized that Ace being in human form gave them a transportation hitch. The girl tilted her head, looking at Ace.

"You can't cart us around anymore..." She thought for a moment, but not too long. "Hanu could take us around."

"Ingenuity." Ace smirked at Hoshiko, looking at her from the corner of his eye as they walked. "I like it."

Samuel laughed. "You're just glad you don't have to carry us."

"That's true too. Honestly you two are such a pain to drag here and there. I'll have back problems for the rest of my life thanks to you."

"As if you even noticed us when we ride you."

"Well, I notice all of the _talking_ and incessant _whining_."

"That's you, mostly." Samuel grinned mischievously.

With one hand on her stomach and another grabbing Hanu's pokéball out of her bag, Hoshiko released the massive monster to break up the playful argument.

"...Hanu...can you take us three wherever we need to get to?" She asked softy, to which the pokémon responded with what could be perceived as a happy and mild roar.

Hoshiko was pleased but still too embarrassed to look at Samuel, so with red cheeks and her hands back on her stomach the girl groaned to herself, muttering something about how irritating the sickness was getting.

"Did you take your supplements today?" Samuel chuckled as he approached Hanu and petted the serpent's thick scales.

Ace did the same, before hopping up onto Hanu's back and pulling Samuel up with him. He reached down to help Hoshiko too, pulling her up so that she was actually in front of Samuel and Samuel was squeezed awkwardly between her and Ace. The Incarnus seemed rather amused by Samuel's protesting and discomfort, resting his chin on Samuel's shoulder to peer forward at Hoshiko.

"Yes, I took the morning sickness blend." Hoshiko complained, as she was hoisted onto Hanu's back, holding tightly onto the head of her pokémon.

"Promise us that you'll try not to be sick while we're flying, because honestly that would be tragic for everyone involved, including the people on the ground." Ace spoke up, almost merrily.

Samuel's palm pressed flat against Ace's face, as the young man tried to push the Incarnus back and make him sit up straight. Ace did not feel like obliging, and seized Samuel's wrist, bopping Samuel on the head with his own captured hand.

"Ow. Cut that out." Samuel grunted.

"You're lucky I didn't bite you." Ace smirked. "I can be quite vicious."

"You bite me and I'll bite YOU."

"Try it." Ace laughed, smacking Samuel with his own hand again before ironically snuggling his neck.

"If you two don't stop bickering, I _will_ be sick! And not because of the baby either!" Hoshiko shook her head, shaking a fist at both Samuel and Ace.

Samuel groaned and grabbed Ace's hand with his free hand and started trying to pry Ace's fingers apart. "You're gonna make us all fall off and die if you don't shape up before we take off. And in my humble opinion, you should hold Hoshiko in your lap, facing you, so that if she does become ill, you'll be there to help clean it up."

Ace released Samuel's hand. "You are way too serious when Hoshiko is involved."

"Actually it's mostly because death could be involved if you keep goofing off while we're in the air."

"I wouldn't let you _fall_." Ace rolled his eyes.

Looking back accusingly at Ace, Hoshiko's eyes narrowed. "You'd better stop bugging people. Remember whose pokémon we're on! I can tell Hanu to throw you off and he'll listen to me." Hoshiko stuck her tongue out at Ace, and then petting Hanu on the head, she spoke to the pokémon in a quiet murmur.

"You go wherever Ace tells you to." There was no way Ace could have heard her.

The Incarnus sighed and closed his eyes with a look of defeat. "Well I'm not bugging anyone anymore. It's time to get serious anyways. But any lack thereof was entirely Samuel's fault."

"I wasn't the one beating me with my own hand. And you really should sit up straight. You'll cut off the blood supply to my brain."

"Oh Pshaw. Your brain goes without its blood supply for days at a time thanks to your silly scarves." Ace smirked and kept his eyes closed, casually waving his hand. "Anyway, we need to head to the museum at Pewter. Although this medallion entrusts me with significant power when combined with that of the Mark, it is quite dangerous for me to keep... Eventually it could infest the very depths of my soul and...Samuel knows how dangerous that can be."

Samuel winced. "Could it really turn you...back?"

"It could..."

"Alright then." Hoshiko said, not entirely sure if she wanted to know what Samuel and Ace we referring to. "We're going to Pewter City in Kanto, Hanu!" Hoshiko smiled as the pokémon rose and started to roar as he headed for the skies, going into the direction of Kanto.

Once hey had gotten enough height, Hoshiko turned back to Samuel and Ace, reaching back over Samuel and shoving her hand in the monster's face. "Now, leave Samuel alone! Otherwise you'll induce the wrath of a pregnant woman! You'd better read hard over that list Samuel has, because I'm sure violent mood swings is on there somewhere." She flashed a smirk at Ace. "I won't stand for people bothering Samuel!"

Ace's eyes popped open the instant he felt Hoshiko's hand in his face, and the Incarnus sat up abruptly, surprised. Samuel burst out laughing. "Good shot, Hoshiko. Maybe now I'll be able to feel my arm again."

"Oh, you were just fine." Ace grunted, but he seemed to be a bit more relaxed now, and not as riled up.

Samuel put his arms around Hoshiko to keep from falling off as they rose into the air, and Ace did the same to Samuel, looking down at the ground and seeming somewhat pleased that for once he didn't have to do any of the work. His thoughts seemed to be drifting, and he spoke them out loud as they rose up over the mountains.

"I should wear the Mark even now... But the force of the pure energy combining with the darkness from the medallion takes a toll on my body, weakening me substantially. Although it allows me a certain mastery over monsters, to a degree that I do not normally have, it is very painful... But not wearing the Mark...that too is dangerous. It allows the darkness a firmer grasp upon my essence."

"As long as you don't feel the need to open any gates to the dark world, I think we're okay." Samuel said after a moment.

"As of yet, no." Ace assured. "But I can tell that the power of my inner being is growing very powerful. Even Dialga and Palkia noticed it. I believe that is why they fled with Hart."

At the mention of Hart, Hoshiko's whole body went tense and she looked down at her hands. "Hart..." She pondered his name, just the thought of him made her nervous. After all, he had been the one that commanded she be shot. That could happen again. But Hoshiko kept the thoughts to herself although it was obvious she didn't like the topic by how rigid her frame was.

"Hart has Dialga and Palika?" Hoshiko asked, knowing of the pokémon by her extensive knowledge of legends involving pokémon. "...That sounds incredibly dangerous...and I don't understand all of what you guys are saying...but as long as nothing...bad...happens to Ace then I think we'll all be okay..."

Her voice wandered with her mind. "At least I hope we will." It was like all of the adrenaline and excitement had washed away and Hoshiko realized the weight and reality of what her choice to travel with them really meant. Even if she didn't regret it, right now it was more than a bit scary.

"As long as we get to Pewter quickly," Ace began, "And make sure the medallion is protected and away from prying hands, I'll be alright. The darkness that resides in the medallion has the power to control me, much as it did the rhyhorn that nearly killed the both of you, Hoshiko. That is why I am concerned. I have a holy object called the Mark. It is a weapon that I have used many times to help me seal the gates. It is the same item I used to send that rhyhorn back from whence it came." Ace laid his head down against Samuel once more, this time tired and in deep thought.

Samuel stared straight ahead at Hoshiko's hair. "And yes, Hoshiko..." He continued for Ace. "Hart has Dialga and Palkia. Technically they don't belong to him, but they are following him and aiding his cause so that he will aid theirs... But...how did you know about those two?"

"It's simple, Samuel. Even though Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus were given form during our visit to Arcanine Mountain, they have power over time and space itself. They have already gone back in time and intricately woven themselves onto the history of the world... Meaning that they have existed for hundreds of years—Arceus for thousands upon thousands—even though they were all just born."

Samuel was stunned, and he turned his head to look at Ace. "But... how can that be?"

"Arceus was born in the fires of Mt. Arcanine." Ace explained. "Or at least that body of his was. He is darkness incarnate...the one with power over all monsters. My creator and theirs. He _is_ the demon king. He birthed Palkia and Dialga to help protect the gate that he opened in Orre. They were the reasons that I could not stop it from being opened. They were the reasons I nearly died..."

Samuel swallowed nervously. "And after that...they went and rooted themselves in the past. So now their beginning isn't really where they began..."

"Precisely." Ace nodded slowly with a quiet sigh. "It's fortunate that they haven't gone back and attempted to alter the outcomes of past heroes' endeavors. My only assumption for why they have not done so is because the outcome already favors them... Because the heroes failed to make the final effort that would have saved everyone. Every time."

Samuel chewed his lip. "So that's how Hoshiko would know about Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus...they're a huge part of history and legend now..."

"That's so strange..." Hoshiko looked back at Samuel and Ace. "If they were born then, it seems so incredibly weird that I could remember something that never existed. It feels like I've known about them since I was young, just like the legendary birds..." The girl shook her head truly bewildered. "But if that's truly the power that Hart has behind him right now it means that we're dealing with a man who is ten times more dangerous then he ever was..." Hoshiko leaned her head back, accidentally hitting Samuel in the face. "S-Sorry..." Hoshiko said apologetically and yet absent mindedly.

* * *

As the time passed and Hanu flew at quite a decent speed, Kanto came into view surprisingly quickly beyond the mountains. Over the stony ridges, a soft glint hailed the drifting crew. Pewter City, at the moment, only looked like tiny white model buildings and colored ants going back and forth on the streets. Hoshiko breathed soft relief at the sight, and she knew that the medallion was going to be safe, along with Ace.

Samuel looked down over Pewter as Hoshiko did, and he stared at the large white marble building at the back of the city. It looked inviting, especially after what Samuel now realized was a long ride, and after having meant to drop by here so many times before without actually being able to.

Ace scarcely noticed that they were approaching. In fact, as they landed, Samuel came to realize that Ace had actually fallen asleep. A rare occurrence for the monster who usually was ready to keep watch well into the wee hours of the night. As Hanu came in close and touched down on the ground though, Samuel balanced himself and looked over at Ace.

"Hey." He said, jostling his shoulder a bit. "Wake up...we're here."

Ace opened his eyes slowly and looked around, a little disoriented at first but soon alert enough that he was able to sit up. Samuel laughed at the dazed look on Ace's face.

"Morning, Beautiful."

Ace sneered and commented snidely. "Morning, Prince Slightly-Less-Than-Charming." He slid off of Hanu and stretched his arms and legs, looking around with interest at all of the people shuffling about around them. "How exciting." He almost warbled with delight. "To be among humans and them none the wiser. I wonder if they will be having any parties anytime soon." He rubbed his hands together hopefully.

Hoshiko watched, a little bit surprised at Ace. She eyed him for a moment but quickly decided that she herself wanted off of the pokémon's back, and managing with less ease then usual, Hoshiko slid off of her gyarados' back. Starting to pace as she got her feet on the ground, she worked on getting blood flow back to her feet. "Agh! I don't like riding for that long anymore..." She sighed, turning to Samuel after he had gotten off of her pokémon's back. At once, she recalled Hanu to his pokéball.

She then looked back at Ace, who seemed to be eagerly scanning the crowds for a chance to mingle. Hoshiko sighed.

"I honestly don't think they'll be having any parties. But either way, we have to go to the museum before we do anything else. Getting that medallion into a safe spot sounds like a first priority to me. And _then_ we can start to look around. Sounds reasonable enough, right?" The girl kept on pacing back and forth and back and forth, rubbing her stomach gently.

"Hoshiko's right, Ace." Samuel shook his head. "I know you're all excited to get in on the fun and whatnot, but let's go to the museum first. Try not to get distracted."

"Yes of course." Ace sighed and turned to face the large white building that they had landed in front of. The grand steps loomed in front of them, inviting them on a long walk to the entrance of the museum. Ace decided to take the lead, and made his way up the climb in front of the other two. He appeared quite confident and quite pleased with the very idea that he could just waltz right inside without people stopping him.

One of the guards even said "Good Afternoon" to him, and a delighted Ace nearly sang out "And you as well, good sir!"

Samuel covered his mouth and stifled a laugh, unable to help himself. He glanced at Hoshiko and shook his head in sheer amusement. "This guy...he just gets better and better." He jerked his thumb at Ace.

Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh, and the girl shook her head, just thinking about how he had been acting. "I don't understand. He was much more refined as a monster." Hoshiko looked at Ace's back as they all stepped in through the massive glass doors at the entrance. She smiled at the guard with a nod of greeting.

"I've heard that before!" Ace called back to Hoshiko. "To be honest it gets frightfully dull being treated like a monster. I do enjoy a break from it now and again, and I discovered long, long ago that humans get to have _all _the fun, really."

Samuel smirked. "Well, I've seen him be quite the joker before even as a monster, but never quite so much. It seems almost as if being a human has emboldened him and awakened some of his inner strangeness."

A girl at the front counter waved as they moved past, and she greeted them with a great big welcoming smile on her face. "Hello! Welcome to the Pewter City Museum! Is there anything that I can do to help you? Please, just ask!"

Ace slowed down at the front desk and leaned on it with his elbow, grinning mischievously at the receptionist. "Why yes," Ace smirked, "It seems that I don't know your name, which is quite a shame considering that you are such a fine and very obviously intelligent woman. Working here at the museum is quite scholarly. I must say I'm impressed."

Running her palm across her face, Hoshiko groaned in embarrassment. Samuel came up behind Ace and smacked him upside the head.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." He rolled his eyes and turned to the girl at the desk. "We could use some help though."

Ace frowned at Samuel and then sighed and nodded, quickly though somewhat reluctantly becoming more serious. "If at all possible it would be wonderful if we could speak to the museum curator..."

The woman had been eying Ace warily, as if she was prepared to call security at any moment, but once he backed off, she was a lot more comfortable. Her smile returned brilliantly.

"Well, you're in luck." The receptionist beamed. "The curator just happens to be in right now!" And picking up a phone, the woman said a few words into the receiver and then told the three to wait.

It wasn't long before a tall, slender woman wearing glasses and a tightly pulled back blonde ponytail approached Samuel, Hoshiko and Ace. She watched them with a gentle smile, but it wasn't as friendly as the previous woman's had been.

"Hello, it's so nice to see youth interested in the museum here, but is there something that I can help you with?" She seemed to think that the fact Samuel and Hoshiko were interested specifically cute. After all they were considerably young to be asking for the curator of a Museum.

Ace glanced at Samuel and the young man gave the monster a fierce glare, suggesting if he tried anything stupid he'd be in trouble. Obediently, Ace stepped forward and simply bowed an elegant and elaborate bow to the curator, practicing the manners of a time long past.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ma'am." He said, gently taking her hand to kiss it, before standing up straight and tall.

A little it shocked at Ace's dramatic greeting, the curator took a step back and nodded to him respectfully with a slightly humorous and yet serious smile. "I see. Well it's a pleasure to meet you too." She glanced at the three as if to ask their names and Hoshiko was the first to oblige.

"I'm Hoshiko, this is Samuel and him—" Hoshiko pointed at Ace with a giggle. "Well, that's Ace."

"How very nice." The curator smiled again, but looked them over expectantly.

"My friends and I are pleased to be here," Ace assured, "But rather than a tour we actually have something we would like to give you. It's an item of legend that we discovered recently in the mountains."

He reached up around his neck and removed the pendant that was hanging there. "A medallion, said to have the power to control any pokémon. It's a Johto legend that it was forged by a young hero to seal away darkness." He looked down at it. "I am afraid though that, as it is very old, it is going to need very special care."

The lady replied, but before she would say anything else, the medallion caught her eye and what Ace had said made her raise an eyebrow. "That's an incredible artifact you have in your possession." She came closer to it and analyzed the medallion with a careful eye. "You're donating this?"

Hoshiko nodded on behalf of the group.

"Absolutely amazing." And standing up straight the woman looked at Ace. "Of course, I imagine that it requires very special handling. But please, tell me what you know. We are skilled here at the Pewter City Museum and have the more updated and technologically advanced methods of taking care for our precious items, but if you know something of specific interest for this artifact I would love to hear it."

Ace slowly folded his fingers back around the medallion and let his arm drop to his side. "Because of the nature of this object, it's going to need to be placed in your most secure location." He paused. "I doubt that it truly HAS the power to control pokémon," He lied, "But it is the legend that will draw people to it. Legend also says that it is a very dangerous object, not meant to be handled by human hands. I suggest, for the sake of maintaining the legend and just in case, that you ensure nobody touches this once it is in place."

Ace seemed a bit nervous as he went on. "I want it to be put behind glass and all other security mechanisms you have, and it should be attended by a guard at all times. I would also like to be the one to put it in the display for you, if you don't mind. It may be an unusual request, but I have a great deal of interest in keeping this object safe. As long as it will be better protected here than with myself, then I will be delighted to donate it." He paused. "I'll elaborate a bit more on the story behind it if you would kindly show me where you might wish to keep it."

"Mm, of course, I understand completely." The woman nodded at Ace and studied the medallion for another second before waving for the three to follow her. "I'll show you our safest room. Right now we don't have any other artifacts there but we've been saving it for something of great importance." The lady nodded with a pleased look on her face and led the group to the upper level of the Pewter Museum. There, there was a room with a widely opened entrance that appeared to be a metal gate drawn up into the ceiling. For now, it was open, and it had no other door so that people could enter and exit freely. In the center, around an empty, locked up podium, there were red stanchions keeping people out.

"It's not activated right now but this room has the highest security of the whole museum, and it would be easy to have guards placed so that no one would be able to reach the item." She moved the separators so that their little group could enter. "Fitting accommodations, don't you agree?"

A hum of satisfaction came from behind Ace, and it was clear that Samuel approved. Ace was a little less impressed, but he did seem to relax a small amount. He honestly didn't like the idea of putting the medallion anywhere where he couldn't keep a close eye on it now that he'd found it, but he knew that taking it with him would be disastrous at best.

At least if it was here, locked up tight, nobody would take it. He worried about the effect on local pokémon, but he figured it wouldn't be in the museum long enough to do any real damage. After all, the leak in the medallion's seal was small, and nothing to be overly worried about in the immediate. It had only done drastic damage to Mt. Arcanine over hundreds of years.

"This certainly seems like it will do..." He admitted, looking around and walking the perimeter of the room slowly. "I suppose you will like to know the legend, so that it can be printed on a plaque for viewers to read when they come to see this."

He stopped walking and looked down at the strange piece of jewelry in his hands. It's flat, silver body seemed rather unlovely, except for the elemental stones studded around the central jewel that seemed to swirl with energy.

"Legend says that there was once a sword belonging to a great hero who conquered many lands and freed many people with its blade. It was said to be a blessed sword with supernatural protection imbued in its steel. But one day...the hero passed away while defending his homeland. He passed the sword on to his only child: a girl who grew up to be named the hero Loto."

Ace rubbed his thumb over the strange gems in the surface of the piece. "Loto was sent forth in her own time to defend her homeland as well...this time from monsters which emerged from the depths of which no one knew. The blade slew many monsters, and helped to give Loto the power to journey into a world of darkness where monsters were born. There, she encountered a demon king with such terrible ferocity that the only way to defeat him was to slay him with the holy sword and seal his spirit inside so that it could be destroyed in the fires of Gaia along with the blade itself. But alas, while Loto managed to ensnare the demon king's soul, she could not bring herself to destroy the heirloom of her father. So instead she plunged it into the stone at the gate to the world of darkness, and she used the power of a heavenly being to secure the gate tightly."

Ace took a deep breath. "But that was not the end of the demon king or the blade. Thousands of years later the seal on the sword became weak and it broke, allowing the darkness to seep from within. The item was discovered by a young man named Tarn, who took it upon himself to find a way to seal the darkness away more permanently. He melted the blade down in the flames of the mountain he found it in and molded it into a pendant, which he bound with a blessing from the angelic entity that first sealed it.

It is said that because the medallion contains the soul of the entity that gave birth to all monsters, it has the power to control them. It's become quite a tale. And quite a piece of lore for such a small object. But they say that if human hands touch it, it can overtake their soul." Ace laughed nervously. "So I think this is quite the piece for quite the remarkable museum, don't you?"

"Thank you for sharing all of that with me," The curator murmured, somewhat stunned. "You're quite versed in legends and history. I've only heard hints of the existence of such an item before, and never any of the details." The woman watched Ace with much interest, and she took the liberty to lift the glass casing off of the pedestal. Holding it in her hand she moved over to the security system, pressing a few buttons.

"If you don't mind, putting it on that pedestal would probably be a good idea. The security system will lock this room down with invisible sensors." She motioned to the pedestal and waited for Ace to put the medallion there. "I'll call for security as soon as we're done in here." She smiled warmly at the group. "Honestly, I don't know how to thank for this. This is quite the extraordinary donation, it must be the most valuable item historically that we're going to have at the Pewter City Museum."

Ace smiled and bowed his head, walking over to the pedestal and placing the object very carefully on the cushion. He was reluctant to release it, but he knew that the longer he held onto it the more it would overcome him. He had to let it go. Stepping back and away from the medallion, he nodded to the curator.

"It's all yours. Do take good care of it." He paused and extended his hand to shake hers. "It is my pleasure to bestow such a piece of history upon one of the finest museums in the world. The Pewter Museum is so highly trusted an organization, I knew this would be the perfect home for the Medallion."

The woman quickly went and placed the glass casing lid over the medallion and then ushered the group out of the room before she turned and shook hands with Ace.

"Please, it's an honor and a privilege to have an item such as this in our Museum. Without the kindness and generosity of people like you, we wouldn't have a Museum at all." She smiled gently at the group.

"I just can't believe how incredible this day has been! What luck for the Museum." She nodded. "Please, feel free to come by any time, free of charge. You are our honored guests."

Samuel grinned hugely. "Oh wow, cool!" He beamed from ear to ear, and reached out his hand as they were offered free passes. Thrilled beyond measure, he tapped Ace on the shoulder. "Good job, dude."

"Gee, thanks." Hoshiko laughed sheepishly as she held out her hand and took her own pass card. "That's pretty cool, and now I get to see Pewter City again!"

Ace blinked but smiled a friendly smile and took his own pass, tucking it away. He knew he'd be back eventually and hopefully with the Chosen. With any luck, it wouldn't be too long from now. Until then, he didn't plan on coming here, but he showed gratitude just the same. At last, they said their goodbyes, and Ace turned last, following Samuel as the young man started to lead the trio out of the museum. They went back down the red-carpeted staircase and through the front door, into the open air.

* * *

Pewter City stretched out before them as they stood looking down on it from the top of the museum's numerous front steps. Ace was excited yet again at seeing all of the people, and he put one arm around Hoshiko and one around Samuel, walking between them as they descended.

Given the chance to look out upon the bustling city in front of them, Hoshiko smiled to herself. It had been quite some time since the girl had been in Pewter, and things had changed a bit. Or at least they appeared to have gotten surprisingly smaller. Then again, when someone visits a place as a child, everything seems to shrink after they come back much taller then before.

"Ah, Pewter City." Ace said aloud, putting his head on Hoshiko's shoulder and lifting his hand just a bit to gesture over the crowds. "Can you just imagine what sort of business all these people have? How exciting it must be for them to go to picnics and parties and challenge gym leaders and go in and out wherever they feel like going? And we can go there too!"

Samuel wrinkled his nose. "Let me guess, you really want to go to all the places you can't normally go and do things you can't normally do because if you did them looking like a monster you'd be booted out."

Ace lifted his head from Hoshiko's shoulder and put his chin on Samuel's shoulder so that he could speak into his ear. "Why yes, if you don't mind. I think that would be delightful. You must bear with me and remember that as a monster, I don't always have the liberties or capabilities size-wise that you two have. _Please_ understand that. I promise I won't cause any more trouble if you just let me have some fun for a little while. There's sure to be all sorts of great things to do around here.

"I'm sure there's plenty of places for you to visit, Ace." The girl looked at him, shaking her head with a smile. "Um...how about we go to a restaurant or something? You're not usually allowed in places like that. Or head to a store and do some shopping!" Hoshiko laughed gently. "I love shopping, but then again I'm a girl, so I would." She considered the prospect of Ace searching through a store for anything and couldn't help but find it funny.

"Other then that...um, there's the Gym. Haven't been there for quite some time, it's probably changed since my last visit. But even if you couldn't battle the Gym Leader sometimes it's fun to watch the matches." And as they reached the bottom of the steps, Hoshiko shrugged. "I'm not much of a tour guide though, so you should pick what you want to see, Ace. What do you suggest, Samuel?"

Samuel laughed. "I bet Ace could beat the gym leader if I just loaned him Petra. But I don't know how she'd feel about taking orders from him since they're usually on a team together." He lifted his hand softly rapped on Ace's helmet.

Ace just laughed. "Oh no, I don't want to fight in any battles. I would _much_ rather go look at human clothes in a real store! I could stand to get up to date on what people these days are wearing, you know? I bet there are a hundred thousand things to see, and all of them unique. Why, people make their own styles all the time! Take you and Hoshiko."

Samuel skeptically raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, Ace. Your already have a style. It's called 'Clown in Armor Descending a Staircase.'" He cracked up as they stepped in among the people walking the streets and talking. "And if you're worried about being unique, it definitely is."

Ace pouted. "Well I know that. I probably wouldn't buy anything either, but couldn't we just look? It wouldn't hurt anyone, and I never get to go in to places like that."

"What, pray tell, would you do? Just take everything off the racks?" Samuel laughed. "I don't think they'd appreciate that."

"I'd put it back." Ace frowned. "But what if I find something...absolutely enchanting to wear? Like that!" He pointed to a guy walking by with a loose Hawaiian shirt in bright tropical colors.

Samuel grabbed Ace's hand and pulled it down. "It's rude to point. And you would seriously _wear_ something like that?" Samuel chuckled at the same time Hoshiko said:

"_That_ shirt?" Hoshiko looked at Ace skeptically and then shrugged. "To each their own I guess." The girl smirked and played with her hair. "I think I proved that well enough!"

"This I gotta see." Samuel sneered. "But if you wear something like that you're gonna have to wear jeans." Samuel elbowed Ace.

Hoshiko smiled and nodded as they all walked side by side. "I like the idea of shopping. It's always so much funner than just walking around or watching people battle. Maybe I can find some stuff too."

With that, the trio strolled out of the museum district together and followed the bustling main roads through the city. Pewter was settled safely in a mountain valley, and the peaks rose up around the tall buildings like a cradle. Rows of houses nestled into the sloping valley trough looked out over the beauty of downtown, and from the center of it all, Hoshiko and Samuel could see everything rising up around them with the mountains. Well past the museum, small shops bustled on the same block as a Pokémon Center, where the line for treatment went out the door and all the way down the street. Many of the trainers in line looked exhausted and worried as they held their injured monster companions. All of them were either travelers from the south, having passed through the treacherous Viridian Forest, or they hailed from the west, having struggled through the depths of the even more perilous Mt. Moon.

It was best to leave those people to themselves, and Samuel and company moved on across the white brick streets and towards a peaceful park amid the man-made splendor. The park rose up on a hill, a lookout point in the wake of a few trees and the company of lush, well-cultivated butterfree gardens that awakened the city with vibrant colors. The outer edge of the park was nicely fenced in so that children playing there wouldn't run into the streets, and around the edge ran a bike path. Samuel and his friends walked along the path until they reached the opposite end of the park, where another housing district stood with their backyards opening up towards the green.

It wasn't long after that before the little group hit a commercial strip and located a store that would be suitable for all of them. Hoshiko led them in, obviously taking the head of the shopping expedition as the cool smell of musty air conditioning hit them in the face.

"We should be able to find everything that we're looking for in here." She explained, starting to browse the nearest racks of clothing for teens. Despite the fact that she was growing, it wasn't a problem to find clothes that would fit her. Taking Samuel's arm she pulled her friend over to the rack gently. "What do you think would look good?" Wanting to see what Ace was picking out though, Hoshiko glanced his way for a moment with small laugh.

Samuel made a face as he was being pulled between the racks of clothes, not so much into the idea of shopping as his companions were. He tried to show interest in the clothes, but the only things that fascinated him were the hats and the jackets, which he observed in silence for the most part. He did notice colorful arrays of scarves, which he felt rather tempted by, but few other things caught his attention.

"Well... What do you like?" He asked Hoshiko, not noticing that Ace seemed to be having difficulty figuring out which clothes were suitable. He seemed to be taking multiple things off of many different racks to look at them, not taking into account style or anything else other than size. When Samuel finally did happen to look the monster's way, the young man's eyes widened. "Oh boy..." Samuel sighed and rubbed his head. "He's gonna leave this store with mounds of clothes to put away."

Hoshiko was about to pull a few items off of the rack when she turned at Samuel's bemoaned concern and looked over at Ace. The girl shook her head. "Samuel, I think he needs our help more then I need new clothes." Putting back the items that she had chosen, Hoshiko led Samuel over to where Ace was looking through the clothes and looked at him with her head tilted.

"Need some help Ace?" She couldn't help but laugh slightly, though out of the corner of her eye, something caught Hoshiko's attention. A display of baby clothes and different accessories for mothers and their newborn babies stood across one of the aisles from them.

Samuel glanced over Ace's pile of choices and raised an eyebrow. He then noticed where Hoshiko was looking. "Take a peek at those baby clothes." He suggested. "I'll see if I can't give Ace a hand."

"Um...Okay." Hoshiko smiled nervously, still a bit sheepish at the idea of actually having a baby, and slowly the girl made her way over to the area of baby clothing. Looking at the cute little outfits for children she took a few in her hands to take a closer look at them and smiled at how sweet they were.

Samuel leaned against one of the racks, looking at the bundle in Ace's arms with thoughtful amusement. "Hey dude...First rule of thumb: You _might not_ want to pick things up just because they're pink and yellow like your armor." He grabbed some of the outfits from Ace and laughed. "As funny as that would be to see you go out in public like that, I just can't bring myself to torture you that way." He burst out laughing and dragged Ace out of the women's clothing and into the section for men. He reached for a pair of jeans. "These are much more suiting than tights, my friend." He laid them over Ace's shoulder, then grabbed his friend and pulled him towards a rack of button up men's shirts. Among them were Hawaiian shirts and shirts with fireworks patterns.

He picked one out and handed it to Ace. "You might like that. It's nice and baggy, okay? You're gonna want to make sure you pick out things like that."

He noticed a blouse in Ace's arms and shook his head, snatching that from the monster too. "As for this, no ladies clothes."

"A tunic?" Ace blinked.

"No, it's a blouse. This is a thousand years later. You shouldn't wear anything form fitting unless you want to attract a lot of attention. Try something more like..." He pulled up a white t-shirt and a jean jacket. "This sort of thing."

Ace took the clothes and looked at them. "You think these look nice?"

"Well," Samuel shrugged. "You have to put them on first."

"But...I wasn't gonna buy much..."

"Well you don't have to buy it to try it on." Samuel crossed his arms. "There's a fitting room over there." He pointed. "Why don't you try some of those on. But you'll have to take your armor off. I can hold onto it for you in my bag."

Ace didn't seem to approve, but he nodded after a second. "Alright, I'll try. Come on." He grabbed Samuel's arm and started dragging him off.

Across the store, a woman—who was apparently very pregnant by the shape of her stomach—approached Hoshiko. It must have been her second or third child, after all she wasn't a young woman anymore and just appeared to be a mother in general.

"Are you looking for something nice for your sister?" The woman asked with a pleasant smile on her face, picking up a little sweater with pokémon stitching.

Hoshiko bit her lip and eyed the woman for a second. "...Uh..."

"Oh? A friend? Your mother maybe? Are you going to have a new baby sister? I can help you pick some things out of you like." She kept speaking, but Hoshiko's face just kept going redder and redder. Slowly the girl set down the clothing that she had been looking at. But she just couldn't find it in her heart to be rude to the woman after she was so pleasantly talking with her.

"No..." Hoshiko started slowly. "They're for _my_ baby."

The woman laughed slightly. "Isn't that cute? You're already planning on having a family! Hehe, well don't rush it dear; you've got plenty of time to have children."

"...Well, no, not really, I'm already pregnant..." Hoshiko sounded hesitant.

The woman fell completely silent, unsure of what to say but then her shock turned into a slightly disgusted look. "But you're just a child! How could you be so irresponsible? Hasn't your family taught you any values whatsoever?" The woman advanced toward Hoshiko with a look of scrutiny. "Honestly, some girls have no respect for their bodies..."

"But I..." Hoshiko didn't know what do say. Her eyes were slowly starting to fill with tears, and she went to turn away, but the woman took her shoulder and turned Hoshiko back.

"Now you listen to me, you...you...well, you little tramp." And quickly the woman started to lecture Hoshiko, but the girl couldn't listen; she was too busy crying and trying to wipe her tears away.

"Please listen to me! It wasn't my fault..."

* * *

From inside the fitting room, Samuel could hear Hoshiko, and she sounded very upset. Turning around and hopping up on one of the seats inside the stall, he peered over the top to see what was going on, leaving his bag laden with Ace's armor sitting on the floor.

"Crap." Samuel grunted. "Looks like someone is giving Hoshiko a time of it. Honestly... I oughta go over there and smack that woman. I would too, if she wasn't pregnant and she wasn't...well...a woman." He jumped down and sat in the chair, looking at Ace in frustration. "Come on, hurry. It doesn't take _that_ long to button a shirt. I knew I should have stayed out there..."

"Well I'm sorry." Ace sulked as he fumbled with the buttons. "I don't have many fine motor shills. You don't develop them much when you're a wolf...or a dragon...or a bir-"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." Samuel stood up. "Here, let me help you, but then you have to hold my bag while I check on Hoshiko, okay?"

Ace let his hands fall to his sides as Samuel came over, and he obediently and patiently waited for him to finish buttoning the shirt. Samuel took a step back and blinked.

"Well it's not bad. We'll have to let Hoshiko decide." Samuel opened the door and hurried out. He walked swiftly to the baby section, coming up beside Hoshiko protectively. The woman was still chewing Hoshiko out insistently, not letting the girl get a word in edgewise.

"Don't you understand the responsibility behind having a child, young lady!" The woman was scolding her as if Hoshiko was her own child, but the poor girl in front of her was crying her eyes out, trying not to make a scene in the store. "I have daughters that are much older then you, and they haven't even considered having children yet! That's the way young women are supposed to act, not running around doing whatever the please with whoever they darn well feel like."

"I'm trying to tell you, it wasn't my fault..." Hoshiko mumbled softy.

"A likely story!"

"Excuse me." Samuel interrupted with frustration as Ace followed close behind him, a bit self conscious and looking around restlessly for another mirror. "What's going on out here?" He asked the woman who was tormenting Hoshiko.

The woman looked enraged but was distracted as soon as Samuel came over. She looked at him just as irritated and she had at Hoshiko. "Do you know this girl?" The lady practically shook Hoshiko by the shoulder, but the young woman was too busy feeling bad to even say or do anything. "Honestly, I can't believe that a child her age is pregnant. Complete disregard for the value of human life. Girls who run around like her need to be sent to correctional facilities, Next thing you know she'll end up like some diseased animal."

That was the final straw, Hoshiko didn't say or do anything, but she stood there crying and sobbing, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. She glanced up at Samuel hopelessly and choked out a few pitiful words. "Samuel...I didn't mean to cause a scene..." Hoshiko felt bad that what was supposed to be their shopping trip had turned into this. She certainly didn't want to spoil it for everyone, but now she simply couldn't cease the flow of tears.

Samuel stepped forward and glared at the woman. "Now you listen here." He snapped in Hoshiko's defense. "Hoshiko is _not_ some diseased animal, and she doesn't go around recklessly doing whatever she feels like! But you wouldn't know that now, would you? Because you apparently have the brain of a shrew and can't do anything except jump to ridiculous conclusions and judge people on a whim!" He raised his voice as he became more angry. "FOR YOUR INFORMATION, WOMAN, This young lady has been abused and mistreated, and her culture married her out to a man she didn't even love. She had nothing in her power that she could control, and if you ask me, she's being VERY responsible by considering the baby's life over her own and KEEPING the baby in the first place! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" Samuel growled. "Women and people like you in general disgust me! Now get lost. We don't need to see your sorry ass around here anymore. Mind your own business and worry about your own personal problems before you go around worrying about everyone else and telling them how to live their lives!"

"Samuel..." Ace came over calmly and gently laid his hand on his master's shoulder. "That's enough...I think you've made your point..."

Samuel glanced over his shoulder at Ace and frowned, but opted not to say anymore as the Incarnus came over to Hoshiko and put his arms around her to try and comfort her.

"Hey..." Ace said softly. "Don't let people get to you when they don't know the whole story...it just shows their ignorance...it's not a reflection of you..."

Absolutely appalled at Samuel's outburst towards her, the woman released took a step back. "I have a good mind to call the security on you, young man!" She shook her head. "I've never been so insulted in my life. How dare you say such things about your elder? Haven't you any respect?" But she didn't wait for Samuel to answer, obviously too offended to even stay in the store, the lady stormed out in a huff leaving all of the things she was considering purchasing.

Hoshiko was still sobbing, this time into Ace's chest, but his words didn't seem to comfort her, all the things that the woman said had hurt her so badly and reminded her of how Osamu had treated her and of what he had done to her that the vivid memories in her mind returned sending her entire body trembling. And she couldn't help but feel bad for Samuel, who had gotten so stressed over the whole situation.

"...T-Thank you Ace..." Hoshiko said weakly, but broke away from the Incarnus' hug to go to Samuel, this time finding some comfort in comforting her friend, She wrapped her arms around the enraged Samuel and buried her wet face into his neck. And although she was still trembling, Hoshiko forced herself to form sentences.

"...Samuel...t-thank you...you...were so kind...to do that...for me...I'm so sorry I ruined our...shopping trip...I didn't mean...to..."

Samuel's shoulders seemed to relax a little once now that the older woman was gone and he felt Hoshiko's arms around him. He glanced down at the girl and blinked a few times as his rage began to slip away.

"You didn't ruin anything." He grunted. "The good for nothing loudmouth did. None of this is your fault, and you shouldn't be ashamed." Ace hung back for a moment, feeling a little inadequate to help the situation. He stayed quiet for just a moment to let Samuel talk.

"Eh...but I'm not a fan of shopping anyways..." Samuel said after a moment with a dry laugh, "So not to worry." He gave Hoshiko a firm pat on the back. "Why don't we forget about that horrible woman and concentrate on the slightly more happy things...such as Ace's shirt." He snickered and pointed to the rather colorful article of clothing. "He just HAD to have something with pink in it, so we made a compromise and got him one of those colorful tropical flower shirts like the one outside." He smirked a bit, obviously hoping to cheer Hoshiko up but not sure if it would work.

Ace shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and tried to strike a pose that said "sexy male model" but he utterly failed and just made Samuel laugh, despite himself.

"You are SUCH an idiot and now you look the part."

A wash of color flooded Ace's cheeks and he looked down at himself, slightly embarrassed. "I dunno. I sorta thought it looked good." He laughed.

At first, Hoshiko didn't feel like raising her head from the crook of Samuel's neck, feeling too afraid that someone else would be around to accuse her for something that she hadn't had any control over. But as Samuel started to explain the shirt Ace was wearing, Hoshiko realized that she hadn't noticed it when Ace had given her a hug and so glanced back at him for a moment. Despite her tear-stained cheeks and her trembling body, Hoshiko couldn't help but crack a small smile. A few sputters of laughter crossed her lips, although she controlled it, seeing that Ace was already self conscious.

The floral print was bold—orange, yellow, and pink flowers among thick, dark green palm leaves splayed out over a light pink background. The shirt was oversized and hung very loosely on Ace's body. Underneath, the collar of a plain, tan t-shirt dipped just under his chin. The large blue jeans around Ace's waist completed the baggy look, and without the helmet crowning his head, Ace's thick white hair hung in slightly tousled ribbons around his jaw.

"No, I think it looks good." Hoshiko smiled at Ace, hoping he might feel more confident in his clothing choice, even if Hoshiko personally found it to look a little funny. "You guys did a good job picking out clothes for Ace." She replied softly, still getting over the initial trauma of what the woman had said about her. "Now you fit in with everyone else." The girl tried to encourage Ace from her place with Samuel. "I have to admit that armor was sticking out a bit..."

Ace smiled a bit, still looking very sheepish. "There now, you see, Sam? I look _normal_."

"Normal in what way?" Samuel laughed. "Naw, you look fine. And just remember what I showed you about clothes, okay? Do that and you'll fit right in."

"Sure." Ace laughed. "Though I do miss my armor."

"Don't worry, I still have it, and you can put it on if you need it again. For now though, how about I buy that stuff for you?" Samuel smiled helpfully.

Ace grinned in surprise. "You really would do that for me?"

"Of course. Go on to the front counter and I'll be there in a sec."

Ace just smiled bigger, and hurried off. Samuel shook his head in amusement and glanced at Hoshiko. "Why don't you pick something out too?"

Hoshiko was hesitant at the mention of finding some clothes, she didn't want to go off on her own again and have someone else gang up on her. After all, she was less than a week from having escaped her tortured life and Hoshiko was still fragile mentally. "...I guess..." She said softly, lifting her head from Samuel's shoulder and letting go of the hug. She didn't want him to think that she was being too sensitive or childish about the encounter. "Yeah, yeah I guess I'll go find something quick and then we can...get out of here..." Hoshiko nodded, slowly walking over to the girls section once more, finding a rack without any people crowded around it. Quickly she scanned the clothes pulling out a pair of shorts that would fit her and a top to go with it, much like her previous set that she could no longer properly wear. Along with it, Hoshiko found another more casual dress that she could actually grow into a bit, a pair of pants, and a couple more shirts that she barely looked at and just grabbed. Who knew when they'd get to another clothing store? Even if Hoshiko didn't feel like shopping, she had to think ahead.

While Hoshiko looked, Samuel stayed close. He never let Hoshiko out of his sight, and always stayed within range that if someone approached her, he was instantly at her side again. He did take a moment to grab himself one of the jean jackets that he'd been looking at, and some more scarves to fuel his addiction. He also picked up a couple of very plain t-shirts just to wear under his vest. He still desperately needed to change, and this would give him a chance. He finished before Hoshiko and returned to her. He told her he'd be at the counter helping Ace, and it wasn't long before Hoshiko too had everything she felt she needed. Quickly Hoshiko made her way to the check-out where Samuel and Ace were.

"...I-I'm..I'm done looking." Hoshiko said as she approached, a lot less vibrant in her personality then she would have ever been during a shopping trip.

Samuel had already helped Ace purchase his clothes and the Incarnus was playfully flirting with the clerk when Samuel turned around to greet Hoshiko and see what she picked.

"Got what you want?" He asked. "I'll go ahead and ring it up if you do." He reached out to take the clothes and lay them on the counter, allowing the clerk to scan and bag them.

"Your friend is a very peculiar fellow." The clerk said with a laugh as she started gathering up Hoshiko's choices and scanning them.

Samuel just smirked. "Yeah, he is, but he grows on ya after awhile."

The clerk laughed, took the payment for the clothes, and handed the bags to Samuel. "Well thank you all very much. And take care of each other." She glanced at Ace and raised an eyebrow. "And keep that ol' scoundrel out of trouble huh?" She laughed, and Samuel did too.

"Don't worry, I've got my eye on him." Samuel put his arm around Ace and sneered.

Samuel handed the bags of clothing to Hoshiko. After putting her new clothes away, tucked safely into her travel bag, Hoshiko turned and watched Samuel and Ace for a moment, trying to force a smile on her face.

* * *

The three finally exited the store and re-entered the crowds, Ace quite pleased with his new attire and with the response he'd gotten from both the clerk and Samuel. He glanced over at Hoshiko, curiously. "Where would you like to go now?" He asked, aware that she was still upset and hoping to cheer her up a bit.

Although the girl was finding it very difficult to hide her emotions, she smiled weakly at Ace. No matter what, even if she was safe now, it was hard or near impossible to erase even just the mental abuse she'd been put through. Just the shock of being around so many people and the encounter with the woman in the store had just been too much for her to handle.

"...Oh, well, I'm not sure where we should go." Hoshiko looked around, trying to see over the heads of the people milling around them.

"...Why don't you pick, Samuel?" Hoshiko did her very best to sound cheery. "That way...it's kind of like a surprise..."

Samuel rubbed his chin in thought, but Ace gave him a shove. "Him? How come I don't get to pick? I'm the one who never gets to pick anyways."

Samuel put his hand over Ace's mouth and smirked. "Hush. You picked shopping. Besides, you'll like wherever we go." He looked around, and noticed a bunch of people heading over to the gardens overlooking the city. It took him a moment to realize that there was a group over there, setting up for a concert. _And_ there appeared to be food stands setting up.

"Duuuude...check that out." Ace blinked and looked in the same direction, tilting his head curiously. "What is that?"

"Live music." Samuel laughed. "How awesome... Let's go check it out." He gently grabbed Hoshiko and Ace by the arms and urged them along.

"Live music?" Hoshiko asked, looking from Samuel, over to where he was leading them. The girl was interested in the music, but in fact part of what had gotten her attention from the area was food. She was practically famished, which was strange for Hoshiko. "Can we get some food over there? I'm starving!" Hoshiko blushed at the idea of being so hungry, for being petite and usually having a small appetite it felt strange to be asking about food. "...I wonder what kind of music they're going to play." Hoshiko smiled, sheepishly.

"We'll find out." Samuel smirked. "And yes, of course we can get food. I know Ace is just _dying_ to stuff his face too."

Ace snorted and rolled his eyes. "As if you were immune to hunger."

Samuel grinned as they cut across the street and the bike path, entering into the grassy field on the wide hill. He came to a stop by the first in the line of stands. The smell of barbecue filled the air, as did the scent of fresh-baked pretzels and the welcoming sight of ice cold lemonade. Hoshiko was actually smiling a little more by the time they got over to the food and she ordered herself a pretzel and lemonade, offering to pay for the rest of their food as well. Ace didn't want a pretzel, but thanked Hoshiko anyway. And as soon as the girl got her hands on the food, Hoshiko started to eat, surprisingly a lot faster and a lot less daintily than she usually did.

Not all of the stands were serving food. As they strolled on, Samuel realized that some of the stands were from academic organizations working with the museum. Some of them even from schools and pokémon researchers. "Wow..." He murmured. "Look at that!"

Hoshiko stopped eating for a moment and tugged on Samuel's arm. "Let's go look. After all, if you're going to get that wish to come true, you'll have to go to those schools someday." Hoshiko laughed gently. "Or at least one of them!" With that said, the girl started to lead Samuel towards the stands with information about the school.

Samuel grinned and excitedly approached the stand, looking at the colorful fliers that were printed out. He took one in his hands and thumbed through it in awe. He'd never seen anything like it before in his life. A real honest to goodness educational program teaching about pokémon, and it wasn't a course about training. It was details about the monsters themselves. _That_ fascinated him. He gathered up more of the brochures and looked at the lady who was representing the school.

"Well hello there, young man. You look mighty excited."

Samuel blushed, "Well, yeah, I am. I enjoy learning about monsters. I spend a lot of time with 'em and I'd love to learn more."

"That's wonderful." The woman said. "Our program allows students to become researchers in categories such as breeding, physiology, monster management, environment and life cycles, and much, much more. Feel free to take as many different brochures as you like. It might help you decide what interests you most."

"Thank you." Samuel beamed. "I certainly will." He collected a large selection of the fliers and then started back towards the food stands.

Hoshiko couldn't help but smile at how excited Samuel was, and she made sure to mention something to the woman before they walked off. "He's going to be the greatest Pokémon Professor in the World!" The woman laughed encouragingly, as Hoshiko ran off, following Samuel.

Ace was already there at the food stands ahead of them, and he'd discovered the barbecue. The barbecue was apparently free, paid for by the schools, as Ace had discovered upon investigating. It was a fact that delighted him, and he'd already loaded up a paper plate and was eating off of it when the others arrived.

Samuel raised an eyebrow at the sauce on Ace's face. "Good grief, you are such a barbarian." Samuel laughed and then gave a bit of a sigh. "What am I going to do with you?" He smiled.

"Feed me?" Ace laughed, wiping his face with a napkin as learned in Blackthorn.

Samuel turned red in the face and shook his head, laughing a bit. "You eat too much as it is, Punk."

Ace just chuckled and held out his plate to Hoshiko. "Want some?"

Hoshiko blushed slightly. "Um...I don't meant to be rude, but I'm a vegetarian. Remember, Ace? It means I don't eat meat." Hoshiko laughed a bit, playing with her hair.

Ace shrugged, not offended in the slightest, and happily went on eating his meal.

"Who knows, they're barbequing a lot but they might have something over there for people like me." Turning to Samuel, Hoshiko pulled him over to get some food for them. "Come on, I'm sure you're hungry." Hoshiko stated. She stopped in front of the man dishing it out. "Do you have anything that...isn't meat?"

"We sure do." The man serving the food said. "Hey Mack, get the girl a soy burger!"

"One BBQ soy burger coming right up!"

"Oh, wow, thanks." Hoshiko smiled timidly as the man gave her the burger and then started to put some of the different salads onto a plate.

Samuel chuckled, and picked out some samples of food that appealed to him, pointing them out so that the server piled them high along with corn-on-the-cob and potato salad. Content with his selection, he carried his food over to a grassy knoll and sat down under a tree where he had a decent view of the band. Hoshiko followed, and Ace soon joined them, sitting in the grass right beside his master.

"Will they have dancing?" Ace asked as he munched on his own food.

"Good Legends of Old, I hope not." Samuel shook his head. "Heaven only knows what would happen then."

"Fine." Ace pouted slightly, quickly forgetting his misery when he put another piece of meat in his mouth. "I'll ask Hoshiko to dance instead."

"She is _not_ going to want to dance with you. You're insane." Samuel protested.

"I will be polite."

"Yeeaah, you'd better be." Samuel snorted. "Cuz if you aren't, she's gonna smack you good."

Ace wrinkled his nose. "Well...we don't even know what music they're going to play anyway. I have to know that first."

Hoshiko seemed quite distracted with her mound of food, but was watching the band set up and listening to Ace and Samuel with amusement. The first notes of music began to play, and park goers cheered in delight.

"I don't think I'm too interested in dancing." Hoshiko said after swallowing hard to get down some of the food she was obviously eating too quickly. "No offense, Ace. I just think I've gotten my share of dancing." She laughed slightly at this. "But there are plenty of people who'd love to dance, I'm sure. And I'd like to watch somebody dance for once!" Hoshiko laughed once more and then went back to her eating.

Ace perked up at the idea of other people wanting to dance, and he seemed very amused by the notion that Hoshiko would be pleased to watch him. He leaned back against the tree and finished scraping his plate clean, getting everything off of it that he could before setting it down next to him.

Samuel groaned in a very over-exaggerated manner. "Don't encourage him, Hoshiko. You have no idea how he gets."

Ace just laughed. "It's fun to dance." He insisted. "Perhaps the best part of my becoming human for a short time thousands of years ago was attending the Hero's ball, where everyone danced and sang and had the best time ever."

"Yes, you told me time and time again that you danced with everyone there, including the Queen _and_ the King."

"That's right, and don't you forget it." Ace chuckled and glanced at Hoshiko as if to see if she was impressed. "Why, I don't think there was one person there who wasn't delighted to dance with me. Honestly, people today are so uptight."

The first song ended, and the green fell quiet for a bit, except for the low hum of people talking. Then, the music suddenly started up in the garden, and it sounded like orchestral music, with cellos and drums, flutes and trumpets. Ace sat up excitedly.

"Oh my! What a refreshing tune." He glanced at Samuel hopefully.

"No." Samuel said bluntly. "Go ask someone over there." He pointed to the picnic blankets laid out all across the grass.

Ace hopped to his feet and hurried off to introduce himself to total strangers.

Samuel just chuckled to himself. "I'm sorry about him, Hoshiko. He's a handful sometimes, but even so... I wouldn't change him for anything. He may be the King of Monsters, but to me...well he's just Ace." Samuel smirked.

Hoshiko laughed as Ace got searched a reluctant crowd for a dance partner. She turned to Samuel, shaking her head in amusement and speaking before she went back to eating.

"What are you sorry for?" She smirked. "I like Ace the way he is too...and after all, between the two of us, we'd make a pretty boring lot without Ace to liven things up. I mean, we're okay and all but you and I are too normal. We need him to make sure we don't get too sane."

The girl poked at the food on her plate with amusement. "Because if we were sane I don't think either of us would know what to do with each other, Samuel." And turning her face back to the music Hoshiko's head bobbed gently to the sound of the music. "It's lovely music though, isn't it?" She asked, a content look finally on the girl's face. "I'm...sorry for being so down, Samuel." Hoshiko apologized softly.

Samuel looked over at Hoshiko in surprise. "Aww come now. You don't have to apologize. You haven't done anything wrong." He scooted closer to his friend and looked across the fragrant field of grass. He thought he could spot the pink and yellow hues of the Incarnus' island shirt in the crowd, and it appeared that he'd already found a partner and was leading her along in lively step, keeping up surprisingly well with the music.

"For being such an uncivilized galoot, Ace sure can dance. I don't even know where he learned but...dang." He watched quietly for a long moment before glancing at Hoshiko again. "The music really is wonderful." Samuel chuckled, tasting more of the food on his plate. "I just wish that I could get into it as much as Ace does."

He laughed aloud. There was truly nothing more wonderful than friends, food, and song in the fresh air.

"What is it like?" Samuel asked after another long pause in which he dined on his tray and watched his friend in the distance switching off between dance partners fairly regularly. "To dance for someone you don't even know?"

"I'm sure you could get into it Samu-huh?" Hoshiko was a bit shocked at his question, but in fact in actually felt good to have someone ask her opinion on her dancing. No one had ever done that before.

Setting her food down in front of her and placing her chin in her hands, Hoshiko watched Samuel, pensive for a moment. "Well, when I was young it didn't mean too much to me because I was always just dancing with my sisters in a group...but...as I got older things sort of changed. Now that I'm more experienced, I dance alone. At the Theater we'll go between tables singularly and dance for the people there. And sometimes they can hire you to dance for them personally, that way they choose their favorite dancer..." Hoshiko's expression turned a little grim. "With some people, it's actually nice to dance for them because I know they want to learn more about my culture and there's this excitement and wonderment in their eyes. They're discovering something new...but..." Eyes lowering to the grass beneath them Hoshiko shook her head.

"Other times, you can see in their eyes what they're thinking. Like when I danced for Hart. I could tell what he and his men were thinking of as they watched me dance and...well, it makes me feel more uncomfortable now then it did before...but even before all this stuff happened, it wasn't nice. To have men making passes at me and saying things I didn't want to hear. They were typical men, that's for sure, but it didn't make it any less unfortunate to dance for them...you wouldn't want to know some of the things I've heard Samuel..." Hoshiko glanced up at him for a second and bit her bottom lip.

Samuel looked at Hoshiko sympathetically and set his plat down for a moment, looking at her quietly. "Man...I feel bad now." He winced slightly. "Some of the things I said to you when I didn't recognize you in your dancing garb were...less than savory. I didn't mean any harm by it. I was just startled and... well... Things come to mind."

He looked away in embarrassment, remembering when Hoshiko had fallen before him and he hadn't known it was her or that she was hurt. "I'm as guilty as a lot of guys I guess... But I swear I didn't mean anything by it." He sighed. "It's no excuse though...to say things like that to a lady just because she's dressed up..." His shoulder slumped more. "I'm really sorry about that." He laughed weakly. "And I'm sorry for all in the...male species." He laughed a bit louder. "I guess we really are pigs sometimes." His cheeks turned red.

Hoshiko was quiet for sometime, her eyes shifted from Samuel to the ground and then back up to Samuel. "It's okay, Samuel. I knew you didn't mean anything by it at the time...so I don't honestly blame you for doing anything wrong. I...understand the different things that some people think about me when I'm dressed in my kimono. Although I honestly can't say I know why they think that way." The girl shook her head. "At first I blamed them..."

But closing her eyes and facing towards the ground, Hoshiko sounded ashamed. "Thinking about it more though, I've come to blame myself more than anyone." The girl started to play with her fingers, obviously feeling awkward. "If I didn't dance for them, they wouldn't be able to say anything at all or even think the things that they do. It's me, Samuel, not them who instigates the problem. If I wouldn't dance for them it wouldn't be a problem."

Hoshiko's eyes opened, but only into tiny slits, obviously feeling bad. "Even with Hart, he wouldn't have asked me to come away with him...he wouldn't have told me to remind him why life was good and called me his little angel...if I hadn't been there dancing. I know it's only a traditional dance and there's nothing meant behind it at all. Only tradition, respect and sometimes we even can tell stories through dance...but...it's become something terrible..."

"People like Hart...even like me make it terrible." Samuel protested. It's not your fault. The tradition and meaning behind your dances never changed, but the people who watch them do." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm scarcely inclined to believe in what Ace believes in, in its entirety but...sometimes it does seem like the human race is becoming more depraved, and sometimes its easier to blame some darkness seeping into their lives for it." He laughed nervously. "Or maybe we're just getting worse on our own and it would be nice not to take responsibility."

He shook his head, "But you know, even us guys don't know why we think what we do sometimes... It's not your dancing, Hoshiko... Guys will think what they think whether you dance for them or not..." He stared at her apologetically, "Don't blame yourself."

Hoshiko paused, looking up at Samuel and watching his face as he spoke to her. What he said was true, but for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that in some way it was her fault. However she wouldn't rebuff Samuel, because there was too much care in his words.

"...It's true, I have seen a general decline in humans...but in all the people I've met I have so say that you're the most genuine, Samuel. I don't care what you said before, that was a mistake. You've done so much to prove that you're a good person that I could never say anything different."

Stretching her legs out, Hoshiko placed her hands into her lap and shrugged. "And if men want to say rude things to me, let them. I've heard enough that I don't even listen to it anymore..." The girl smirked and tilted her head. "I'm only doing my dance. They may as well regret watching me because anything they say doesn't mean anything after I'm done dancing and head for another table..." Hoshiko wondered something for a second. "I wonder if Hart ever figured out it was me he was making passes at and looking at with such...well, looking at."

Samuel chuckled at the very thought. "You know, I don't know that he did. Maybe, but we may never find out." He snapped his fingers. "I've got it. Next time we see him, because I'm sure we will, you ask him yourself." Samuel laughed heartily. "That might throw him off enough that we can take him down anyways." Samuel leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. Then one eye popped open and he glanced at Hoshiko with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Does this mean you're not mad at me about the bikini thing either?"

Honest shock widened Hoshiko's gaze, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Me? Be mad at you? For the bikini? Gee, Samuel, I hate to admit it but I always thought that you'd be mad at me for that one...After all I was the who came out of the change room with it on. All you were expecting was the clothes I had shown you before." Hoshiko admitted with a nervous laugh. "I don't really think I need to forgive you for that one."

And then pondering a thought for a moment, Hoshiko spoke once more. "Gee, it'll be a little bit before I wear a bikini again...That's okay though...it's not like I'm complaining about it or anything. I need to take some time to read those books Koichi gave me...I'm kinda really nervous about the delivery..." Her eyes shifted uncomfortably. "..." Hoshiko swallowed hard. "What if...one of us doesn't make it?"

Samuel blinked, at first thinking that she meant him or her, but then he remembered the baby, and suddenly he felt like an idiot.

"Oh, I uh..." He looked down at his hands. "I don't know... I'm sure it'll be fine. I mean...if death was the norm in childbirth, then having babies would be pointless I'd think." He ran his hand through his hair. "I mean, I'm sure it won't be fun, but...I don't think anything bad will happen, Hoshiko. But don't worry. I'll stand by you, okay? I'll be there." He grinned lopsidedly, "I'll make sure nothing goes wrong."

He looked out across the field again and watched as Ace swung one of his partners to the side and switched off with another one. Samuel was utterly surprised that his mannerisms hadn't gotten him slapped, but perhaps Ace was being more polite than Samuel expected him to be. Perhaps Ace was actually obeying his command. Amused at this prospect, he watched with interest as Ace spun and dipped his latest partner.

"Yeah...I'm not expecting it to be easy or anything but...I guess with the complications in my body that Koichi explained to me, I'm still a bit frightened." But Hoshiko tried her best to smile at Samuel, even if it was a weak smile.

"But I know that if you're there...then it'll be okay." And even though Hoshiko knew full and well that Samuel had absolutely no control over what could happen during the delivery of her child, it was still a comfort to know that he'd be by her side, even if she was screeching in pain and complaining. "I can squeeze your hand when it hurts." Hoshiko laughed at this and seized Samuel's hand, squeezing as hard as she could without actually hurting him, and she couldn't help but find it in herself to laugh.

Samuel laughed too. "Yeah, sure. Hopefully I won't need to have my fingers realigned afterwards." He smirked. "But whatever makes you feel better I guess." He gave Hoshiko's hand a tender pat, then his eyes widened a bit. "Well I'll be darned... Just look at that." He raised his free hand to point across the field.

One by one, picnickers were rising from their blankets and taking friends and lovers by the hands, sweeping them away in spins timed carefully with the music. Before long, the whole field was full of people dancing together, and the lone form of Ace became lost in the crowd. Samuel grinned to himself and shook his head, his smile so wide that he almost seemed like a child staring at something truly magical.

"That pain in the neck really did it... He really got everyone to dance..."

Hoshiko smiled, watching at the scene unfolded in front of them. The girl may have even looked proud of Ace, but she turned to Samuel with a little smirk and laugh. "Well, he didn't get everyone to dance." She laughed, obviously referring to her and Samuel. "But I must admit he did a good job of getting the crowd lively. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and that's what matters most."

Watching everyone dancing, Hoshiko held her chin in her hands and seemed quite content to be a spectator for once when it came to the art of dance. Although there weren't any professionally trained dancers performing, that wasn't what really mattered. It was the spirit that really counted.

"It's a beautiful sight...really..."

Samuel nodded and chuckled softly to himself. "Well it's okay. I'm like you. I've had my share of..._inspired_ dancing recently." He laughed and shook his head slowly, watching the field with a smug grin on his face. He'd never seen anything quite so amazing, beautiful, or downright impressive. And it was quite obvious: he was very proud of Ace himself.

"Hehehe, yeah, my feet are still sore from all the dancing I did back in Ecuteak." Hoshiko shook her head and took up her plate to finish the food on it. Once it was done, Hoshiko wasn't sure what to say, so instead the girl leaned her back against the tree they were sitting under and started to hum along to the music. The breeze blew softly through her hair, stirring the raven strands about her chin.

"Can you imagine in few years where we'll be Samuel?" Hoshiko considered the idea. "You'll probably be at a school studying pokémon and I'll be chasing around a screaming toddler." Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh. "You'll have to visit on weekends, though; otherwise the child might forget what their uncle looks like behind all those study books." Then Hoshiko thought about what she might do for the future. "Gee, I'll have to support my baby somehow...I wonder...I'll need to get a job or get extra school or something...I wonder what I should do."

Samuel laughed. "Well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but don't worry, I'll be sure to spend plenty of time with my little niece or nephew." He chuckled in amusement. "They'll know me pretty well, I'm sure."

He closed his eyes, and let the sound of the music, the dreams of the future, and the surreal reality of the present carry him away like the tunes carried the dancers across the field.


	20. King's Pawns

**Chapter 20: King's Pawns**

A tiny shaft of light leaking between heavy curtains tickled Samuel's eyes and made him squirm just a little as consciousness slowly came back to him. One eye opened, and the other followed shortly thereafter as the realization dawned that it was already morning. He sat up slowly, the blankets falling away from his bare chest as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tried to get all of his faculties about him. He moved to climb out of bed when he was quite literally captured by a stunningly strong grasp.

His movement had been just enough to stir Ace, though not to wake him. The Incarnus slung his arm across Samuel's lap and tried to pull him back down like a kid would grab and hug a teddy while half asleep and half awake. Samuel grunted and tried to wriggle free, but failed. Ace was just too strong. Frustrated, he began to wrestle with the Incarnus' arm.

The night before, the trio had decided to stay just one night in Pewter City. There was the Pokémon Center, sure, but there was also a brand spanking new inn, as fresh and crisp as ever. Although none of them had a lot of money, Samuel obliged to pay for the room, making sure to get one with two beds so that Hoshiko would have one all to herself and not be disturbed by her two rather irreverent and inconsiderate friends.

The night had been a good one: staying up late to listen to radio shows, watching the black and white television to see all the latest entertainment, talking until they were so tired that everything anyone said was utterly hilarious. Then Samuel had given Hoshiko first rights on the shower and the bathroom and he himself had opted to take one in the morning. Boxers and blankets being the only things to cover him when he was ready for bed, he'd quite contently settled in with remarkable comfort and relaxed while Hoshiko freshened herself up.

Now that it was morning, it was his turn. That is, if he could manage to get free. He finally did, and hobbled clumsily off to the shower to wake himself up and get dressed. By the time he came back out for his clothes, wearing new undershorts and drying his ear with the towel that was slung over his shoulders, he was surprised to find that Ace was awake and laying in bed with the alarm radio pressed close to his ear, listening to the morning shows and laughing at the puns people made.

The Incarnus looked up and frowned a little bit, but it was more of a playful frown than one of true irritation.

"Why'd you have to go and wake me up?" He asked, a little louder than Samuel would have liked.

"Shhhh." Samuel hissed. "Hoshiko is still resting and she needs it, remember?"

Ace lowered his voice, but continued. "Well you didn't have to beat me with your pillow. I could have used more sleep too."

"I was trying to escape your death grip." Samuel rolled his eyes and reached down, pulling his vest and jeans out of his bag and folding them over his arms. He looked back up, and noticed that Ace still hadn't taken the time to get changed back into his own clothes. He grunted slightly and bent down to grab the island shirt, throwing it onto Ace's head.

"You really do need to put that on before Hoshiko wakes up." Samuel insisted, pulling his own pants on and sitting down to put on his shoes.

Ace set the radio back down on the table and sat up straight, smoothing out the wrinkles in the shirt and then pulling it over his bare shoulders and letting it hang as he tried to get the buttons figured out.

"Sorry." He murmured apologetically as he wrinkled his nose and fumbled uselessly with the button holes. "I figured since she's...you know...a friend, she wouldn't mind."

"She'd mind, trust me." Samuel set both of his freshly shoed feet on the ground and unfolded his vest to start putting it on. "Where do you want to go for breakfast?"

Ace gave up on buttoning the shirt and his face lit up like a child's. "We can have breakfast?"

"Yeah. I mean they have a place here in the hotel of course, but there's places all over town too. Or we could order room service and have them send a meal up." Samuel shrugged.

* * *

Hoshiko had enjoyed the night. It was fun. It was just being a teenager with her best friends and that was what the girl wanted more then anything: to savor those moments because they were precious to her. She'd fallen asleep before Samuel and Ace did, of course. After all, she did get tired more often than before. But it was okay, she had forced her eyes open for as long as she could and savored every blissful moment. The laughter stayed behind and filled her dreams.

And then morning broke. Samuel didn't know it, but Hoshiko had already woken up, from hearing Ace's protests. She didn't move or say anything, at first she didn't want to, still too sleepy to actually do anything. Then an idea popped in the girl's head and the temptation was too strong for her to pass it up, even if she realized it was a dirty trick to play on someone who first of all thought she was asleep and second of all was more than likely not entirely awake. Practically jolting into a sitting position, the girl clenched her hands into fists and cried out quite dramatically with an expression to match.

"Samuel! Samuel! I'm in labor!" Inside, Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh. On the outside, however, the girl maintained quite a good charade.

At first, Samuel literally fell off the edge of the bed from sheer shock at hearing a scream. Then, when he realized it was Hoshiko, he scrambled to his feet and ran over, only to trip over his own feet at the suggestion that she was in labor.

"What?! How?! Oh man, Ace, call an ambulance or something!" He pulled himself up using the edge of Hoshiko's bed. Ace, however, didn't move. He was supremely confused. Although Hoshiko's scream had startled him too, he had more of his wits about him, and after a moment of watching Samuel stumble all over the place, he gave up and decided to try working on buttoning his shirt again.

"W-what am I supposed to do?" Samuel stuttered as he finally got his footing and looked down at Hoshiko. We didn't like...have a drill or anything."

"Sam." Ace's voice called to him from the other bed. "I really don't think she's in labor." He grunted, clearly getting frustrated with the buttons again already. "Do you have my pants?"

Samuel's face turned beet red, and he stared at Hoshiko for a long time, bewildered and wondering what the heck was going on. Biting her bottom lip after having watched Samuel scramble all over the place with no direction, Hoshiko couldn't help but sputter out laughter, falling right back on her bed in hysterics as he stared at her in confusion.

"SAMUEL! I'm only, like, TWO MONTHS pregnant at the most!" She cried out very loudly through the laughter, unable to truly control herself. Hoshiko was hardly able to keep her eyes open and she was practically crying she was laughing to hard.

"Don't pee yourself." Ace grumbled from the other bed, at last throwing up his hands in uncontained annoyance. He'd gotten a couple buttons in the holes, and then realized they were crooked.

"I couldn't possibly be in labor!" Hoshiko spouted, ignoring Ace. She shook her head, and brought her laughing under control to catch her breath and glance at Samuel for a second. Only one second later she went back to her hysterics. "Honestly, we need to have a drill though, because that was...so disorganized!" Reaching behind her and grabbing on her pillows, Hoshiko threw it at Samuel. "Get it together! I'm the one that's going to need _you_ to be calm!"

Samuel stumbled backwards, but managed to catch the pillow in his hands. He looked over the top of it, and then suddenly it all made sense.

"Why you..." He started beating Hoshiko with the pillow, but started laughing himself. Though he may have been mad for a split second, all of the laughing was quickly catching on, and with every swing of the pillow he laughed harder. "For goodness sake—" He smacked her again with the puffy wad of cotton in a case. "—You scared me—" Smack. "—Half to—" Smack. "—Death!"

"AH!" Hoshiko cried out in shock as Samuel smacked her the first time with the pillow, she started to squeal with each whack. Quickly, Hoshiko scrambled to her feet and grabbed her other pillow, beating Samuel over the head with it and going back to her hysterical laughter. "BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE DIFFERNCE!" She protested between bouts of laughter and feathers flying. "It's not my fault you believed that a girl two months pregnant could be in labor!" Her laughter wasn't subsiding.

By now, Ace was laughing as well, although it was a much more controlled laugh. His wry amusement stretched across his face as he sat among his own pile of blankets, his shirt lopsidedly hanging on his shoulders.

"You really _are_ gullible, you know that?"

Samuel whirled around and smacked Ace with the pillow next.

"And how dare you start a pillow fight against a pregnant girl!" Hoshiko smacked Samuel once more, from behind. "My child is going to have a fear of white fluffy things now!" She howled laughter again at the very idea.

Samuel fell onto the opposing bed in front of Ace and covered his head with the pillow he was holding in defense. "You caught me off guard! How was I supposed to make sense of the situation?!" Samuel cried out, voice almost completely muffled and incoherent through the pillow on top of his head.

Ace blinked, and then snickered, grabbing one of the pillows from his own bed and smacking Samuel's heavily padded head with it.

"Hey!" Samuel cried out suddenly as he realized that the smacking was coming faster now. "No double teaming!"

Hoshiko was still laughing, but suddenly the girl tipped, falling straight off of the bed and onto the floor with a thud. She shrieked in surprise and cried out in shock the moment she hit the floor. Staring up at the ceiling, the girl blinked a few times to clear her head.

"See what you've done now Samuel!" Hoshiko still couldn't help but laugh, probably too shocked to actually feel pain from the fall. Quickly the girl started to attack Samuel's feet with the pillow she was still holding onto tightly. "TAKE THAT, and—" Smack. "—THAT!"

Samuel pulled his feet back up onto the bed and crawled on his stomach so that he could peek over the edge and see Hoshiko down below. He kept the pillow over top of himself just in case Ace decided to continue the assault. The Incarnus had other ideas, however, and instead dog piled on Samuel, giving him a rather aggressive noogie.

"Ahahaha! I always wanted to do that for all the times you did it to me." Ace laughed aloud.

"Gah! Get off me, you crazy loon!"

"Never!" Ace laughed harder.

Looking up at Samuel as Ace was playing with his hair, Hoshiko reached and smacked playfully at Ace's hand. "Leave him alone! He did that to you when you were a monster, monster's hair doesn't count!"

"I still _am_ a monster." Ace sang gaily. Obediently withdrawing from Samuel and discreetly hiding himself under the blankets on the bed, Ace made a face at Hoshiko. "And I'm always a monster. Let us not forget this all important fact." He laughed.

Samuel sat up and tried to smooth his hair to fix it after being so violated. Fortunately his hair was still damp from the shower, and not too difficult to straighten out. "Yes, yes you are." Samuel snorted. "And a horrifying one at that."

Ace waved his hand casually. "Nonsense." He again started trying to button his shirt, realizing that he'd forgotten about it. Samuel raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't figured that out yet?"

"Don't judge me!"

Samuel only laughed and climbed over the puffy mounds on the bed, sitting down quite literally on Ace's knees. He leaned forward and started buttoning the shirt properly for him. Pausing for a moment to take a few deeps breaths in, Hoshiko smiled, staring at the ceiling.

"Last night was so much fun. I wish we could do it again, staying up late and watching TV. I've never actually watched TV programs like that before. We never had stuff like that back home. And the radio was so funny! It was like...the funnest night ever." Hoshiko giggled, placing her hands behind her head and smiling contentedly. "We could always order in for breakfast...or we could go out too. Then again, didn't the room come with breakfast? I heard most upscale inns do that now."

"Well, I'll let you guys decide where to eat because everything sounds great to me." Samuel adjusted Ace's collar and softly smoothed the creature's silky hair back. "Going out, eating in, it'd all be fun. But we're gonna have to check out of here by noon so...maybe we should just go out? It's up to you guys."

Pondering the thought for a moment, still on the floor, Hoshiko didn't say anything until she climbed back onto her bed to make sure she had everything she needed in her bag to get changed into her day clothes.

"...I think you're right." She replied, looking back over her shoulder at Samuel. "We'd better check out and then grab some breakfast." Hoshiko nodded before hopping off the bed and running to occupy the bathroom with fresh clothes loaded on her arm. "I'll just be a minute!" She shouted before closing the door behind her.

"Sure thing!" Samuel called after her.

While waiting for Hoshiko, Samuel got all of his belongings together and Ace finally managed to get completely dressed. When Hoshiko emerged, Ace was sprawled out on top of the comforter with Samuel, and the two were pointing at patterns in the plaster on the ceiling, arguing about what they did and did not look like. Upon seeing Hoshiko though, they both sat up.

"All right! Breakfast." Ace smirked.

Samuel elbowed him, climbing off the bed and grinning lopsidedly at Hoshiko. "Ready?"

Laughing at Ace's comment as she emerged, Hoshiko stood before them wearing the shorts and top that Samuel had bought for her the day before, keeping the more formal dress she'd been given tucked safely in her bag along with the rest of her clothes and her folded kimono. The shirt was a little short, just the way Hoshiko liked it, even if it did show a bit of her tummy. Even if she did feel like hiding the bump a bit, part of her couldn't give up the clothes she loved...after all the girl was only seventeen.

"Alright, breakfast it is then!"

Lifting her bag onto her shoulder, Hoshiko smiled and waited for Samuel to gather his belongings before leading everyone down into the foyer of the hotel where Samuel checked them out at the desk. After giving back the room keys, the three walked back out on the busy streets of Pewter.

* * *

They all walked together along the brick roads until they reached the market block, where the most activity seemed to be buzzing. Lines for the Pokémart and Pokémon Center stretched down the sidewalks, while patrons to other venues had to weave around them.

"...Hmmmmmm." With a finger pressed on her chin thoughtfully, Hoshiko considered where they might go for breakfast. She scanned the storefronts. "How about that place? It looks really cute!" And it was. She pointed to an old fashioned style tea room that sported a blackboard out front boasting breakfast and regular meals. "But you've gotta promise that I can pay for the meal." Hoshiko insisted. "After all, you paid for the room _and_ my clothes, Samuel." Even if Hoshiko hardly had any money to worth counting after Osamu had taken most of her daily wages, Hoshiko wouldn't let her friend pay for everything. "Promise me you'll let me pay, Samuel! Otherwise...I'm not going! And if I'm not, nobody is!" She smirked.

Ace whined at the very thought. "Yes, Samuel, promise her that you'll let her pay." He put both hands on one of Samuel's shoulders pleadingly, shaking his master gently.

Samuel burst out laughing. "Okay, okay. Hoshiko pays for breakfast. Are you happy?"

Had Ace been in his canine form, Samuel was sure his tail would have been wagging judging by the size of the smile on Ace's face. Ace threw his strong arms around Samuel, lifting him up and spinning him excitedly.

"Yes!" He planted a startling kiss on Samuel's cheek, and then quite literally dropped the young man and ran over to Hoshiko to do the exact same. "Thank you!" He said, trying not to squeeze her too tight. He was significantly more gentle upon setting Hoshiko's feet back on the ground.

Swallowing hard in shock as Ace set her back down, Hoshiko just stared at him for a moment before smiling and laughing. He was crazy, but she didn't mind. Pleased, the girl led her two friends across the street. The pushed through the darkened doorway and entered into the charmingly quiet place.

Just inside, a young woman greeted them warmly and led the three to a table by the window. She handed each of them a menu, promising to come back soon once they were ready to order. Hoshiko smiled as she looked down at the list of delicate pastries and breakfast foods. She had obviously picked the right place; it had a lot to offer.

"What're you guys gonna get?" Hoshiko peeked curiously at Samuel and Ace from behind her own menu.

"Meat." They both said simultaneously, before laughing out loud, both at the sound of their voices in stereo and at teasing Hoshiko. They managed to calm down though, and Samuel peeked over top of his menu, mirroring Hoshiko as Ace looked hungrily at the pictures on his own little guide.

"Actually," Samuel laughed. "This biscuits and gravy stuff sounds good. Looks like they serve it with something called grits and fried apples."

"Mmmmm, everything looks really good!" Hoshiko looked at the menu and then put it down decisively, pointing out the vegetarian omelet that came with potatoes. "I think I'd like that one..." Hoshiko's cheeks reddened. "Do you think I could get extra potatoes?" Laughing nervously, Hoshiko peered between Ace and Samuel's menus with interest.

"I don't see why not." Samuel smiled at her.

"I want what I had yesterday." Ace laughed. "That sausage and eggs was seriously—" He cut himself off and noticed a picture of a large portion of country ham, eggs, and hash browns. "Nevermind. I want that." He set the menu on the table and pointed to it.

Samuel chuckled. "Figures you'd order the biggest thing on here. You and your appetite. Sheesh."

"I might as well enjoy myself." Ace said matter of factly, crossing his arms. "It's a lot nicer to eat at a place like this than to grab a pidgey right out of the air, you know."

Samuel raised an eyebrow. "Alright, but it's not like you have to do that much anyways. I make sure to save you lots of leftove—" Samuel immediately stopped talking, and stared across the restaurant tables towards the door. "No way..." He murmured with a low, worried tone. His eyes darkened.

Hoshiko looked at Samuel with concern and then froze upon seeing his expression. She automatically panicked and grabbed her menu, holding it up to her face and looking at Samuel nervously. She was petrified that Osamu might have found her.

"W-what is it? ...Who...who's there Samuel?" The girl asked, practically ready to cry from fear.

"It's Hart." Samuel's voice was low.

"H-Hart?" Hoshiko practically choked back on the name, but in reality she was actually grateful that it wasn't Osamu.

Ace lifted his head and looked, narrowing ice blue eyes as he caught sight of the familiar and rather unwelcome man. "What on earth is he doing here?"

"Maybe he followed us."

"We're supposed to be following him."

"Obviously we slacked off too much." Samuel pointed out bluntly. "Point is, he's here." He literally started climbing over Ace's lap, forcing the Incarnus to get up so that they didn't both get stuck in the booth.

"What are you doing?" Ace whispered harshly.

"I'm going to find out what's going on."

Ace growled slightly. "Samuel, if you die, I'll kill you."

"Go right ahead." Samuel patted Ace's shoulder and started towards the door.

Watching Samuel, Hoshiko started to shift from her seat and followed behind him quickly so that she could catch up with him.

"You're not going to over to him alone..." Hoshiko said quietly as they approached the man whom Hoshiko should have been terrified of. But of course, after her time with Osamu, there wasn't much left to fear. She was a strong and silent presence beside Samuel.

Samuel was startled to see Hoshiko come up next to him, and he wanted to tell her to go sit with Ace where she would be safe, but he knew how futile that would be. Whispering firmly, he gave her strict orders.

"Look, just be quiet. I'm not going to talk to him. I'm not insane. I'm gonna see if I can't learn something just by hanging out here..." Samuel was mildly relieved about one thing... "At least he didn't have Dialga and Palkia smash this place down... They must be outside somewhere." Samuel froze. "Wait a minute..." He put his hand on Hoshiko's shoulder and whispered even softer. "Stay here for just a second and keep a close eye on him." Samuel turned and started back for the table.

Looking back at Samuel as if he was crazy for leaving her alone, Hoshiko watched wide-eyed. With any luck, Hart wouldn't recognize her and so keeping her face to the side, she watched Hart carefully, trying to see if she could tell why he was there. Maybe he had no idea that Samuel and Ace were there. It could have just been by chance that he was in the same place as they were. Then again, it never had been before, and that single thought made a shiver go up Hoshiko's spine.

At the table, Samuel touched Ace's shoulder to get his attention, and he pointed to his own bag.

"Ace. Put on your armor, and go outside. Right now. Dialga and Palkia are probably out there, and knowing them they've got to be up to no good."

Ace reached into Samuel's bag. "Right. I'm on it."

"And please, for the love of Hoshiko herself do _not_ get yourself killed."

Ace smirked. "Don't worry about me. I'm the tough one, remember?"

Samuel left Ace to go sneak out the back door and investigate Dialga and Palkia while Samuel himself returned to Hoshiko's side. "What's going on?"

Hoshiko had a confused look on her face as she turned to Samuel, shaking her head. "I think he's snapped..." She whispered. "Honestly, I think he's lost his mind." Looking over at Hart, Hoshiko spoke to Samuel. "He's advertising a side show with Dialga and Palika..." Shaking her head, Hoshiko ran a hand through her hair, too confused to say too much. "...Honestly, I don't know what to say..."

Samuel made a face and shook his head. "No. It was part of his deal with the devil. Literally. He could exploit the Legends for his own profit...and in return he would collect dark matter for them." Samuel snorted in disgust. "Seems like he hasn't wasted any time getting what _he_ wants..."

Samuel groaned. "I hope he hasn't got much of what Dialga and Palkia wanted...although we'll soon find out, I suppose." Samuel grabbed Hoshiko's hand and pulled her back to the table. When they got there, he sat her down and looked at her very seriously. "I sent Ace to go after the two dragons and make sure they're not causing any chaos in the city...knowing those two, they may well be up to something. They don't go anywhere without orders from Arceus, and when left to their own devices, they fight each other."

"This is crazy" Hoshiko shook her head as Samuel sat her down. As soon as he had sat with her, the girl looked at Samuel just as seriously as he did to her. A thought crossed her mind and made the muscles in her shoulders tense. "You're not suggesting I stay here, are you?" Hoshiko said, looking a bit injured at the idea. "If you and Ace are going out there, then why do I have to wait here?" Hoshiko crossed her arms in front of her chest and practically pouted like a child. In truth, in a way she still was. "...C'mon Samuel! I can't believe you want me to wait here!"

Samuel frowned a bit at Hoshiko's sudden conclusion. "No, I wasn't suggesting it, but now that you mention that, it's probably a good idea. You've gotta think about that baby, you know." Samuel grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "We're not gonna go far. We just need to make sure that the town doesn't get wrecked. Why don't you stay here and spy on Hart."

Samuel slung his bag over his shoulder and smirked at Hoshiko. "Don't worry, we'll be right back. We can probably chase Dilaga and Palkia off, and then Hart will have to go chase after them. It'll take like...two seconds."

Biting her bottom lip, it was obvious that Hoshiko hated the idea of being left behind, but it was true that someone had to keep an eye on Hart, and Hoshiko had to make sure that her baby was safe. Even if she didn't want to wait behind while Samuel and Ace ran off to take care of Dialga and Palika.

"...Fine..." She said putting her chin in her hands and glancing over at Hart, melancholy. "If you take too long though, I'm coming after you..." Hoshiko flashed Samuel an annoyed look.

Samuel nodded and waved. As soon as he left, all that Hoshiko could do was glance at her menu boredly while using it as a front for her watching Hart. It didn't seem like he was doing much harm. Surprisingly.

It was then, just as Hoshiko began to get comfortable, that Hart happened to glance in her direction, and he stopped his flamboyant passing of fliers. Eyes locked on hers, he seemed to be staring at her, and after a moment it was obvious that he had recognized her. To the girl's dismay, Hart came over, very slowly, and placed one hand on the table she was sitting at.

"Well, well, well. I haven't seen you in awhile." He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, my dear... Where is your little friend? I know he must be around here, because he's far too persistent and irritating to just run off and leave you by yourself. He 'rescued' you again, didn't he?"

Hoshiko bit back a curse under her breath and looked up at Hart boldly, but she couldn't dare let on that she knew where Samuel was or that Samuel in fact knew where she was. Instead, the girl would have to pass it off as if she had no idea where her friend was or why Hart would assume such a thing.

"...No..." She said somberly, eyes shifting down at the table sullenly. This was the one time she was thankful that her bruises hadn't healed yet. And so looking up at Hart, the girl shook her head.

"I'm with my husband, the man that you saw before...He's gone to the restroom. We're on our way to Saffron City, where he trained in martial arts." The girl lied, but quite effectively. "There's a tournament there and Osamu is participating in it...and he's brought me along because he would like to show off his...trophy..." Hoshiko said the words but they were hard to get out, reminding her of how Osamu had been.

"...Even if Samuel was to come for me..." Hoshiko looked down. "I couldn't go with him." She wouldn't say why unless Hart asked, after all she didn't want to tell him of her pregnancy, but if it covered better for Samuel and was necessary, then she would. That was of course if Hart didn't notice before she told him.

Hart grunted slightly. "I see. Well. Your husband seemed like a very fine fellow. Perhaps I could...talk to him when he gets back. A Martial Arts tournament is something that I would enjoy watching, and I have an interesting show for him as well. Something fabulous that I do believe he will be quite interested in."

He slapped a flier down on the table. "I have finally made it big, my dear." He sneered. "I have something that nobody else has, and I'm ready to show it to the world. And for only a very small fee. Although...your little friend does not seem to want me to have my time in the spotlight."

Hoshiko eyed the flier that Hart placed in front of her with feigned interest, hoping to at least satisfy the man enough for him to leave her alone before he realized that Osamu wasn't coming to the table.

"The Martial Arts tournament is in two days time." Hoshiko explained. "We've traveled from Johto and we're touring Kanto a little before arriving in Saffron. Anyone is welcome to watch, so I'm sure so long as you can make it in time, you'd be able to see him fight." Hoshiko took the flyer into her hands. "I'll be sure to show this to Osamu, he'll be interested, I'm positive."

With that Hoshiko looked up at Hart, she didn't have anymore to say and ignored the topic of Samuel completely, as if she didn't want to talk about it. "...Thank you for bringing it to my attention, I have do doubt Osamu will want to see your show."

And going to slide out from the booth, Hoshiko said. "In fact, I'd better go and see if he's okay. He ate something that upset him last night..." Bowing respectfully and showing that she was keeping the flyer with her, Hoshiko went to go towards the restrooms.

Hart raised an eyebrow as the girl left, but he didn't follow her. "Hm..." He said very quietly to himself. "Dodgy as usual I see... But of course your little friend is here. Not that I care. It's that good-for-nothing mutt I want anyways." Hart turned away from the table and quickly went to the door. If Hoshiko was here by herself, then Samuel wouldn't be far off. And if Samuel was nearby, then the Incarnus was here too. And the Incarnus had the Medallion.

* * *

"I don't see Dialga and Palkia anywhere..." Samuel sighed, somewhat boredly walking with his hands behind his head. "We should go back to the restaurant."

"Dialga and Palkia may not be nearby, and the city may not be in immediate jeopardy, but something is amiss."

"What are you talking about?" Samuel blinked at Ace.

The Incarnus pointed off towards the museum. "The doors are closed today, for the preparation for brand new exhibits coming in from all over the world, but I can see people on the steps, going inside." He glanced at Samuel.

"So? Maybe it's security. And how do you know about new exhibits anyways?"

"Well, we contributed one of them, but you learn a lot while dancing with the museum curator." He paused, "Maybe it _is_ security, but I think we should investigate. I've got a bad feeling about this. Normal security guards don't have long, pointed tails."

Startled, Samuel was suddenly alert. "What?!"

"Exactly."

* * *

Hoshiko was relieved that Hart had left her alone, but that feeling didn't last for long as she turned to see Hart heading for the door. Quickly Hoshiko went back over to the man and grabbed his arm, although gently, trying to guide him away from the door without the man noticing.

"...Did I ever tell you, that...at the Dance Theater that day, the one who was dancing for you..." She looked away trying to seem shy. "Was me?"

She hated to try and distract Hart this way but she had no idea how else to keep him off of Samuel and Ace's trail.

For a moment, Hart stared at her, completely bewildered that she had even made an attempt to stop him. He blinked a few times, and then what she said suddenly registered. Jerking his arm away from her, he frowned a little bit, almost looking terribly furious. It even seemed as if he might go so far as to shove her back. But then, surprisingly, his expression turned into a smirk.

"Is that so?" Hart sneered. "Well, isn't _that_ something? I would have never guessed that so lovely a dancer was hiding such a ...difficult and bothersome little girl." He waved his hand and laughed. "But it's no matter. You can dance for me any time." He started laughing harder, but then promptly got serious and turned for the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be."

* * *

Samuel and Ace made it to the top of the white marble steps and ran between the huge and majestic pillars until they were right up against the museum wall. Ace pressed his back against the stone, putting his arm in front of Samuel to hold him there too.

"They went inside..." He said in frustration. "But I think I know where that 'security guard' was headed. That was no man. That was a beast. And it was none other than our dear friend Jamirus."

Ace's voice sounded so certain that Samuel was instantly convinced, but his eyes widened with worry. "You don't think he's after..."

"The Medallion?" Ace snorted. "Oh that's exactly what he's after. He and Hart are Dialga and Palkia's little pawns, and they want that medallion because if _their_ master gets a hold of it, they've basically won."

"What?! You didn't tell me this before!"

"Samuel, that Medallion contains the very essence of the demon king himself, but its power can be used against the demon king if properly planned. It's the one tool that the Chosen will be able to use to command all of the monsters in the world and lead them to their doom. It's the one tool that will give the Chosen the power to win this. If Arceus has it...then even the Chosen can't help us..."

* * *

As Hart tuned away from her again, Hoshiko knew she'd have to be more persistent than that. Samuel and Ace hadn't come back yet, and that meant whatever they were doing wasn't finished. Meaning her job was to keep Hart in this building until they returned. That was going to be quite the feat.

"...Don't go yet!" Hoshiko went up to Hart, getting between him and the door with an innocent looking smile on her face. She already knew that he had reasons not to trust her and valid ones for that matter...but...maybe she could get him to stop.

"...I hate to have to ask you this, but..." Her eyes shifted to the side. "I want to get away from my husband. He's abusive to me." Looking down at her hands awkwardly, Hoshiko bit her bottom lip. "But you're older then both of us, you might be able to keep me away from him. Maybe I could work with you and your show?" Hoshiko asked, trying to sound earnest and humble. "Anything to get away from Osamu..."

Hart just raised an eyebrow before wrinkling his nose, and after a moment he laughed and tried to move Hoshiko aside. "Well now that's mighty sweet of you to offer...but _no_. You see, I don't plan on sharing my profits with the likes of a scheming little devil like yourself. But that's mighty sweet of you."

He pushed the door open, but paused. "Still... If you feel like following me, perhaps we could make some arrangements. If he's _really_ that bad to you," Hart sneered to himself. "I'm sure I could make money off of you too, somehow. You are a divine dancer, after all."

* * *

Complete insanity was something that Samuel really didn't even acknowledge anymore. In fact, scaling the side of the museum building and walking the narrow ledge on the second floor to get to the upper level entrance didn't even register on his 'you did _what?!_' meter.

He moved along side of Ace very slowly until the ledge widened enough and they were able to jump down onto the second level balcony. Now behind the protection of the stone wall, they crouched low and moved for the security door. Up here, guards were able to stand and make sure crowds down below didn't get out of hand, but as the building was empty right now, it was the perfect chance to get through. Stopping in front of the door, Ace laid his hand on it and closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Samuel asked, stunned.

"In my human form, I have power over the element of steel...I'm picking the lock..."

* * *

Even if Hoshiko felt like looking distastefully at Hart she remained in keeping with her charade, watching the man's face carefully and actually expressing gratitude in her eyes, even if it was fake.

"Of course! I wouldn't want any of your money. Just anything to get away from that horrible man...I can't take another moment."

Hart had by now pushed her aside, and all she could do was follow him outside in frustration that he had actually made his way past her. So instead of trying to stop him, the girl grabbed onto his arm, clinging to it.

"Thank you!" She tried to slow the man down from moving, by walking much slower and leading him away from wherever he was headed, which seemed to be the museum. "Do you know a place where I can hide? Maybe you have someplace here. I promise you, I won't disappoint you, and I won't take a shred of money!" At least if she could divert him...even if Hoshiko had no idea where she was going with this, except for trouble. "If Osamu finds me, he'll take me back for sure!"

Exasperated by the girl clinging to him, Hart stopped walking and turned to face her, prying her off of his arm.

"Listen," He said in a smooth and sickeningly gentlemanly voice. He was smiling, but that didn't make him any more charming. "I know how much you just _love_ me, but seeing as you've betrayed me before, little witch, I'm not inclined to believe that you're not trying to get me into trouble somehow."

He tapped his chin in thought. "But I'll be honest with you, my dear girl. I really will take you with me. _If_ that is what you want. But I'm here because aside from my advertising, I'm trying to make _absolutely_ sure that the Incarnus—as that wretched animal that follows your little boyfriend around seems to be called—does not get the power he needs to do the things he wants to do. There is an object, here, in this town. Some...medallion of some sort. And the Incarnus plans on someday using it to destroy every monster in the world. Now. I'm not entirely cool with that, seeing as some of my best friends are monsters." He sneered. "What about you?"

Obviously Hart didn't know that she knew of Ace's mission, which was a good thing. So keeping with her story, Hoshiko put on a look of utter horror and disgust, and thankfully it looked quite realistic.

"That's...appalling!" Her fists clenched and Hoshiko's eyes looked completely burned. "I can't believe I've even worked with him before! Monsters are such an important part of the human race now! My pokémon are priceless to me..." Folding her arms in front of her, Hoshiko shook her head. "I can't believe it...That's...just...unforgivable..." She hoped she'd done a good job convincing Hart but now Hoshiko needed to continue on with her part of the mission.

"Hart, yes, I do want to come with you. Please, if you'll have me. It's my only way out...I owe everything to you." Part of Hoshiko detested having to speak to Kaiser like this but desperate times called for desperate measures. "...But Osamu, I know he'll be looking for me by now. He's never long without me. I hate to burden you further but there must be somewhere that you can take me and he won't find me. Just until we depart from Pewter."

Hart raised an eyebrow at Hoshiko, but then decided he might as well give in. "Alright. You can help me. But you'd better not try anything funny." He started walking again. "Come with me. We're going to go to the museum. There's something there that I need to grab really quick, and we might run into the Incarnus on the way. And wouldn't _that_ be a treat?" Hart said, completely sarcastically.

Hoshiko chewed her bottom lip frantically. This wasn't working out as well as she planned. Hart knew that the Master Medallion was at the museum, and with all of the things that Ace had told her and Samuel about it, the last place it needed to be was in Hart's hands, or anyone's for that matter.

So there had to be a way to stop him. There just _had_ to be a way. So instead of taking the approach of Hoshiko trying to convince him to not go to the museum, Hoshiko tried something a little different. Walking behind him for a moment, not letting Hart get too close to the Museum, the girl pretended to trip. Even with a shocked gasp included.

"AH!" And Hoshiko tossed herself at Hart's back, throwing the two of them on the ground. The girl made sure that she landed mostly on her side and back, with Hart as a cushion for her fall. Hoshiko couldn't risk the child within her. "I'm so sorry!" She cried out, pretending her leg was twisted. "I...I tripped..."

Hart growled and pushed Hoshiko away from him, getting up to his feet and dusting himself off. He glared, and shook his head irritably.

"Perhaps you should go wait in the van. I don't have time for your nonsense today. Dialga! Palkia!" In the air just over their heads, two swirls like black holes materialized and began to spin. Out of them emerged the two huge dragons, landing one at each side of Hart.

"I have a good feeling that if the Incarnus is here, he's going to be where the Medallion is. Go to the museum, while I...take care...of this darling little girl." Hart patted Hoshiko's head, and the two dragons vanished back into their swirling rifts of time and space. "Come with me..." Hart said.

* * *

The top floor of the museum was mostly dark, but not empty. There were people moving about, setting up new displays, but among them was the museum curator, and she was standing by the Medallion. Standing next to her was none other than that frustratingly persistent demon, Jamirus.

"Damn. We're too late." Samuel hissed when he noticed that the object was actually in Jamirus' hands.

Ace's hand clapped over Samuel's mouth, and the Incarnus whispered harshly. "Shut up. He'll hear you."

Ace let go of Samuel, ignoring the boy even when Samuel kicked his shin. Slinking towards the shadow of a pillar much close to the Medallion's display room, Ace hid and Samuel watched as a ball of energy began to form in Ace's hand. Stunned, Samuel began to make more sense of what Ace had meant when he said that just because he looked like a human didn't mean he wasn't still very much a monster. The ball of energy transformed into a glowing spear, and the Incarnus pulled back his arm slowly...aiming to thrust it at Jamirus.

* * *

What could she do? Nothing, that's what. And now Hoshiko felt completely helpless. She was desperate to help Samuel and Ace, but now she feared that they'd be caused further grief because she didn't let Hart near the museum. Now she was in his clutches. Maybe he knew; maybe he had seen her with Samuel and she had played into his plan the whole time. Questions riddled Hoshiko's mind, but she worried that the answers to them might prove devastating.

Biting her lip as Hart lead her away, Hoshiko couldn't help but look back at the museum worriedly. She didn't know what to say or do, but there was one question that Hart could answer for her and it took much effort to force them out of her mouth.

"Where...where are you taking me?" She asked, looking up at the man.

"I'm taking you to the van." Hart said with a frown. "Your clumsiness is going to cost me a lot if you trip all over yourself in the middle of something big. Do you have any idea just how dangerous your little friend and his pet puppy really are?"

Hart shook his head and laughed. "Why, I didn't know it myself until only recently, but unless somebody stops them, they're going to wind up destroying the entire world. Now, normally I'm the sort of man who would rather mind my own business and tend to my own problems, but I think the destruction of the entire world _is_ my problem, wouldn't you say? To top it all off, I was promised that if I helped make things right, I would get the wonderful privileges of using those two grand legendary pokémon as my personal cash cows."

Hart stopped beside a large truck and opened the door to the passenger's side, giving Hoshiko a bit of a shove to get her inside. Then, he went around to the driver's side and climbed in.

"Have you any clue just how much of a threat that silly poochy is? That mangy, murderous mongrel has a history of leaving destruction and death in his wake, and its only going to become more deadly the longer he's out on his rampage. Why, his full intentions are to kill not just every monster, but to destroy the creator of monsters. You've heard of Arceus, I am sure. _Well_, the Incarnus wishes to dispatch him. Imagine that. The creation turning against his creator."

* * *

The museum curator turned to walk away, and Jamirus was left alone, holding the medallion in his furry hands and looking down at it. He clutched the chain, and turned to start making his way towards the nearest window. But right when he did, Samuel slipped while trying to creep towards where Ace was standing, and he fell right in the light. Startled, Jamirus whirled around, his beaked face furious upon seeing the boy, and he let out a shrill scream.

Samuel almost panicked as Jamirus spread his wings and prepared to swoop in and attack him. He scrambled to try and get behind the nearest pillar, but the sound of the creature's wings flapping and displacing the air echoed loudly in the closed-off space. The bird screeched, and Samuel could see its shadow from the corner of his eye. Jamirus' huge claws spread, and Samuel braced himself for the sharp pain that he knew was coming.

Jamirus screamed a blood curling, high pitched, inhuman scream. When Samuel looked up, uncovering his head from beneath his arms, he could see the shadows of guards running up the steps and coming to investigate the happenings. Against the far wall, Jamirus' left wing was skewered and pinned by the energy spear that Ace had been holding. The guards saw Samuel, but their attention was drawn to Jamirus as the griffin creature flapped furiously to try and free itself.

"What's going on here?!" One of the guard's shouted.

And just as Samuel was about to point a finger at Jamirus and accuse the creature of stealing museum property, the lights flickered and dimmed, and the room got cold. Up overhead, near the ceiling, an orb of swirling darkness formed. It began the size of a marble, but grew rapidly until it hung by the ceiling like some perverse light fixture. Samuel gasped in shock, and remembered the dark orb he'd seen when they'd gone to the convention. It was very similar, but not quite the same.

Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of motion caught his attention, and before he knew what had happened, Ace leapt out from behind the pillar and jumped up to the ceiling. He held out both of his hands, and a shimmering bubble formed around the black sphere.

"What in the—" One of the guards said.

"Samuel!" Ace called down. "Get the Medallion!"

"But—But I thought you said I can't touch it!"

"DON'T touch it! Just find a way to get it from Jamiru-" Ace cried out in pain as, suddenly, a ball of fire hit him from down below, sending him crashing hard against the ceiling, and then falling to the ground with a thud.

* * *

Hoshiko just watched Hart as he explained things to her, some of his story was misplaced. She assumed that had something to do with Arceus and how he twisted the truth. But of course, she couldn't say anything to Hart about it. Instead the girl just nodded and tried to look distressed over what he was saying, rather than showing her distress over what was going on in the museum. Honestly she was petrified. Anything could happen, and she didn't even want to imagine what.

"...Um, yes...that's absolutely terrible..." Hoshiko stared down at her hands, realizing that now she had gotten herself trapped by Hart, unintentionally of course...but there was no getting out of the van now, of course the doors were locked. "...What do you plan on doing with me?" Hoshiko asked quietly.

Hart turned on the van and started driving down the street towards the museum. The buildings and people passed by speedily as he drove along. He stared straight ahead through the windshield as he steered the truck.

"Well. I suppose I could use your dancing talents to earn me some money. Maybe you could help me with helping my friends in high places secure the future of pokémon as well. I'm sure you would like to make sure that little eevee of yours doesn't get her throat ripped open by that horrible monster."

Hart pulled up to the museum lot and pulled the van to a stop. Putting on the brake, he unlocked the door on his side and slid out.

"For now you might want to stay in here. It could get quite dangerous."

* * *

Jamirus huffed and puffed, struggling and choking flames as it tried to pull itself loose from the spear that held it to the wall. Its eyes, however, were red with fury, locked on Ace and ready to strike again if the Incarnus dared to move.

"Ace!" Samuel cried out, trying to run towards his friend.

A huge blast of fire from Jamirus' direction put a wall of flames between him and the Incarnus. The heat so close to Ace's face roused him from unconsciousness and startled him, making him jump to his feet.

He got another fireball to the back that slammed him face first against a pillar. The Incarnus groaned, tortured by the intensity of the fire but unwilling to yield. Ace slowly slid down the pillar and landed on his knees, shoulders trembling in agony. But he could not let Jamirus win this.

A flash of darkness suddenly filled the room, and sharp cold quickly contrasted the heat of the flames. The air around him seemed to change color completely, as if everything went negative. Ace looked up in shock to realize he had lost control of the time bubble he'd locked around the dark sphere, and now it had opened up into a gaping hole through which the humongous, thirteen-foot-tall form of Palkia burst to life.

"Spacial Rend..." Ace growled as he realized what Palkia was doing. He groaned, mind fuzzy and body stressed, and began to force his way forward to the creature whose head very nearly scraped the ceiling.

He couldn't see the guards or Samuel through the now dark blue wall of flames that Jamirus had formed, but he knew that they would be able to see Palkia too. Ace began to focus his energy, but at that moment, another fireball whizzed past his head, barely missing. His attention snapped to Jamirus, and he realized that the griffin creature was going to be the death of him if he didn't do something.

"I'll deal with _you_ in a minute."

He snapped to Palkia, using Spacial Rend himself and forming a bubble of unaltered space around himself, through which he sped towards Jamirus. He landed on the ground just below where the bird was pinned, and he spread his arms wide. Suddenly, rising from the air around him and from the far reaches of time itself, huge stones appeared, floating all around the Incarnus.

"Don't mess with me, Jamirus!" He growled as the stones began to spin. "I was alive before this world even knew monsters! Face the depth of my experience!"

He threw his arms up, and suddenly the stones hurled at the griffin, pummeling him with Ancient Power in a shower of heavy stones that at first battered him, then ripped him right off the wall and buried him in a heap on the floor.

Ace climbed onto the pile and plunged his hand into it, snatching the medallion and pulling it out. He strung it around his neck, and turned to face Palkia just as his own protective circle of Spacial Rend was destroyed by the huge, gleaming dragon.

* * *

"Mmhmm."

Hoshiko nodded as Hart left the van, but as soon as the man vanished into the building, Hoshiko wasn't planning on waiting any longer to get to her friends, practically diving over to the driver's side, she flung the door open and the girl stumbled out onto the street, running for the entrance of the museum. All the guards had been alerted by the noise on the upper levels and so Hoshiko found it relatively easy to break in through the front.

Once inside, she knew where all the trouble would be coming from: the place where the Master Medallion was being kept. And it was hard to mistake the sound of a massive legendary pokémon moving around only a floor above her. A terrible roar exploded from somewhere above, shaking the walls and floors and sending a few small displays toppling to the ground in a crashing symphony. Hoshiko covered her ears and sped up the stairs. At the top, she followed the main hall to the main exhibition room, and the scene that befell her eyes absolutely stunned her.

"Samuel!" Hoshiko eyed him across the room and made a run to where he was. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop Hart!" The girl was absolutely breathless as she went to approach her friend.

Samuel looked startled to hear Hoshiko's voice, but when she came over, he looked somehow relieved but equally upset.

"It's dangerous in here! What are you—"

He was cut off by the screech of Palkia, as Ace and Palkia both lost control of their Spacial Rend due to the conflict with the other. Palkia furiously swept its tail to try and crush Ace, but the Incarnus jumped back and then lurched forward, charging with remarkable speed. His hand began to glow an icy blue color, and his fist met Palkia's fist in a powerful Ice Punch.

The dragon stumbled backwards at the force of Ace's hit and actually crashed into the wall. The museum curator began to scream furiously. The last thing she wanted was for the museum to be wrecked.

"Oh well..." Samuel said after a moment, pointing to the fight. "Ace got the Medallion from Jamirus. Palkia won't be able to stand against him for too long...unless backup arrives."

Hoshiko looked with horror upon the fight but quickly turned back to Samuel, grabbing onto his arm, partially in fear and partially trying to keep herself steady.

"This is terrible!" The girl shouted over all of the noise and fighting.

Palkia snapped its jaws at Ace's head and Ace sprang backwards, landing solidly on the floor. The large dragon started to pull away from the wall, raining plaster down in sheets of white. Hoshiko swallowed nervously. Backup? Oh there was backup coming, alright, to her misery. Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered.

"Hart, he sent Dialga too..." Her eyes narrowed and she took a step closer to Samuel, absolutely terrified. She couldn't find it within her to be as brave as she was before now. She had someone else to worry for. She placed her hand nervously on her abdomen. "Hart's coming too..." She said softly, looking at Samuel with unimaginable worry.

Samuel suddenly looked concerned. "Augh...I knew Hart wouldn't leave us alone..." He looked towards Palkia and Ace.

The dragon ducked its head, barely avoiding a second ice punch swooping in from above. Ace landed on the ground in front of Palkia, and Palkia wasted no time countering Ace's previous attack. The floor underneath Ace erupted into an explosion of debris, naturally causing the curator to scream louder. The blast sent Ace reeling and tumbling head over heels.

"Ace!" Samuel called out. "Hart is coming! And he's bringing Dialga!"

"What?!" the curator shrieked. "No. No, no no no no NO! Get out of the museum!"

At that moment, Hart came tearing up the steps and ran in beside Samuel, almost knocking the boy over. Looking over Samuel's shoulders on the other side of him, Hoshiko's eyes met Hart's briefly. She stumbled when Samuel lost his balance, but clinging to the boy's arm kept her from falling. Her cover was blown, but at least she was with Samuel. Now so long as Hart didn't get too mad and Ace managed to keep a hold on the Medallion, everything would be okay.

"Palkia! The Medallion! Grab it before he gets enough energy to use it again!" Hart clenched both fists and turned to the battle.

Palkia roared, and grabbed Ace in its huge, scaly hands.

Samuel shoved Hart to the side. "Ace!"

"I got this, Samuel!" Ace cried out, and suddenly two blades of energy pierced out through the backs of Palkia's hands. The dragon roared in fury, releasing Ace and jerking its hand away from him in rage. Ace landed on the ground, now holding two swords formed from his own energy.

"Oh, Palkia, you card. I'm not letting you carry out Arceus' wishes TODAY!" With the last shouted word, Ace suddenly jumped in the air and crossed the two blades like scissors, cutting deeply into Palkia's scales.

Hoshiko clung tighter to Samuel's arm and hope desperately that Ace would be able to best Palkia quickly.

"Ace! Please be careful!" The girl cried out in worry as she watched, yet at the same time she was shocked at how powerful Ace was even in his human form...he was quite the creature.

Hart flashed an icy glare at Hoshiko as the girl cheered the Incarnus from the sidelines. "Mark my words, little girl. That..._thing_ is not your friend. And when you're staring him in those cold, heartless eyes and he's about to rob you of everything you ever cared about, there will be no begging, no pleading, that will ever be able to save you."

Palkia's huge foot came down on Ace, knocking him to the ground and nearly crushing him. But as the Incarnus laid on his back, he crossed his two blades and held them in from of himself, straining against Palkia's weight as he began to rally his own strength. The Medallion around Ace's neck began to glow a sickeningly dark color.

Samuel, ignoring Hart's efforts to try and frighten Hoshiko, reached into his own bag and pulled out a shining green horn—the Mark. He knew, automatically, that Ace was going to need it.

"Ready Ace?!"

Ace's strained voice called back. "N-not...yet..."

Palkia roared loudly, and tried to put more weight on Ace.

"Spare me your pathetic lies!" Hoshiko growled at Hart, turning away from the struggle. "I don't give a damn what Arceus told you. You're a fool for believing even a word of it!" The girl was practically seething at Hart and glaring at him from the other side of Samuel she had a grim look on her face. "Someday you'll see just what Ace has done for you, and face the cold, heartless eyes from Arceus. Someday if you're not careful, he'll swallow you up and take away everything! You've made a deal with the wrong side Hart!" And then her eyes flashed down at the Mark and back to Ace. It was obvious by how tightly she was holding Samuel's arm that she was afraid for the Incarnus, but there was nothing Hoshiko could do.

Hart raised an eyebrow at Hoshiko and then laughed a cold, sinister laugh. "Oh you think it's a lie, do you? Well. Perhaps you need to have yourself a little heart-to-heart with that wretched Incarnus of yours, and find out for yourself just what his real intentions are."

"Shut up, Hart! Don't you try to sway Hoshiko! She knows Ace is not like that!"

"Oh?" Hart sneered. "I don't think she does. But she'll find out. And so will you." He pointed his finger across the battlefield and shouted out. "The Incarnus is a traitor of his own kind! And if he gets his way he will see to it that _every_ monster's blood is spilled and the entire world is purified with the fires of Mt. Arcanine!"

Ace's gaze flashed to Hart in that moment, and he lost his focus. Palkia's foot came down on him, hard, and he cried out in pain under the crushing weight.

"No! Ace!" Samuel screamed, trying to run forward. Hart grabbed Samuel's arm and threw him to the ground, and he started laughing loudly. A ripple in the air suddenly turned to a flash—a portal through which Dialga appeared, filling the rest of the museum's upper floor with its sheer size. "Hahahaha! Ahahahaha! Now it's over." Hart laughed cruelly.

When Samuel was tossed to the ground so was Hoshiko, but the girl made sure she landed more on her back and side then anywhere else. Grunting in pain at having her sensitive bruises hit, she couldn't help but watch Ace in total and sheer fear. It couldn't be over that fast.

A sweep of Palkia's tail threw the rocks off of Jamirus' fallen form, and Hart reached into his bag to get his pokéball. He knew Jamirus was mortally wounded, and needed to be taken to a Pokémon Center immediately.

"Jamirus, Come back!" He looked at Dialga and Palkia. "Get that Medallion and let's get out of—"

In that instant, the air around Palkia began to twist and distort, changing color as Palkia had made it do before. Hart's eyes went wide. "No! But how!"

Palkia screamed as the Spacial Rend tortured its body, and it was forced to lift its foot off of Ace. The Incarnus looked badly hurt, but his body was glowing with power and so was the black Medallion. There was a very dark sort of light around him, and Samuel gasped. Tossing the Mark to his friend, he knew that now was the time if ever there was one.

Ace held up his hand and touched the Mark before it hit the ground. He didn't catch it in his hands, but the simple touch was somehow enough to make it appear on Ace's helmet, fusing to it like a unicorn's horn. Suddenly, Ace's armor turned from gold and purple to white and blue, and the Medallion flashed brightly with rainbow lights like the Aurora Borealis.

Despite being splayed out on the floor, in pain and in the presence of Hart and two incredibly powerful legendary pokémon. Hoshiko smiled a small smile. She didn't say anything this time to Ace, though. Hoshiko didn't want to distract him. However, the girl looked at Samuel and said softy.

"He's actually gonna make it..." Relief hung in her murmured gasp.

A smirk crawled across Samuel's face, and he glanced at Hoshiko from the corner of his eye, propping himself up on his elbows.

"That's Ace for you." He grinned, struggling to his feet and reaching to help Hoshiko up.

Hart growled furiously. "The Medallion! Get the Medallion, Dialga!"

A loud, wall-rattling roar shook the building as Dialga's long and muscular neck plunged forward. Dialga struck Ace with its hard skull while the Incarnus was concentrating on Palkia, and Ace stumbled backwards a bit, but caught himself before he hit the ground. He rolled to the side to avoid being stomped on again, and the two glowing swords appeared once more in his hands.

"Maybe I am a traitor." Ace growled quietly under his breath, to Palkia and Dialga. "But I cannot abide the things that our creator has brought upon the innocent for the sake of his own power and glory." He looked up, and his bright blue eyes flashed fiercely. He sprang into the air, and the energy blades began to glow brighter as he reached the peak of his jump. "Go back to where you came from, and this time, it would be best if you did not _RETURN_!"

Palkia took a step backwards, trying to avoid the stabbing blade as Ace came down, but the energy sword hit its mark, and suddenly Palkia was engulfed in light and darkness. A brilliant flash stripped the room of all color, and then the dragon disappeared. Ace landed on the ground, facing Hart. Dialga was right behind him, but Ace knew that now Dialga would not attack. Dialga knew that if it did, the same thing would happen to it as had happened to Palkia.

Ace glared at Hart. "You won't be seeing Palkia again until it finds a way back from the Forest of Beginnings. I suggest you forfeit now, because there is no way you can win."

Behind him, Dialga began to glow, and a shimmering bubble of time wrapped around it, before at last it vanished, taking Ace's suggestion. Hart frowned, knowing that the Parasect he had left among his monster team would not be enough to ward Ace off now. There was no sense in continuing the battle.

"You know the powers you're messing with." Hart scolded, taking a step back. "That Medallion belongs to Arceus. You can't keep using his own spirit against him forever. He'll find you, and when he does, it will be over."

"Then let it be over." Ace said smoothly, walking towards Hart and coming right up to his face. Hart recoiled, suddenly intimidated by the power he could _feel_ rolling off of the Incarnus. "I will die, to be sure, but not before my time. Arceus will not be the one to kill me. Not if I have something to say of it and not as long as Samuel is alive."

Hart looked over at the silver-haired boy and glared angrily, then looked back at Ace. "You can't keep him as your pawn forever."

"He is not my pawn." Ace spat. "He is my _master_."

Hart laughed. "You can say that, but we all know who is in control. _You_ are the master of _his_ destiny."

Samuel tensed at that, but he didn't retaliate. The accusation enraged Hoshiko. The idea of Ace controlling Samuel was absurd, and she knew what Samuel's freedom meant to him after he had explained the story of his father to her. One thing was for sure, Arceus' lies had gone too far this time, and Hart had crossed a line that Hoshiko was about to draw quite clearly for the man. Shaking her head and first speaking quietly to Samuel, Hoshiko said.

"Don't listen to Hart, not a word he says. He's a lying scheming man. Nothing he says is the truth..." And shaking her head slowly, the girl then turned to Hart himself, moving so that she could face him and was no longer holding onto Samuel's arm.

"Where do you get off spreading Arceus' lies?" She said bitterly. "Or was that one your own?" Hoshiko raised an eyebrow. Her fearless nature had surfaced from somewhere deep within, or this was one of those odd pregnancy mood swings. "Because no one knows Ace like Samuel does, and you don't even know him as well as I do, Hart."

She practically spat the words at the man, Hoshiko was so angry. "You know what you are? Stupid! Because all you do is listen to Arceus and act as his puppet! You're nothing more then a pile of wood on strings to Arceus, and you're crazy to think you're any more than that! Once you're done doing his dirty deeds, then you'll see what will become of you! Arceus will toss you to the side like the worthless human being you are! You have no morals! Not even a heart in your chest and the sick part is that you're proud of it!"

Narrowing her eyes and looking at Hart with sheer hatred the girl finished. "Now get your sorry face out of here because you know what, you're making me _sick_."

Hart stood the girl down, glaring icily at Hoshiko for a long, silent moment. Then a slow, creeping smirk turned up one corner of his crooked mouth.

"Very well. It's obvious to me that you've won the battle, and there is absolutely no more reason for me to be here. For now." He took a step backwards, towards the staircase. "But you just remember what I told you, because contrary to what you think, I know what I'm talking about. And you would too. If you would just ask the Incarnus for yourself." He laughed coldly, and gave a huge smile and a quick wave of his hand. "Au revoir!"

Despite the fact that Hoshiko wished she could have done something more to change Hart's mind or at least yell some sense into him, the man indeed left and without even a tiny bit of remorse. It made Hoshiko's blood boil. But now the museum's upper level was practically in ruins and the Medallion was no longer safe and sound. It was back with Ace. Their trip, in a way, felt like it had been for naught.

Samuel watched furiously as Hart left, but his fury was cut short by the sobs and raging tears of the museum curator, who was now looking over the mess left behind. Samuel sighed, and walked over to see what he could say to calm her down. The tension in Ace's body melted away, and now he found himself limping to Hoshiko's side. From where they stood, they couldn't hear the details of the talk, but when Samuel came back, he explained everything.

"She's obviously gonna need some time to get this place cleaned up... I guess she thought that Hart was supposed to be one of the museum sponsors and that's why she trusted Jamirus up here... They'll have a lot more remodeling to do now... In the mean time, she suggests we hold onto the Medallion. She realized during the fight that it's not just a legend. It's for real."

Ace nodded. "Come on then, we should get out of here and give her some space."

Turning to Samuel, Hoshiko sighed, exasperated. "...I guess we'd better get out of here then..." She sounded discouraged.

Together, the three exited the museum after apologizing to the curator one last time. The poor woman's nerves were obviously worn down to a thread. After they reached the bottom of the front marble steps, Hoshiko looked at Samuel and Ace wearily.

"What're we supposed to do next?" Hoshiko asked, folding her arms in front of herself.

Ace sighed and looked down at the pendant hanging around his neck. He didn't like having it. Not one bit. But he knew it would be safe with him until the museum was rebuilt and Hart was taken care of.

"There isn't much that we can do..." Ace mumbled in frustration. "Our only choice is to keep Hart from collecting the dark matter he needs to aid the demon king's cause...The problem is... Doing that is going to be very difficult." He shook his head. "We can always try to head him off, but that doesn't mean he won't find some someplace else. It's literally everywhere..."

Hoshiko tried to consider where they might find Hart next but at first wasn't coming up with anything. She pulled the flier that she had gotten from him out of her pocket and unfolded it. Holding it out for Ace and Samuel to see, the girl shrugged.

"I dunno, if this helps us any. Hart gave me one back in the restaurant..." But then as she mentioned their meeting Hoshiko remembered something. "Oh, yeah! When I saw him there I told him that I was with Osamu..." Hoshiko got quiet for a second at the thought but then she spoke up once more. "I told him we were going to Saffron City, for a martial arts tournament where Osamu trained...He said he was interested in going there to advertise and watch the tournament...of course it doesn't exist." But shrugging she shook her head. "But Hart doesn't know that."

Ace and Samuel both looked at each other for a long quiet moment, and then Ace nodded slowly. He turned to Hoshiko. "How much he will trust your word now isn't certain, but it's worth a shot, even if it is in the dark." He decided. "If he doesn't show up we'll just have to look elsewhere. Eventually he'll come back to us, because I have the Medallion, but that doesn't mean he won't try to collect some dark matter and get stronger first..."

Ace frowned a bit at the thought. "He's completely crazy... He has no idea what that stuff could do to his monsters or...even to him..."

"He's pretty much an idiot..." Hoshiko looked annoyed at even thinking about Hart. "Honestly, he needs to start listening to people that know what they're talking about..."

Reaching into her bag, Hoshiko pulled out Hanu's pokéball and gave it a good hard look. Going to Saffron wasn't exactly ideal. It didn't mean that Osamu would be there. In fact he probably wouldn't. Saffron would be the last place he'd look for her. Still, his dojo was there, and knowing that Osamu's friends were there—the people that he had trained with and grown up amongst—Hoshiko couldn't be sure that he had told them about her. It was a pretty good bet. Running her hand through her hair she held out the Hanu's pokéball. Hoshiko looked at Samuel and Ace, trying to seem encouraging.

"Alright then, I guess our next job is chasing Hart..." Looking off in the direction of Saffron, Hoshiko sighed.


	21. Fighters

**Chapter 21: Fighters**

For anyone traveling long distances, flying was just something one did. By now, Samuel was so used to riding on the backs of pokémon as they soared through the sky that he could practically sleep while doing it. He didn't of course, but there were plenty of times that he could have, half dozing and staring lazily out across the puffy white clouds.

Shivers from the cold wind at this altitude captured the attention of Ace, who kindly obliged to keep Samuel warm by wrapping his arms around his master from behind and holding him close. The generous gesture inspired Samuel to do the same thing for poor Hoshiko, which Samuel felt was extra important, especially because of Hoshiko's condition.

There was a deep gratitude in Hoshiko's heart as she realized how Samuel cared for both her and her child. Especially with how cold it did get when they were at such a high altitude. Part of Hoshiko liked the idea of getting back to the ground and part of her wished she didn't have to go to Saffron City, but considering that it was for Ace and Samuel's mission it meant a lot more for her to actually go there. After all, Samuel had done so very much for her.

The three of them rode as comfortably as possible huddled together, but were all nonetheless relieved when the buildings of Saffron and the golden-colored bricks of the streets guided them in for a safe and comfortable landing.

Samuel unfolded his arms from around Hoshiko, freeing her so that she could get down, and Ace, though requiring a wake-up nudge, did the same for Samuel. Their feet on the solid earth, Samuel breathed in deep the richer oxygen at ground level. He stretched his arms, and looked around curiously.

Hoshiko scanned the busy scenery as well before turning to give Samuel a hug. "Thanks Samuel." She didn't say why but assumed he would already know. The young man hugged her back.

"I've never been here before." He commented distractedly. "This place is so...big." He laughed and looked down at the straw-colored brick streets and up at the meringue gold paint on the stone-walled buildings. "And yellow."

Hoshiko withdrew from the hug and looked around with a slight sigh. "Oh yeah, it's pretty big...and pretty showy..." Obviously this wasn't the first place in the world Hoshiko wanted to be. "I've been here a few times..." The girl said vaguely, but she shook her head trying to clear her mind. "But if Hart is anywhere, he'll be near the Dojo." Hoshiko said softly, waving for her friends to follow her to the place where she had first met Osamu, after recalling Hanu of course.

Ace walked slowly after Samuel as soon as the boy started following Hoshiko, and Samuel was surprised that the Incarnus wasn't immediately by their sides, alert and ready for banter. He glanced back over his shoulder, and noticed that Ace was walking with a very slight limp, and he had a far-off and quiet look on his face.

"Are you alright?" Samuel asked, as Ace finally caught up and removed the Mark from his forehead. He handed it to the boy and nodded as Samuel put the ancient weapon away.

"I'm alright." Ace said, looking over at Samuel. "...Just...exhausted from fighting Dialga and Palkia..."

Samuel looked surprised. He could almost tell that there was something else bothering him, but he didn't want to bother Ace too much. "Well alright...if you're sure you're okay. But maybe we should stop by a pokémon center."

Ace laughed weakly. "In this form I don't think they'll serve me. And in the midst of a busy city, I'm not too keen on changing back to another form... Besides... That requires energy I just don't have at the moment. Sending Palkia back to the Dark World was taxing... The dragon is a master of space...and resisted fiercely up until the end."

Even if Hoshiko was distracted by the dark memories that Saffron stirred in her heart and head, she certainly wouldn't let it get in the way of having concern for her friends. Halting and going over to Samuel and Ace, the girl's expression was littered with concern.

"Are you sure you're alright Ace? Maybe we can take you to a doctor...or I could check your leg. Remember, Koichi gave us a first aid kit." She tried to smile encouragingly. "After all, I might have inherited some of his medical talent." The girl laughed softly.

She looked to Samuel for a moment, hoping he would just give her the kit so that she'd be able to help Ace without any protest. But then looking back to the Incarnus she looked sad. "I'm sorry that Palkia and Dialga gave you such a hard time...they were behaving terribly. I feel so sorry for them. At least Moltres was more obedient than they were. And I'm sure...if you needed to enlist the rest of the legendary birds...they'd help. I'm positive." Even though her tone tried to sound encouraging, there was still a strange sense of sadness in Hoshiko's voice. It was impossible to hide or ignore. Just the thought of Osamu brought back the realization that this was the place where everything had begun for her. There was no doubt in her mind that Osamu had bragged to his friends of her pregnancy. He seemed to tell them everything.

Ace laughed softly, but his gaze was full of gratitude as it fell on Hoshiko. "Moltres...Is a slightly different animal than Dialga and Palkia. They were both created to be the counters to my power. I think the Demon King finally realized that he needs some way to stop me...other than what he's been doing. He's getting more and more serious, in other words."

Samuel nodded slowly. "Other pokémon are just pokémon. But Dialga and Palkia...they are now Arceus' right hand."

"Oh yeah?" Hoshiko murmured surprise at how Palkia and Dialga were being used, but sighed in defeat after realizing once more that they had only placed themselves in her memory, and so anything that she knew of them was false to begin with.

Ace nodded, finally catching up to his friends. "I suppose we should try and treat my injuries...But it's not really my leg... I think I've suffered some...pretty severe internal injuries." He tried to mask his pain, but his master could tell that he wasn't comfortable.

"Maybe...a Hospital?" Samuel asked with growing anxiety.

"I don't think so..." Ace grunted slightly at the very thought of exposing himself to human scrutiny. "I don't feel like being ridden out of town on a rail today."

"Hmmmmmmmm." Hoshiko looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before going into her bag and shifting through all of the medicines that Koichi had given her.

Most of them were for her pregnancy and wouldn't do him any good. But there was one. Koichi had given it to her to help her recover from any physical damage Osamu might have done to her with all of the beatings and abuse. Pulling out a thin plastic pouch filled with powdered green herbs, she held it out for Ace.

"Try this. We'll get you some hot water and put that inside. It'll help, I'm sure." She did her best to sound hopeful. "Koichi gave it to me for the internal damage that Osamu's caused me that can be repaired." Hoshiko nodded decisively. "I'm positive it'll work for you too, Ace!"

Ace looked hopeful, and nodded. "Good... The last thing I want is to go to a human hospital when I really am not...well...human. I can tell you now that there would be more than a few doctors who raised their eyebrows at me, more who would start treating me like a lab rat, and some who would just plain freak out."

Samuel laughed dismally. "Yeah, you're right about that." He smiled though, "Come on. They always have hot water at the pokémon centers. We'll get a cup full and mix it up for you to drink."

"Thank you..." Ace said gently. "Both of you..."

"No problem." Hoshiko smiled and nodded. Thankfully the three were close enough to a Pokémon Center that it wouldn't seem all that far for Ace to get there with the help of his friends, although Hoshiko wasn't able to help him as much as she would have liked, leaving the majority of that work for Samuel.

* * *

The walk was brief, just a few blocks down and across the street. Samuel supported Ace with his shoulder and the Incarnus indulged unabashedly, leaning on the young man heavily. Samuel tried to encourage Ace to walk a bit himself, but once the shoulder was offered, Ace didn't move away. He seemed surprisingly content to be close to Samuel, and at last the young man simply relented. Once they got into the Center, Hoshiko ran right away to grab the hot water, ignoring the many people around her as she crowded to a table and snatched a Styrofoam cup. She found the hot water dispenser and tilted the nozzle, pouring the piping hot liquid and collecting a plastic spoon from a basket before going back over to Ace and Samuel. Taking the herbs, Hoshiko put in a few spoonfuls and then stirred it around before handing it back to Ace.

"It tastes disgusting but I think it works." Hoshiko said sheepishly.

Ace took the hot cup of herb water and prepared himself mentally for the taste. Expecting the worst, he sipped it, and made a face, but continued to drink it. He coughed once, but choked it down with significant effort, ignoring the burning heat of the water as it washed down his throat.

Samuel laughed. "Man, you have some guts to guzzle _that_."

"What did you expect from me?" Ace laughed, wheezing while he did.

"I always thought you were a big ol' wuss."

"Yeah well, now maybe you'll look up to me more.

"Naw." Samuel snickered. "But at least I know you can drink nasty things. Might come in handy someday."

Looking back for a second as she started to wander in search of a place to rest, Hoshiko shook her head as if scolding two little boys. "You know I have to drink a bunch of stuff that tastes like that everyday." She raised an eyebrow at them, remembering her sickness herbs and making a mental note to take them before she left.

As she settled into a leathery waiting-room chair, the realization of the fact that she was practically at the trainers' hub of Saffron dawned on the girl, and she automatically felt concern rise inside. She started searching the milling bodies and faces all around her, watching for anyone that seemed familiar. Most of them looked like total strangers, and that was a relief, but when her eyes crossed the front counter, she had to do a double take, and that fact alone made her heart sink. She wasn't sure whether or not she really recognized the person, but one of the young men around Osamu's age at the front counter seemed awfully familiar. She watched him as he leaned against the desk and talked to the nurse healing his monsters.

Samuel noticed Hoshiko staring, and came over to sit next to her. "Hey...Who's that?" He nodded towards the fellow.

Hoshiko stiffened, glancing to Samuel and then back at the counter for a second before the young man turned around. She looked away quickly with wide eyes and spoke softly.

"That's one of Osamu's friends, I'm sure of it now..." Hoshiko bit her lip hesitantly. "In fact...one of his best friends..." And lowering her head a bit, the girl hoped he that she wouldn't be noticed. Of course, such an effort was in vain as she could hear his voice not far behind her.

"I wouldn't have expected to see you here..." His voice sounded and got closer. Even in the busy center, Hoshiko imagined she could hear his footfalls as he approached. "I figured Osamu wasn't going to bring you with him." A skeptical voice accompanied a young man as he pushed past Samuel as if he wasn't there and stood over Hoshiko whose eyes now fixated on the person above her.

"...Sho..." She said his name and the young man smirked.

"You remembered my name?" Sho replied, crossing his arms in front of himself. "Osamu tells me he got lucky with you...quite a few times...That true?" He raised an eyebrow and looked amused at the topic.

Hoshiko's hand folded into fists. "...I'm pregnant..."

"So he wasn't just bragging!" He smiled broadly and yet almost condescendingly at Hoshiko. "So everything he said must have been true then."

"Everything?" Hoshiko looked horrified.

"...Yes,_ everything_." He shook his head, looking bored by Hoshiko's dramatics. "Anyways, you'd better get over to the Dojo, Osamu's round is about to begin."

Hoshiko was shocked to find that the lie she'd spun for Kaiser Hart had actually been reality. Of course Osamu loved his tournaments and came down here often, but it was still an odd coincidence. "Oh yeah, of course, I just need to grab a few things here and then I'll be ready to head back."

Glancing at her again with another smirk, Sho shook his head. "You're so weak of character. Honestly, I feel bad for my friend. If you weren't a Kimono Girl, he could just ditch you. It's sad that you have to be the one carrying his child. But at least you were weak enough to actually let him get to you." He bent down and poked at her stomach. "Isn't that right Hoshiko?"

Samuel opened his mouth to say something, but surprisingly it was Ace who stepped forward, putting himself in between Hoshiko and Sho and jabbing his finger into the man's chest.

"And let me tell _you_ something, pal. You won't talk to or about Hoshiko like that, _regardless_ of what Osamu tells you." His blue eyes flashed fiercely.

Although Ace wasn't normally quite that protective of Hoshiko, Samuel smirked a bit when the Incarnus stepped forward. He was pleased. Knowing who Ace was, he doubted this man stood a chance if he were to pick a fight, even _if_ Ace was already injured. Sho, however, didn't perceive any significant danger. He just looked at Ace skeptically, removing his jabbing finger away from his chest.

"Look, I'm not sure who you are, but that girl behind you happens to be my best friend's wife. So maybe you should just leave us alone, okay?" His tone was no where near as polite as he should have been but turning on his heel, Sho went to leave. "I'm not going to miss Osamu fighting either. He's a favorite for the win this year." But before he left Sho looked at Hoshiko one last time. "Kind of a shame I didn't marry you, after all, what man wouldn't like such a submissive wife. Oh well, I'll be seeing you around, Hoshiko. And if Osamu ever gets tired of you, I'll make sure he passes you on to me. You might not win in personality, but you don't make my eyes sore, that's for sure. And Osamu's put in a _good_ word for you don't worry about that." But he didn't wait for Hoshiko or Ace to say anything before going leaving the Pokémon Center.

Hoshiko didn't say anything either. Her cheeks were absolutely cherry red, and she couldn't find it herself to even look at Samuel or Ace. The poor girl's eyes looked practically deadened and even her body language seemed completely ashamed. Samuel patted Ace's shoulder in gratitude for his defense, and the Incarnus glanced at him with a slight frown.

"I don't like Osamu or his friends."

"None of us do." Samuel shrugged. "But thanks for standing up for Hoshiko."

"I was protecting you too." Ace looked at him firmly. Although at first Samuel thought he was joking, it took only a minute for him to realize that Ace was very serious. "I know how rash you can be, Samuel, and I didn't want to see you starting a fist fight with someone who could knock your lights out in one punch." Samuel frowned, but didn't argue, instead looking away. Ace then turned to Hoshiko. "Hey...it's alright..." His rich, deep voice was as soft as could be. Samuel always found it soothing, but he didn't know if Hoshiko thought the same. "Don't take anything that guy said seriously. You're with us now, remember?"

She hadn't wanted to seem so bothered by Sho's comments, but it wasn't so much what he said as what the words stirred in Hoshiko's memory. There were things that she didn't want to remember and certainly things that she never wanted Samuel and Ace to hear. It was too embarrassing, and Hoshiko was too ashamed. The girl managed to turn her face to Ace, but she didn't look much better even with Sho gone.

"I...I know...but everything he said, it was all true, Ace." Hoshiko looked down at her hands, her face growing even redder. "And the memories, I want to leave them behind but they're so vivid...and what Sho said, it just makes them feel even closer to me. Like it's happening all over again..." Hoshiko glanced up at Ace but couldn't let her eyes linger too long.

"I'm ashamed of it Ace...and...and I just can't seem to get rid of those horrible memories." The girl buried her face in her hands. "...Make them go away...all these terrible feelings..." Hoshiko's voice was muffled behind her hands.

As Hoshiko buried her face in her hands, the feeling of a good firm grip on each shoulder and a friendly squeeze caught her attention. But if she looked up, she'd see that it wasn't just Ace, nor was it just Samuel. Each of them had rested one hand on each of her shoulders, and they were standing together, creating a perfect triangle with their little group.

Ace was the one to speak first. "I can't take the memories away. But instead of dwelling on them, why not be thankful that you're not in that situation any longer?"

Samuel grinned too. "He's right. Be glad Osamu wasn't the one who dragged you here. The memories may be awful, but you're making new memories now."

Samuel and Ace didn't understand. They couldn't understand. After all, they weren't in her shoes, hadn't been and she prayed they never would be. Her heart was damaged far beyond that of what a smile and simple words of encouragement could fix. The torment that Hoshiko had endured was mind ravaging. Yet at the same time, Hoshiko didn't have to heart to tell Samuel or Ace this, or even to let them see to what extent her heart and mind had been hurt by Osamu. It was far worse then anything he could have done to her body.

"...T-Thank you..." She said weakly, looking up at her friends. "...Thank you both, so much...I know how much you care...it's a...great comfort." Hoshiko did her best to smile but didn't nearly succeed.

Confused, Samuel withdrew his hand from her shoulder, but he didn't stop smiling. Seeing the confused expression on Samuel's face made Hoshiko feel bad for not being able to be more receptive to him and Ace. Hoshiko felt the urge to apologize.

"...I'm sorry that I haven't been able to be stronger..." Hoshiko said softly. "I'm really sorry. It's just that, well, it's just that I'm too weak to put it all aside right now. I think that everything is just too fresh in my mind, and everyday I wake up and I'm reminded of all the things that happened. Sometimes, it's really hard to just live in my own skin...but...but I know time will heal everything. I just need to get stronger..." And this time Hoshiko was able to make herself smile gently. "But until then, I know that I have two best friends to help me...and...I can't thank you enough..."

Samuel bowed his head gently. It took a moment, but he changed the subject, speaking gently and hoping to take Hoshiko's mind off of her trauma. "We should find out if there's any dark matter here..." He suggested. "Before Hart arrives. Hopefully he hasn't already."

Ace looked over at his master wearily. "I don't know... I'm not sure I have enough energy to do that but... I shall try."

"That's the spirit." Samuel patted Ace on the back and glanced at Hoshiko again. "Are you up to the search?"

The girl nodded in quiet certainty. "Yeah, I'm okay...I promised to help you two, and that's what I'm going to do no matter what. Besides we probably don't have much time before Hart shows up."

Samuel smiled when Hoshiko finally did the same for him, and he nodded firmly. "Okay then, if he really is coming here, first thing he's going to want to do is watch Osamu's match at the dojo. That gives us a little time. After that, he'll probably stick around there and pass out fliers like the one he gave you. Once that's done, he'll use Dialga and Palkia to help him find any dark matter that might be around here." He turned to Ace, "Right?"

"Absolutely." Ace agreed. "And because of what dark matter is, it is a very common substance that is being seeded more and more across the land. That's one of the things that bothers me. Darkness is no longer simply an essence that is imbued into every monster's heart and soul...it has become a cancer of the world itself. When Samuel and I worked together, it was uncommon to see items tainted with dark matter. Rather, dark matter was often clumped into a concentrated solid form and hidden. Now I have noticed a disturbing trend. Items and objects have become a target...a place for darkness to hide. We are going to have to find a way to locate this sort of darkness, because it is far less obvious."

"Hiding it in tangible items?" Hoshiko questioned, a bit shocked at the revelation. But then something seemed to dawn on her as Ace explained about what exactly they were looking for. "Ever since I met Osamu..." Hoshiko's eyes were thoughtful and though she was speaking out loud and to Samuel and Ace, she sounded more like she was speaking to herself. "He had a necklace with a pendant on it. He never takes it off..." Looking up at Samuel and Ace, the girl shook her head.

"You don't think...? Maybe the pendant is tainted? Osamu seems very protective of it. He wouldn't even take it off for the wedding ceremony..." And despite the fact that Hoshiko had wanted to avoid her husband at any cost, she wasn't able to deny the fact that it was a possibility.

Ace scratched his chin in thought. "Well, it may not have been tainted the entire time you knew him, but it is very possible that over time it has become that way. Unfortunately, we do not have a way to tell if that is the case. We're going to need to be very clever to figure this out."

"You can sense the darkness though...can't you?" Samuel asked, confused.

"I can, but it is much more difficult when it is hidden inside of an item rather than exposed to the outside world..."

Hoshiko pondered the idea for a moment before speaking again. "Well, how are we supposed to know if something if infected with darkness?" She asked, trying to at least figure out what they might be able to do. "I've seen the pendant a lot times, how would I be able to tell...or is there any sign at all? Because if it's a matter of never being able to tell...then...well, then we're fighting the worst losing battle ever."

Ace shook his head. "Most of the time, it's impossible to tell at a glance."

Hoshiko looked down at her hands and then to her stomach, rubbing it gently. She felt sick, and it wasn't surprising, considering everything on her mind. Still, the nausea reminded the girl to go get couple of cups of hot water for herself. She excused herself and did just that, mixing different herbs in each cup and barely giving them much time to cool. She started to drink and took out the sacks of pills her father had given her. Hoshiko started to fish one of each out. She'd mentioned feeling sick that she could only imagine the Ace and Samuel were just as sick of hearing her say she was sick as she was of feeling sick. But she looked up at Samuel from across the room, and saw him glance at her amid a conversation with Ace. She tried to smile back, and returned to her friends.

"Did I miss anything?" Hoshiko asked, sounding slightly unsure.

Samuel smiled at his friend. "Not too much. But really, Ace and I were just discussing methods of detecting darkness. He seems to think that perhaps the master medallion may react to other dark items because of the sheer concentration it contains within itself. He says it's constantly pouring out a slow but steady stream of black energy, and that the dark energy is drawn to other dark energy. When the dark essence concentrates, it grows stronger."

"That is correct." Ace nodded slowly. "But how it will react is the difficult thing to gauge. It's easy to tell when darkness affects the dark essence inside of monsters, because the power of the evil drives the monsters to violence. But an item cannot be violent. The power of darkness in the infected item would become more potent, but recognizing it would be hard. Perhaps luckily, or even unfortunately in Osamu's case, if the object he holds is imbued with darkness, it will have a profound affect on him, triggering violence and aggression that is unwarranted."

Samuel frowned. "Well...Osamu has always been a jerk though, hasn't he, Hoshiko?"

"Hm." Hoshiko looked grim, considering Samuel's question. "He's always been mean to me, ever since we met here in Saffron. But he never laid a hand on me when we were children. He just said mean things and made fun of me. It was more as we got older, into our teen years that he would hit me when I didn't do what he wanted. But...not beat me like he does now. That only started about a year or two ago...the little hits and slaps were one thing but the beating and...well...well him taking advantage of me are very different..." Hoshiko looked back at her pouch in her hand. "So...maybe it is different? Even if not that much..."

But raising the medicine up for Samuel to see, Hoshiko shook her head. "I wasn't really asking if I forgot about that though...I wanted to make sure that I remembered all my medication..." She looked at Samuel with a slight smirk. "So, did I forget anything?"

Samuel's cheeks turned pink, and a little bead of sweat formed on his forehead. He gave a sheepish laugh, and looked down at Hoshiko's hand, trying to make sure she had everything.

"It looks good." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, but don't forget the stuff that your grandmother gave you. The family remedy for a strong baby." He rubbed his neck with a laugh.

"Oh yeah!" Hoshiko pulled the herb package out of her bag but paused and looked at it for a second. "Waitaminute. I have to take this just before meals." Hoshiko shook her head and Samuel and laughed slightly. "Get with the program! Someday you're gonna have a wife to take care of, you better start practicing now Samuel." She obviously meant nothing but humor by it, and so continued laughing as she put the herbs back into her bag and finished off the last of one of the cups of herbs. With it, she downed her pills.

Samuel's cheeks turned from pink to red, and he looked away, now all the more embarrassed. Ace just chuckled at the boy. Had the situation been less dire, Ace would have felt inclined to become rather playful at seeing Samuel so, and certainly would have tackled him or something of the like. Instead, he smiled at Samuel, unable to help himself. The boy was becoming more of a gentleman and less of a rogue every day. But Ace would never tell him that. He knew Samuel liked to uphold the tough image, even if he was simply a big softie. His smile faded only slightly when he considered what Hoshiko had said.

"If his behavior has changed so recently, then perhaps there _is_ something dark residing in that pendant of his."

Hoshiko looked to Ace. "...Well, if I brought you the pendant...would you be able to tell?" Hoshiko said hesitantly and quite softly, knowing full and well how difficult that might be. "If Hart sees Osamu he might get it before we do...so...I'd need to go soon..."

"I hate to ask you to retrieve the object, but if it is indeed the object that is causing the trouble, we need to get it quickly. Perhaps Samuel and I should attempt—"

"No." Hoshiko cut off Ace, shaking her head and putting away any of the remaining things she had out of her bag and pulling out her kimono, placing it into her lap. "No Ace. Osamu would never let either of you close enough to him to get that pendant. Even for me, I'm not sure how I'll get it, but I have a better chance than both of you do, especially now that I've gotten away from him. He'd sooner try to kill either of you than let you get near his pendant." Staring down at the clothing in her lap, Hoshiko rose to her feet, leaving her bag beside where Samuel was sitting.

"I'm...going to go get ready." She said softly. "Remember, I promised to help you two." Hoshiko reminded before going into the bathroom to change. Osamu would be furious if he saw her in street clothes.

Samuel clenched his fists worriedly. He wanted to stop Hoshiko, but Ace wouldn't let him.

"He wouldn't need to _let_ us get close to it." Ace pointed out just as Hoshiko started moving off. "We could just take it. But if you think you know what's best, I trust you, Hoshiko. We'll be here to protect you, so don't worry about a thing."

Samuel nodded. "There's no way Osamu can beat Ace. No human is strong enough to defeat a pokémon, and Ace is one of the strongest monsters there is."

Ace blushed slightly, something that Samuel was not used to seeing, but it made him laugh. "Well...I don't know about that, but I'd like to think so." Ace chuckled. "The point is...we're right behind you, Hoshiko."

Hoshiko thanked them, and disappeared into the bathroom.

Once Hoshiko came out in her kimono, the girl got a few looks, but people quickly went back to their usual activities in the Pokémon Center. She hadn't done her makeup, so it looked a lot more like Hoshiko in a kimono than the girl Samuel was used to seeing all done up like a doll.

"Thanks for standing behind me." She murmured as she stopped in front of Ace and Samuel. "Not too close though..." Hoshiko warned. "And trust me; it is a matter of getting close to him. He won't let a soul near that pendant. I swear it." The girl shook her head. "And I don't want you to get into a fight with him Ace..." Hoshiko looked torn. "First, I don't want any harm to befall you or Samuel, that's my priority..." But closing her eyes, the girl shook her head. "But it's impossible for me to forget that I'm carrying this man's child...to willingly allow harm to him...I would feel no better then Osamu himself..." And turning to leave the Pokémon Center with her two friends in tow, Hoshiko smiled at Samuel. "But, do you mind keeping my bag for me?" She asked.

Samuel reached out a hand and slowly took the bag from Hoshiko, looking down at it and feeling a little helpless. He wanted to help her. He wanted to make sure she didn't get in trouble with Osamu again. After all, he and Ace had just barely managed to get her away from that man. Samuel wasn't sure he could live with himself if anything happened to her now. And, if the pendant truly harbored dark energies, who was to say that something wouldn't?

"Yeah, I'll hold onto it..." Samuel said slowly. "But I won't promise I won't come to your rescue if Osamu does something that endangers you or the baby." He frowned sternly, and only relaxed when he felt Ace's hand on his shoulder.

"Alright..." Hoshiko agreed softy. "But just don't come forward unless it's something really important. Remember, he can only do so much to me at the Dojo. It's a public place. And I can endure minor injuries, Samuel. I'll make sure that the baby is safe."

The Incarnus looked up at Hoshiko. "Good luck..."

Letting her hand graze Samuel's as he took her bag, Hoshiko tried to give him a reassuring smile, although it was more for both their sakes as the girl was just as unsure as Samuel was of her even going near Osamu, let alone close enough to snatch away his prized possession. She nodded and then smiled at Ace.

"Thank you, Ace. I'll do my best."

* * *

The three emerged from the pokémon center back into the golden streets of Saffron. Hoshiko's eyes were dull, not even as reflective as the polished, shining buildings. The young woman mentally prepared herself for the encounter with her husband. The trio walked wordlessly through the bustling streets, too focused on what lay ahead to enjoy the scenery. They approached the Dojo that Hoshiko was familiar enough with, and she entered, instructing Samuel and Ace to remain by the entrance so that Osamu wouldn't see them.

Only then did Hoshiko approach the practice area, which was conveniently viewable from the entrance. Osamu was there, as assumed, dressed for fighting but only speaking with his friend, Sho.

"What do you mean you saw my wife at the Pokémon Center?" He sounded irate. "That's not a joke, Sho, she's been taken by that friend of hers, I can easily assume. The little witch keeps slipping between my fingers. I thought she would finally stay put after she got pregnant." Cursing under his breath, Osamu glared at Sho.

Hoshiko approached the two young men.

"Osamu..." She spoke her husband's name softly. However he wasn't anywhere near as gentle with her. With a look of shock and anger he strode over to Hoshiko, grabbing her kimono's collar harshly, practically lifting her off of her feet and leaving only an inch between the two of them.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I went to see Koichi..." Hoshiko said nervously. "I...I was too scared...I didn't know if the baby was alright..."

"Liar!" Osamu growled in her face, practically tossing the girl. She stumbled back, hitting Sho in the process. "Where's your little bastard friend? I'll kill him." He threatened.

"Samuel isn't here! I haven't seen him!" Hoshiko said sadly, now in Sho's grip as Osamu approached her, stalking towards his wife slowly.

* * *

Samuel inched as close as he could to front doors as he could without being seen, and Ace pressed up against his back, leaning over his shoulder to try and get a view as well. Sure enough, the first thing that they saw was nothing but Osamu's anger. Samuel's natural instinct was to run in there and protect Hoshiko, fists blazing, but Ace restrained him.

"Wait... Not yet... she's alright." Ace pointed out.

* * *

Sho blinked a few times. "Hey, hey. She did have someone with her, I remember. There were two guys, one of them dressed like some kind of idiot. The other dressed like... Well...an idiot too, but a different kind of idiot. One of 'em came up to me and started harassing me, but I just brushed 'em off, you know? They weren't worth my time."

"Oh?" Osamu looked at Sho with an eyebrow raised. "Isn't that an interesting piece of information?" Osamu seethed, turning to Hoshiko, eyes narrowed. "Well wherever your friends happen to be, I hope you kept them far away, Hoshiko. Far, far away. Because if I even get near Samuel, there will be hell for him to pay after taking away my wife."

That's when he stopped, taking a finger to lift Hoshiko's chin up, making her eyes line up with his cold, dark expression. Reaching down into the folds of her kimono, Osamu lifted out the necklace that Samuel and brought to her.

"Lying little bitch." He went to pull the necklace off of her neck when Hoshiko quickly pushed her face towards Osamu's, locking their lips together and forcing him into a sudden, passionate kiss. Osamu tightened the grip around her necklace and Hoshiko's cheeks started to go red.

She didn't have long to get the pendant away from him, but reaching to the back of Osamu's neck as he focused more on her than anything else, she managed with trembling hands to undo the clasp of his necklace and it fell straight from his neck and into the upper folds on her kimono. But Osamu wasn't planning on letting Hoshiko go. When she tried to break the kiss, he crushed her against his body, and the girl started to struggle. Sho watched for a moment, smirking to himself. Naturally, he got some sort of sick pleasure from watching the exchange, and he laughed.

"Yeah, that's right Osamu, you remind her who'd boss, heheheh..."

* * *

Samuel growled under his breath. "We can't let Osamu—"

"Hush." Ace whispered severely. "We don't want them to see us."

Samuel frowned, and watched as Hoshiko began to struggle. An irritated glare on his face, the man started to move forward when he realized she couldn't get away. He pushed open the entryway door and stepped inside before Ace could stop him.

"Samuel, no!"

"Let her go, Osamu!"

It was clear by how Hoshiko was struggling more and more desperately that she was starting to lose oxygen. Of course, Osamu wasn't going to let her die and was about to let her go. But when he heard Samuel's outcry, he smirked sickeningly. His hold on Hoshiko released, leaving the girl gasping for air as he pulled away from their kiss. Osamu turned slowly to face Samuel, his loathsome smile bringing rage boiling to the surface of Samuel's heart.

"Oh? What's this? You didn't hide him well enough, Hoshiko." Osamu shoved the girl into Sho's arms roughly, as she continued struggling to recapture her breath. "Hold onto her for a moment. I've got a rat to deal with." Clenching his hand into a fist, Osamu glanced back at Hoshiko as he approached Samuel. "What do you say Hoshiko, should I show Samuel what it's like to live a few minutes in your shoes?"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE OSAMU! LEAVE HIM ALONE! SAMUEL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" The girl cried out desperately, half choking even as she yelled. Her strained voice cracked a little, but still resonated sharply through the dojo.

"Don't cause a scene!" Osamu demanded of Hoshiko, finally reaching Samuel and grabbing the collar of his shirt. "What's your problem?"

Samuel was horrified by the sheer strength of Osamu's grip. Even though he himself was reasonably strong, simply from adventuring and constantly getting himself out of trouble, he was no match for the tremendous power of the man he had so come to hate. He had not realized what he was getting himself into until he figured out that there was no way he could wriggle free. He tried to punch Osamu in the gut, but for some reason, his reaction was feeble in comparison to the firmness of the grip the fighter had on him. Osamu growled, at Samuel's aggression, and with incredible brute force he went to slam a fist at Samuel's face.

"NO!" Hoshiko tried to struggle away from Sho. "LEAVE HIM ALONE! GET AWAY FROM HIM OSAMU!"

Samuel saw the fist, coming right at him. Instantly, his eyes squeezed shut, and he prepared for pain unimaginable. But he didn't feel a thing. Like white lightning, Ace was behind Osamu and had grabbed the man's fist, holding it back with the might of his own strength.

"Don't you _dare_ touch that boy." Ace's deep voice said in a dangerously low tone. It was clearly a threat. Samuel's eyes snapped open, and he could see Ace. He could also see, in the background, Sho looking stunned, and poor Hoshiko being restrained by the man. "You let him go, and I'll consider doing the same for you." Ace growled.

Osamu's eyes narrowed at the vice grip that Ace had on his hand. He grunted and twisted his neck to look and see the face of the man standing behind him. "W-Who the hell are you?" He snapped, irritably, whirling around and practically throwing Samuel into Ace's chest. He freed his hand with a difficult twist of his wrist and bore his teeth at the Incarnus before turning his back on the two.

"Why don't you two leave?" He slowly started to walk away from them. "Thank you for returning my wife. It seems odd of you two do something so nice for me." He smirked and walked over to Hoshiko going to take her away from Sho, but in the transfer, Hoshiko ran. Reaching into the folds of her kimono and taking out the pendant she'd seized from her husband, she threw it at Samuel and Ace before she was snatched away by Osamu.

"WHAT DID YOU GIVE HIM!?" He screamed into the girl's ear, shaking her mercilessly. "My medallion!" This was a fury that Hoshiko had not yet seen in his eyes, and she shrank in Osamu's arms nervously with nothing to say in her defense. Raising his fist, the young man gave Hoshiko the punch that he had prepared for Samuel and Hoshiko screamed, crumpling in pain and trying to hide her face from Osamu. "HOW DARE YOU!" He kept yelling at her and shook the girl harder.

Sho took a step back away from the scene. Even though he was always eager for a good fight, this was one he didn't want to be involved in. Samuel and Ace, however, had other plans. Samuel was the one who had caught the pendant. He'd only just tucked the piece away the second that Osamu's fist hit Hoshiko, and that did it.

Samuel lunged forward and jumped on Osamu's back, trying to pull him off of the poor girl. Ace was right behind him, knowing that Osamu was not going to take kindly to that. Although Ace had a strong feeling that the pendant was probably fueling Osamu's anger, he couldn't afford that notion enough attention or risk letting Samuel be beaten to death.

Ace grabbed Samuel and jerked him backwards, hard. Although the rough handling shocked Samuel at first, he did not fight and he knew it was for his own good when Ace pushed him abruptly to the side. The Incarnus grabbed Osamu next, and with a great deal of force, pried the man's hands off of Hoshiko. Hoshiko looked just as shocked as Samuel when Ace wrenched her free from Osamu, and gasped in relief while trying to hide the tears that came from her pain. She found herself turning to hide close to Ace for protection from her violent husband.

Growling at Ace as the Incarnus held onto his wife, Osamu clenched his fist angrily, for the first time unsure of what to do or say. He sensed that Ace was a fierce opponent—his years of martial arts experience had taught him well how to judge any aggressor. Still, he looked threateningly at Hoshiko and seethed.

"You can only run for so long, I will have you back. And once _my_ child is born, you're useless to me. The bloodline is continued. That's all that's needed. You, my dear wife, can go any time after that." Raising his head, Osamu let out a short, bitter laugh. "So have your fun, because your days are numbered. And I will make sure, that by my hand, you will die."

"I wouldn't be making threats like that, if I were you." Ace said, turning his body to the side so that Hoshiko would be shielded as Osamu shouted. Though Ace was generally a gentle creature, the ferocity in his eyes was plain as day now. And from the angle she stood, Hoshiko could see up close just how much power flashed in that ice blue gaze. "I have a lot of blood on my hands. Believe me... I wouldn't be afraid to add yours to it."

Samuel felt a jolt of fear shoot through him as he realized that Ace was serious. His mind flashed back to the memory of watching the pokémon in the convention center die between Ace's jaws. Ace had always told him that he would never take an innocent human life. But then to Ace, Osamu clearly was anything but.

Glancing up at Ace as he spoke, Hoshiko's own eyes were wide with shock at how intense his emotions were. There as a true sense of security from Osamu there in his arms, the only time she had ever truly felt safe from the cruel man. But on the other hand, part of her was nervous for her child's father, even if he was nothing but hostile to her and even now threatened her of her own life. Hoshiko couldn't find it in herself to wish him the harm that the girl knew Ace could cause him. Osamu didn't seem bothered by Ace's threat, simply waving his hand and turning a back on them.

"Oh, I won't be taking her from you right now. I don't have time to spend worrying about that little wench. But do take good care of my child for me. I would hate for any harm to befall it."

"The baby is _mine,_ Osamu." Hoshiko's eyes narrowed as she looked over Ace's arm at her husband.

"No, no it's not Hoshiko. That child is mine. You didn't even _want_ a child. You're nothing more then a worthless vessel that will give me the bloodline that I want for my kid. You have nothing else to do with this." He crossed his arms and started to walk away. "Like I said, take good care of my child, boys. I'll be coming back for it...and for Hoshiko."

Crying in pain and fear into Ace's chest, Hoshiko clung to him, clinging tightly and searching deeply for the protective feeling he gave to her. Although furious with Osamu, Ace was far more contained and controlled than Samuel tended to be. He simply glared at Osamu as the man walked away to enter into his tournament. The Incarnus only turned his attention to Hoshiko when he knew that Osamu and Sho were far enough out of earshot that he could talk to her safely.

He turned his gaze down on her as she hid his face against the cold, solid armor of his breastplate. He knew that, dressed as he was, any embrace he gave the girl was not going to be particularly soft or physically comforting. But he also knew that she needed emotional comfort at the moment much more so than physical comfort, so he hugged her tightly and laid his head on top of hers.

Even if Ace's armor didn't make her feel any more comfortable physically, the fact that he was hugging her made her at least feel more secure and protected from Osamu even more than the fact that he'd left the room. She was in visible pain, though, and it was obvious as the girl looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Listen, Hoshiko." Ace soothed, "As long as you are with Samuel and me, you are as safe as you can possibly be. Osamu can make threats all he likes, but he can't hurt you as long as I'm here to stand between him and you."

Samuel moved over to his friends and rested his hand on Hoshiko's shoulder. "Ace is right... We won't let him take you away." He looked down, reaching into his bag and drawing out the pendant they had stolen from Osamu. Holding it up to show Hoshiko, he continued. "And maybe, just maybe, without this pendant he'll ease up on you a bit. We can hope, right?"

"Thank you...Ace...Samuel..." The girl would have rubbed the tears from her face if Ace wasn't holding her.

Ace turned his head just enough to look at the object dangling from Samuel's fingers. "Mm... If the pendant is imbued with an essence of darkness, it will need to be destroyed. After all, the Master Medallion is proof that anything allowed to steep in the darkness for too long quickly becomes a danger." He lifted up his head and looked down at Hoshiko again. "If we destroy it, would that bother you?"

Hoshiko's eyes locked on the glinting disk nervously. "...I hate to...I hate to destroy anything that important to anyone...even Osamu...but this needs to..." Hoshiko's eyes closed. "Please, please destroy the pendant..." Hoshiko's eyes looked bleary and dizzy, even as she spoke. She seemed a bit dazed, obviously from the punch Osamu had hit her with. "...I'm feeling a little...woozy..."

A look of concern suddenly overtook Ace's features. "Let's get her back to the pokémon center. She can lie down there." He reached underneath Hoshiko and gently scooped her up, off of her feet. He held her like a small child, and carried her back out of the Dojo, Samuel following close behind.

"Is she going to be alright?" Samuel asked nervously.

Ace looked down at Hoshiko and bit his lip. "I hope so..." He said in that rich, calm voice of his. "But we'll just have to see." He paused. "Hoshiko, do you have any of those herbs left?"

Blinking a few times to try and clear her head, Hoshiko nodded. The simple act of her being lifted overwhelmed her fragile senses with terrifying vertigo, but she appreciated the gesture more then Ace would know.

"...Yeah..." She said softly. "There's a little left..." Slowly Hoshiko's eyes were closing but she fought to keep them open. "In with...the rest of my...medi...cine..." Letting her head droop back, Hoshiko's bangs fell across the front of her face, hiding her amber eyes. "Please...make sure the pendant...gets destroyed…." And shifting her eyes to Samuel, Hoshiko spoke one last thing. "Thank you...for standing up to...Osamu...for me..." And Hoshiko smiled weakly at her friend, becoming silent but still in some state of unseeing consciousness.

Samuel smiled faintly at Hoshiko, and with that, helped Ace bring her into the pokémon center where they laid her out on one of the couches. Pulling the herbs from her bag and mixing them in with some hot water, Samuel brought the concoction over and knelt beside her, sliding his hand under her head and bringing her to sit up so that she wouldn't breathe any of the liquid in while he poured it into her mouth.

Ace sat at the foot of the couch, quietly watching and rolling Osamu's pendant over and over in his hands. It was hard for him to feel any dark essence, but if it had not had time enough to grow to where it was leaking out, that was understandable. Slowly, he folded his fingers around it and began to squeeze the object. It began to crunch in his grip, giving way to the force he applied. His power over metal made it easy to crush the piece, and through his intense focus, he could feel it shatter, the fragments disintegrating with a lustrous sparkle when he opened his palm.

All at once, a rush of energy went through him, and his eyes shot open in surprise. It was the darkness, no doubt. Instinctively, he fumbled around with his free hand, unconsciously digging into Samuel's bag as he stared straight ahead, transfixed and stunned as the darkness attempted to overtake him. His free hand wrapped around the Mark, and its power transferred to him, giving him the energy and the purity he needed to turn the darkness away and send it back through timespace into the Dark World. His shoulders suddenly went limp, and he realized he was gasping for air.

All this time, Hoshiko watched the cup as Samuel poured the liquid down her throat. She was silent, glancing up at her friend every once in awhile as she sipped. She was proud of how gentle he was being; it was such a difference from when they had first met. Back then he wasn't even willing to let her help him up. The two of them were growing up in their own way. And despite the fact that all Hoshiko wanted to do was lay back down, she tried her best to stay up and not go limp in his arms. But there was one thing that Hoshiko noticed and it made her stop drinking the remedy, even though it was a bit awkward.

"...Samuel...Samuel...look...Ace...he's...struggling..." And Hoshiko closed her eyes, letting her head tip over onto Samuel's shoulder, as he was close enough for her to do so.

Samuel's head snapped up and he looked over at his friend. He was shocked to see that Ace seemed almost about to collapse from exhaustion. He wanted to reach out and help him, but he didn't want to drop Hoshiko. Forced to watch helplessly, he bit back a cry when Ace fell forward off of the couch and onto the floor.

Samuel's hands started to shake, and he very carefully set Hoshiko's drink to the side, laying her down as carefully as he could. Slowly, he got off of the couch and crawled over to Ace, rolling the Incarnus onto his back. Ace's eyes were closed, and he didn't appear to be conscious, but he seemed to be breathing, albeit shallowly.

"Oh Ace, what did you do now?" Samuel moaned in sorrow.

Hoshiko's eyes opened when she heard Samuel's fear-filled whimper. The girl, although hardly able to place where she was laying or if she was even laying at all, managed to shift herself off of the couch slowly and onto the floor. Her head reeled and Hoshiko thought she might just tip over but reaching shakily for the cup that Samuel had been giving her she managed to shift over to Ace and Samuel, on her knees with a distant look in her eyes. She was so dizzy that it was hard to know whether or not she really had made it over to Ace or not. But once she felt his head in her limp hand and she placed his head into her lap, tilting it up. Slowly, she opened his mouth and started to pour the still warm liquid so that it could slip down his throat.

Hoshiko tried to keep her eyes closed so that she wouldn't fall over from the spinning sensation from moving even the slightest bit, but her careful task was difficult without looking at Ace. She didn't want to spill any of the precious liquid.

"...It...must have...been...the...darkness..." Hoshiko commented softy, seeing the chain resting without its pendant in Ace's palm. She brushed it away softly. Once Hoshiko saw that the drink was done, all she could do was abandon the cup and let go of her difficult effort to stay up, letting Ace's head go back down on the floor softly before she herself ended up falling beside him.

"There's...more in...my...bag...Samuel...give it to...Ace...please..."

Samuel let out a helpless whimper, despite his efforts to stay calm. Seeing Hoshiko and Ace so badly hurt was more difficult than being hurt himself. It was harder dealing with that than with being locked up in a prison cell. At least then he could keep his cool. But seeing his friends suffer, that was another story entirely. He was going to have to take care of them both, and perhaps Hoshiko would recover with just the herbs, and maybe Ace would recover quickly too. But Samuel wasn't willing to take that chance.

Gently, and with some difficulty, he lifted Ace from the ground and laid him carefully on the couch, trying not to attract the attention of the nurse. He did not know how he was going to deal with Ace yet, but he knew he couldn't just wait around. He placed his hand on top of Ace's head and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hang in there, okay? I'll be right back, I promise... I'm just going to take Hoshiko to the hospital."

He wanted to say more, to do more, but time was of the essence, so he left Ace on the couch and scooped up Hoshiko in his arms. He wasn't as strong as Ace, so it was not as easy for him to carry Hoshiko, but he had done it before, and thankfully she was light. He left the pokémon center behind, and worriedly moved through the streets of Saffron to find care for his friend.


	22. Return to Uncertainty

**Chapter 22: Return to Uncertainty**

Deep fear surged throughout Hoshiko's entire body as her eyes met with Osamu's. They were darker than they'd ever been, and from the sinister look on his face, the young man's intentions were clear. He wanted her dead, and there were no means by which to escape. Back against the wall, the girl's heart felt like it would beat our of her chest and all that crossed her mind repeatedly was how she'd never see Samuel again, never see Ace, and most of all never get the chance to see her child grow up, the child that she had bonded with over nine months would grow up without a mother.

Eyes wide as Osamu got closer to her, she felt as if her entire body went cold as everything went black. The sensation of falling consumed her body as she descended far down and into a deep pit that would swallow her up and never let her go.

And she screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Eyes shooting wide open, Hoshiko wasn't greeted at all by the scene that she had expected but by a white hospital room.

Cold sweat clung to her skin as she looked around, eyes darting back and forth until she finally pieced together in her mind what happened. She'd been brought to the Saffron City Hospital, and now she lay in one of the beds, holding tightly onto the sheet that covered her. Hoshiko placed one hand onto her stomach and kept murmuring to herself, breathing hard.

"It was only a dream...just a bad dream...nothing happened...Osamu can't kill me..." Hoshiko didn't realize it yet because she was so frightened, but she was now in a hospital gown and her head had been bandaged with cold compresses to reduce the swelling in her eyes and jaw.

Sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, the familiar face of Samuel Oak waited for her to awaken, eating a bowl of cup noodle and drinking a bottle of soda. When he heard Hoshiko's voice, he perked up, and inelegantly pursed his lips together in a smile, despite the fact that a tiny noodle dangled from the corner of his mouth. He slurped it up and got to his feet, wandering over with a smile.

"Well I'll be. You're awake!" He held the soda bottle towards her. "Want a drink?"

Blinking at Samuel a few times, Hoshiko was still trying to catch her breath when he offered her the soda bottle. It was comforting and reassuring to see that Samuel was there with her, and it helped her fully realize that her dream had indeed only been a dream. And even though she was still almost stunned stiff from the trauma of her nightmare followed by awakening in a strange place, the girl reached out a trembling hand and took the bottle from Samuel.

"T-Thanks." She replied, smiling a little through her confusion. And then took a sip of the soda before saying anything else. "What...what happened to me? My head...the last thing I remember was passing out in the Pokémon Center...and Ace...is he, is he alright?"

Samuel's smile fell a little bit, and he looked away, but nodded. "Yeah, Ace is alright. He's a bit miffed at me though..." Samuel sighed. "You got a nasty hit to the head from Osamu. That's why I brought you here. Doctors here say Ace is healthy. At first they couldn't figure anything out. There was no reason for his vital signs to be low. They put him under supportive care until he started coming back from it. He's mostly better now, and he agrees it was the darkness and nothing really physical that caused his sudden attack..."

Samuel laughed a little bit. "I just wish he wouldn't be so grouchy. The pokémon center couldn't do anything for him really, because well...he's 'human' and showing no signs of real injury. They told me to take him here, so I did. And the doctors and nurses here are very compassionate and understanding for the most part, but he insists that they look at him funny. I brought him flowers to try and make him laugh but he thought I was making fun of him." Samuel winced. "Speaking of which, I brought you flowers too." He pointed over to the bedside table, where some pretty white flowers were sitting in a vase.

Listening intently, Hoshiko looked like she felt bad that Ace had suffered but relieved at the same time that he had survived and was generally alright. Only Samuel's mention of Osamu made her uneasy amid otherwise good news. Hoshiko stiffened completely, feeling a shiver up her spine at the memory of her dream. Taking another few drinks of the soda, Hoshiko stared down into the bottle for a moment and considered what had awoken her. Biting her bottom lip, Hoshiko then smiled.

"Well thankfully we're all okay then..."

She reluctantly looked up towards where Samuel pointed, as if half expecting Osamu to be standing there, and instead she brightened when she saw that indeed Samuel had bought her flowers. The white flowers were a sharp contrast to the brightly colored vase. A huge smile spread across Hoshiko's face.

"Flowers!" She reached over and took the vase into her other hand, even if it was a bit heavy for her having just awakened in a hospital. She stuck her nose into the pale blossoms and breathed in deep. "They're beautiful Samuel! Thank you." She looked down at the flowers. "I've never gotten flowers before. They're lovely!" Even if she did look weak and a bit tired, the flowers did wonders to life Hoshiko's spirits.

Samuel laughed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... I'm sorry that the flowers couldn't have come from some rich gentleman or an exotic fellow from a far off paradise... or even prince charming." He laughed at himself. "Just me."

He put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "The doctor told me earlier that as soon as you can stand and move around without any dizziness or fatigue, you're free to go. As soon as Ace's vitals are completely normal, they'll release him too. He seems to be doing much better today than yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Hoshiko looked at Samuel shocked. "How...how long have I been out for?" The girl was genuinely surprised and hoped that it hadn't been too long.

"You haven't been out for too long, so don't worry. It's been a couple of days...but not more than that."

Placing her flowers back onto the nightstand where they were before, Hoshiko leaned forward to stand up, finding her knees weaker then normal and she was left grabbing Samuel's shoulder with her free hand, the other one still gripping onto the bottle of soda. "W-Whoa!" Hoshiko gripped tightly onto Samuel's arm but managed to keep herself on her feet.

Shocked and concerned at Hoshiko's attempt to stand so soon after waking up, Samuel held both hands out to her to catch her. There was no point in trying to make her lie back down, by now Samuel knew she was too stubborn for that. Offering a nervous little smirk as he steadied his friend, he said,

"I guess you wanna go see Ace? We can ask the nurse if it's okay for you to start trying out your legs again."

Brushing off the idea of talking to the nurse, Hoshiko replied. "Yeah, let's go see Ace." She nodded, determined to walk, even if it was with Samuel's help. She glanced gratefully at him before handing the soda bottle back and snatching a flower out of her vase before the two started towards Ace's room.

As they inched towards the door, Hoshiko keeping one arm around Samuel's shoulders while she studied the beautiful white bloom in her other hand, she felt a sense of delight and wonder at Samuel's kindness.

"You know, I wouldn't have had some rich gentleman after me or even some price for a far off land. I like having my best friend bringing me flowers a lot more." Hoshiko smiled, stumbling slightly.

Samuel laughed and slid one hand around her arm and the other around her shoulder, giving her exceptional balance.

"I guess I should bring you flowers more often then."

He stepped out of the room carefully, leading Hoshiko through the narrow doorway, and when he turned around they found themselves facing a slightly grumpy looking nurse. Samuel blushed and laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't push her too hard." He said. "We're just going to see Ace down the hall."

"Well alright then, but you'd better not overdo it." The nurse griped.

Samuel saluted the nurse and led Hoshiko off, through the gray, blue, and mostly white corridor until they got to a partially opened door. Samuel knocked once on it, then slipped inside. Ace was, as expected, lying in the bed, wearing a hospital gown and looking a bit bedraggled. His bed was partially inclined though, so he could see them easily as they came in.

"Hey Ace." Samuel said shyly, gently nudging Hoshiko into the room. "I brought you some company."

At first, Ace seemed slightly annoyed, but his expression changed when he saw Hoshiko. A bit startled, he pulled the blanket a little farther up so that it covered him a bit better.

"Hey." He said. "It's good to see that you're alright. I must say we were a bit worried about you."

Ace's voice sounded tired and weak, but he didn't look too bad. Samuel knew he had the strength to get up and move, for the most part. It was just a matter of his heart rate and blood pressure being normal again. Samuel wondered if they'd _ever_ be 'normal' for human standards, considering he wasn't one. He knew the doctors didn't know Ace's true form, but they knew more about him than Ace would like, and the expression on Ace's mug was a bit sour for it.

"Are you starting to get hungry?" Samuel asked after a second. "I can call the nurse in here."

"I don't need the nurse coming in and poking around anymore."

"Come on, Ace. They haven't 'poked around' since you came in, and even then they were only trying to find out what was wrong. They've been nothing but understanding. You're not their science project."

"Even so I don't appreciate being asked if I want 'corrective surgery.'" He growled.

"I'll just buy you a sandwich from the cafeteria then. Will that make you feel better?"

"No." Ace grunted, and wheezed. "I'd honestly feel better to get out of here... I think I'm alright now. Any other recovery can be done on my own. He looked away from Samuel and stared at the white wall. "So many inquiring humans buzzing about... It reminds me of the scout challenge. I don't like to be the center of attention—"

"Baloney."

"Well not _this_ way. Just like in the scout challenge, when I had people chasing me this way and that: 'Look at the cute doggy. Let's go catch him!' What a load of—"

"Nobody's harassing you. People just as questions sometimes. Especially when you're different than the norm."

"Well I'm _not_." Ace crossed his arms. "I'm just like everyone else. I simply happen to be a monster."

"That's a big difference." Samuel laughed teasingly, walking over to Ace's bedside and leaning on the bars.

Ace turned to look at him and grumbled. "What's so funny?"

Samuel playfully butted his head up against Ace's forehead and smirked. "You are." He smiled. "But don't worry. I got your back, okay? Nobody's gonna bother you while I'm around, no matter how confused, curious, or otherwise freaked out you make people, I'll make sure they don't harry you." He turned his head and pointed to Hoshiko. "She'll cover you too."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Riiight."

Hoshiko remained silent as Samuel reintroduced her to Ace. It was only after the two had finished talking and Hoshiko had settled herself into a chair near Ace's bedside that she felt obliged to join in the conversation. Se cradled the white flower in her hands, lightly pressing its velvety petals between her fingers. Leaning over and resting her chin on the bar of the bed that Ace was resting on, Hoshiko smiled at him. Even if she was suddenly curious, the girl wouldn't ask a word of what they had been talking about. Ace was already bothered enough.

"I'll look out for you; you should know that Ace. I mean, you guys have helped me so many times. I couldn't begin to repay either of you." The girl shook her head and then brushed some of the hair from her face she started to speak once more. "I can understand you don't want people prying. I wouldn't feel right if they knew I was pregnant either..." Her tone softened. "They'd have all sorts of questions for me and try to tell me all sorts of things. Different options I have that I don't want to listen to, they'd want to know what happened and if I was alright..."

She looked sympathetically at Ace. "Don't worry so much. We're all here for each other. It's not like anyone is going to let something happen to one of the others. All for one and one for all, right?" She smiled and patted Ace's hand before leaning back in her chair and then looked at Samuel for a moment and then it dawned her, maybe they hospital knew more of her condition then what she thought. After all, the nurse had seemed pretty adamant about her not straining herself.

"...Samuel...they don't know I'm pregnant...right?"

Samuel shook his head in surprise. "No, they didn't need to do any tests for that, and you're not really showing much... They've just been keeping track of your vital signs and they did some tests on your head to make sure your skull didn't bust open or something." He laughed. "Really it wasn't all that invasive. Neither of you have anything to worry about."

Hoshiko let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I don't want to deal with any of that stuff. That woman back in Pewter was enough for me." Hoshiko shook her head at the very thought of the woman and then looked back to Ace.

Ace fell back against the pillow and sighed a bit. "Well if Hoshiko can handle this whole ordeal, then I would be pretty pathetic not to be able to."

"Darn right." Samuel laughed, shaking his head.

Ace just rolled his eyes. "You should be nice to me. Like Hoshiko is. After all, I've served as your transport, caretaker, and just about everything else for _how_ long now?"

"Don't forget mattress. You make a good one of those."

Ace snorted. "Oh yeah. I don't think you should try that _now_. I'm a lot less soft and fluffy in this form, you know? Not to mention the size decrease."

Samuel shrugged. "I'm just saying. I wasn't _asking_ for a mattress right now."

"By the way, I'd rather be a pillow than a mattress. The word mattress just seems so... _hulking_."

Laughing, the girl smiled and poked at Ace's shoulder. "You're no where near as fluffy right now and that's so not fun. I like it when we get to ride you and when I get to rest my head on your back. You know, it's nice to have someone furry to travel with, and you're not a mattress. You're just like one of those fun pillows that are shaped like pokémon!" The girl laughed.

"Charmed." Ace said dryly, although his eyes twinkled slightly and one corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk.

"I'm glad you're alright now." Hoshiko beamed when she saw Ace's face light up a little. "I was worried about you, you know, when you collapsed. I...I guess the pendant had a considerable amount of darkness in it." Hoshiko looked like she was pondering the very idea of it; after all she had experienced first hand what it did to Osamu and more relevantly, what it did to her.

Ace maintained his amused smirk, surprisingly pleased that Hoshiko had been worried about him of all people, and in a tired voice murmured. "Yeah well. It had a lot more than I was expecting, and Arceus tried to force it into my body when Osamu's pendant broke. It took all of my conscious will to fight it... But I didn't want to let it overcome me. I have sworn never to be completely overcome by darkness again... After our little incident at Tartarus..." He glanced at Samuel, and the young man leaned over and put his arm around Ace's shoulder, but looked at Hoshiko.

"I guess we never told you all of the details about what happened back then, but we can tell you now... Now that you're a little more acquainted with Ace." Samuel looked up at the ceiling, thinking hard to recall the details when Ace suddenly kissed his cheek.

Samuel frowned slightly, but Ace ignored him and simply yawned sleepily, before pressing his face into Samuel's neck. The young man wanted to elbow him to try and remind him that giving affection in his human form was more likely to make onlookers uncomfortable than when he walked about as Wulfspade. A lick to the face from a monster was more understandable than a kiss from a perceived human. But since it was only Hoshiko there and Ace was weak anyway, Samuel would have felt guilty causing him any sort of pain or humiliation in pointing that out. Plus he didn't want to hurt Ace's feelings.

"Let's see..." Samuel continued. "We were in Tartarus, pursuing Dr. Snap. He was the Commissioner of Green Bays. He tricked Ace by giving him a false Mark to lure him close, and then he used an orb of dark matter collected by us scouts to overcome Ace's will... The darkness was so much and in such great concentration that Ace couldn't resist it. It took over his body, much like the power of the Master Medallion overcame so many monsters on Mt. Arcanine." Samuel hung his head, remembering the day very clearly. "Except... Ace is a lot more frightening to face than a rampaging rhyhorn or even those arcanine... The sad thing was... I could see him trying to fight through it... He seemed to remember me, and seemed to be so determined to hold onto himself. At least for a little while, until he was completely consumed. I'll never forget the moment when he looked me in the eye with burning red eyes and growled furiously at me... He told me that his mission was to open the gate to the dark world, and that he would kill me if I got in his way..."

Samuel felt something hot and wet against his neck, and confused, he looked down. Ace still had his face buried, but it was then that Samuel realized that the monster was crying and trying to hide it from Hoshiko. A pang of guilt showed in Samuel's face as he sat there for a moment, speechless.

Hoshiko listened somberly as Samuel told the story and her eyes fell understandingly on Samuel and Ace. And she was even quiet for quite some time after he was done talking and Ace was quietly crying into Samuel's neck. She wondered if one day her husband might feel the same sort of remorse for treating her so very cruelly. Part of Hoshiko doubted it incredibly and another part of her wished that maybe, by some miracle, something might happen. Even if she wouldn't be able to look Osamu in the eyes for a long time without seeing the man who had so brutally abused her, there was part of her that was prepared to forgive him, if for only the sake of their child. She had hoped that someday when she would have a child of her own that they would be able to have a happy family. Not be segregated from each other like she had with Koichi. And since the situation had arisen much sooner then she had expected...Hoshiko was torn by the prospect that lay in front of her—a torn and damaged family.

But now wasn't the time for hope for Osamu's redemption, it was the time to console the people who had been there for her and protected her with their very lives. Slowly getting to her feet, she leaned over silently, wrapping her arms around Samuel and Ace. Speaking soothingly she tried to offer some sort of comfort.

"...Your bond is so incredible. Honestly...some days I feel jealous of you two...such close friends. I know who I am in our little group and I feel so very blessed, I couldn't ask for more. But...even the darkness couldn't tear either of you apart...and that is something to be revered above any other bond...Please, don't cry Ace...You've both been able to prove something priceless to each other through your experience...please don't cry..."

Ace flinched slightly when Hoshiko came over, but only because he was embarrassed for her to see him in such a state. He always carried himself with a regal and confident air, and very little could ever intimidate or get to him... But that one moment, when he lost all control of his own will, he had become a weak and broken creature. And reflecting on that moment, when he could have so easily killed Samuel and nearly _had_, was just a painful reminder of his greatest failure. After all, if he could not resist the darkness, then his entire purpose and all of his greatest efforts that he had fought for over the spans of millennia were absolutely for naught.

However, at Hoshiko's touch and kind words, Ace remembered a little something extra. His failure was past, and he would fight to the end to make sure it never happened again. He had two very good friends who knew him and trusted him, and he couldn't have been more thankful for them than he was in that moment as their simultaneous embraces enveloped him and held him close. Still ashamed of himself, but welcoming Hoshiko's gentleness, he lifted her head and tilted it to the side to kiss her cheek as well.

"You are my friend too, Hoshiko, and I would not trade either of you for anything..."

Samuel smiled. "Really? Cuz there's a really hot nurse somewhere around here who keeps sneaking in and checking you out."

Ace leaned back and lightly brushed his fist across Samuel's jaw, but couldn't help cracking a smile. "Shut up, Punk."

Samuel laughed and hugged both Ace and Hoshiko tightly. "You guys are the best friends anyone could ever hope for." He turned specifically to Hoshiko. "And I gotta say... Before I met you, I was scared of girls..." He paused a long time and then smirked. "Now I'm terrified."

The girl couldn't help but, although that quickly turned into a smirk of her own as Hoshiko shook her head and raised one hand

"Rightfully so." She added impishly. "But you have to remember, not every girl will go around doing this!" And as she had said 'this,' Hoshiko took her raised hand and playfully punched Samuel in the arm, laughing once more.

As she drew her hand away and looked her friends over, they both saw that there were tears in Hoshiko's eyes. She gazed back at them with a gentle smile on her face, and she gently brushed one away with the back of her hand before it could escape and roll down her cheek. It was clear they were tears of happiness.

"I...I guess I don't have to be jealous anymore then." Hoshiko laughed more gently this time, almost as if she were chastising herself for such foolish thoughts. "You know what, it's incredible...I was thinking about when we first met. Remember Samuel? We wouldn't even talk to each other. In fact...I don't even think we liked each other. But Ace, you were kind of just, I dunno, always happy. Even when Samuel and I were at odds and I was laughing at him." Hoshiko couldn't help but giggle. "...and I've been meaning to ask both something." Hoshiko looked curious. "What did you think of me, the first time you saw me dancing on that boat anyways?"

Samuel's face turned red as a cherry, and Ace just laughed. The sudden chuckle made him a little hoarse, but he found the strength to grab Samuel in a headlock and mess up his hair pretty good.

"I...uh..." Samuel stumbled over his own words.

"I found you absolutely striking, and _he_ couldn't stop staring at you. Are you kidding? You'd think he never saw a girl before."

Samuel pouted. "Well you're completely hideous so you don't even count."

Ace snorted and pointed at Samuel. "Like I said, he couldn't stop staring. Fortunately you set him straight with a few punches to the arm."

As if in support of the idea, Hoshiko raised her hand and gave her friend another punch in the arm, for good measure. "Sure, that's how I make sure he keeps his head on straight. It's a lot funner than lecturing you, Samuel, and it's a good stress releaser too!"

With a yelp, even though it didn't hurt much, Samuel rubbed his arm. "You'll keep my head on straight, but by the time you're through, my _shoulder_ will be out of place." Hoshiko batted her eyes innocently and Ace sneered at Samuel. The young man rolled his eyes. "I'll have you know I was actually more worried that she was gonna try and pry into our affairs, and with Hart and his men after us I didn't want _more_ people on our tails." He laughed. "_Then_ she went and got herself kidnapped. Just _had_ to be rescued." Samuel smirked.

"She does that a lot, I notice." Ace tapped his chin thoughtfully, finally managing to wipe the tears from his own eyes, refreshed and encouraged by his friends.

"Oh no!" Hoshiko wagged her finger at the two. "When Hart kidnapped me, it was all your fault." She pointed at Samuel with a smirk. "He knew that I had seen your journal and wanted to know what was in it." Hoshiko shook her head. "If it hadn't been for you, he wouldn't have even cared that I was on that ship. After all, what would Hart want with a runaway Kimono Girl?" Hoshiko commented with a smirk, but then raised an eyebrow, mostly at herself and then looked between Ace and Samuel. "Don't answer that."

Samuel and Ace both laughed, and Hoshiko joined them, unable to help herself. When they settled down, Hoshiko caught her breath and smiled.

"Actually, I was in such a trance when dancing that I didn't even know you two were there, to be honest. But I heard it was quite a crowd." And placing her chin in her hands, Hoshiko tilted her head. "I'll have to dance for you guys again sometime, you know, for old time's sake."

Samuel shook his head. "Now that you've tenderized my bulging biceps, I don't know if I _want_ to watch you dance _now_." He stuck out his tongue.

Ace smirked. "Liar. Though it's too bad we can't just all dance together. We need to find us someone who can play good music."

Samuel laughed. "Ace, you're incorrigible. Why do you like that so much anyways?"

"Dancing is delightfully fun, and it's good exercise. And, dancing with the you is far more fun than dancing with strangers. I'm sure Hoshiko would be a charm as well."

"She doesn't want to dance with you because you're scary."

Ace frowned. "I am not. I am as gentle as a newborn mareep. She knows it."

"Well you scare ME."

"That's only because you scare easy." Ace smirked at Samuel.

Hoshiko giggled and cut in. "Now, Ace, you always assume that I can dance with a partner just because I'm a trained traditional dancer..." The girl shook her head and shrugged. "I've never actually danced with a partner. I've only danced with my sisters, but that's only in a line or a circle or whatever. I dance for people, not really with people." Her cheeks went red. "I don't know how I'd feel dancing with people. You know...I don't mind being around you guys but I think dancing would be different..." Hoshiko wanted to look grim but didn't feel right so instead her expression just shifted a bit more seriously. "I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be dancing with anyone right now...being close to people in any way, it's just not something I'm prepared for yet..."

But then Hoshiko brought herself to smile. "I do promise though, that when I am ready, I promise the first dances to you two. After all, I can't find any one more deserving." She said gently. "Before that, I do promise to dance for you guys."

Hoshiko fell silent after this for a little while, just leaning her head along the bar of the bed where Ace rested. She tugged at the bandage they had wrapped around her skull for a second and sighed.

Ace grinned at her, rather pleased with the very thought of _possibly_ getting the chance to dance with Hoshiko, no matter how distant the likelihood. Samuel on the other hand, focused on his friend's face and the quiet words that followed.

"Gee...I wonder if things will be different now with Osamu..." The girl murmured almost inaudibly.

"You know..." Samuel said softly. "I haven't seen Osamu around in the past couple of days. Or Hart either. I was kinda keeping an eye out for either of them while you two were out of it, but there's no sign of them... I was thinking that maybe Hart left when he realized that there wasn't any more dark matter here, but I don't really know if that assessment is even true." He finally sat up straight, letting Ace fall away from him.

"Really?" Hoshiko asked, almost stunned. And although she was concerned about Kaiser Hart, she couldn't help but think more about her husband. Biting her bottom lip, the girl shook her head. "That seems strange...after all he was supposed to be here for the rest of the Tournament..."

The Incarnus rested his head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. "We have to find Hart above all. And keep him from getting any dark matter without engaging him. He may not be interested in the Master Medallion knowing that it grants me so much power. He's foolish about his choice of friends, but he's very clever when it comes to battling."

"...I wish I knew where I could suggest he'd go next. But I don't have the slightest idea. Now that we've gotten Osamu's medallion from him, I couldn't imagine where there would be more dark matter." Hoshiko sighed, frustrated. After all, she liked to be able to help and didn't like being in the dark about things. "Any ideas Ace?" She asked, though a bit distractedly. She couldn't get the thought of Osamu from her mind and it tormented more then anything else. She hated having to think about him, even for a moment, but the consideration that maybe, just maybe things would be different left her with a lot to contend with. Like the prospect of forgiveness.

Ace just shook his head, oblivious. "Unfortunately no. But I can say that I'm willing to help Samuel look. Perhaps we'll find Osamu too if we start around Saffron."

Samuel's eyes widened a bit. "Wait, you still need your rest."

Ace smiled tiredly. "I'll be alright. I've been in worse shape before and lived to tell the tale. Now that the initial effects have worn off, I think I'll be just fine."

"That's all well and good," Samuel frowned, "But both of you have to convince the nurses that you guys are ready to go. And what happens if _they_ decide you aren't?"

"You break us out because you're really good at stuff like that?" Hoshiko added with a slight laugh and a mischievous smirk. The girl knew plainly that she felt tired and weak, but if Ace was prepared to leave, then so was she. After all, the less amount of time she spent cooped up in a hospital, the better.

Samuel just frowned. "Cute."

"Don't worry." She said, nodding determinedly. "I'll convince them!" Slowly, Hoshiko rose to her feet, trying to maintain stable balance, albeit with some difficulty. "Ehehehe, at least I'll try my best to." Her cheeks went red, and she stumbled along trying to get used to being on her feet again without Samuel's help.

"Go get the nurse, Samuel." She said, working more on her footing. "That way we can have some time to prepare ourselves while you're gone."

Samuel laughed and shook his head as he looked at Hoshiko stumbling all over herself. "You guys better not get hurt. You're both hopeless."

Ace saluted him. "That'd be us."

"Hopeless and helpless!" Hoshiko added, laughing as she grabbed onto the foot of Ace's bed to stay standing.

Ace waved his hand to shoo Samuel away. "Now scoot! We'll be ready by the time you get back."

Rolling his eyes, Samuel simply obeyed.

After a moment of recovering from laughter, wobbly legs, and dizzy head, Hoshiko straightened up, starting to get the hang of using her feet again. She tried to remind herself how easy it really was to walk with moderate success.

It was just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, and even if she was a little weak on her legs, as long as she could walk, Hoshiko was positive that they wouldn't be able to refuse them checking out to leave.

Turning to Ace, Hoshiko finally asked, "How's this?" She carefully walked a few steps to the wall and then back, nervous that the nurse might come in at any moment without her being prepared enough.

Ace glanced up at Hoshiko, nodding his approval. "You seem a bit shaky, but it looks to me like you've got a handle on this."

Decidedly annoyed with being hooked up to monitors and staying put, Ace began fiddling with the wires that were attached to his skin, and he began removing them one at a time. Pulling out wires and IV tubes was simple and not really half as bothersome as sitting in the bed anyways. He got up fairly easily once all of the equipment was off, and despite a feeling of lightheadedness that overcame him, he stayed standing without losing face.

Hoshiko bit her lip, wanting to protest that the hospital devices all had a purpose and probably should have been properly removed by the doctors, but in the same turn, the girl knew that it wasn't really her place to say. So instead she simply turned and pretended not to see anything that he had done. She also tried to ignore the machines as all sorts of little alarms went off, filling the room with chiming bells and high-pitched whines of emergency.

Annoyed by the noise, Ace fumbled about and tried to find ways to turn off all the machines. He couldn't figure it out, so he just pulled the plugs on every one of them to shut them up. Although perhaps _humans_ found it horrifying to try and remove oneself from hospital care, Ace had no qualms about it.

"You know. This isn't so hard." He decided aloud as the last machine lost power. Ace looked down at his bare feet and frowned a bit at the hospital gown. "Hmph... This attire is hardly dignified." He sighed. "You would think they could at least give you clothing that covers you up completely." He scratched at his neck. "Not that it bothers me a great deal, considering that as a monster I have little use for clothing... I simply... Feel strange wearing this particular outfit as a human. I thought humans were supposed to be modest." He looked over his shoulder and reached his hand around behind himself to pat the open back of the gown with the back of his hands. He tried to pull it closed around his hindquarters.

"...Yeah well, humans are supposed to be modest. But I guess the budget for Kanto's hospitals is a bit more modest." She couldn't help but laugh. "No, this is just a typical hospital gown." Hoshiko tugging on the clothing she was wearing. "Personally I'd rather be in my dress, but I guess that'll come soon enough." The girl said, her cheeks going red as she left her still-dazed state and realized what she had been walking around in. Hoshiko shifted nervously on one foot and stared down at her own bare feet. "...Barefoot and pregnant, hehe. I need real clothes." She tried to laugh, despite her sudden case of nerves.

Ace laughed. He felt a lot better knowing that it wasn't just him feeling funny wearing this sort of stuff.

"We'll be sure to tell Samuel when he gets back. I'm sure he'd appreciate knowing the lengths of embarrassment you are willing to endure for his sake."

"Uh, yeah." Hoshiko played with her hair a bit. "We'll have to tell him that...because I was in such a daze from when I woke up that I had no idea what I was even wearing...I kinda wish he would've pointed it out to me." Hoshiko replied timidly.

"Ah, don't worry." Ace waved his hand dismissively. "Samuel's cool. He won't harass you for any of that. If he was going to he would have already." He grinned an ornery sort of smile, seemingly rather amused at the prospect.

* * *

When the nurse saw Samuel, she gave him a stern look, tapping her pen impatiently against the desk in front of her. Behind her, several other nurses scrambled about tending to emergency alarms that indicated something had gone wrong with the equipment in a room just down the hall. The noise only served to make the head nurse more upset.

"What are you doing without that girl? What happened? Did you make her walk too far?" Her eyes narrowed accusingly at the platinum-haired boy.

Samuel stared at the nurse blankly, and rested his elbows on the counter. "No. She's visiting with our friend. In fact, she's doing so well she wants to go home now. And come to think of it, our buddy Ace is finally ready to get out of that hospital bed too." He noticed the panic behind the counter and saw that the light for Ace's room number was flashing bright red. He smirked, trying to keep the nurse's attention even while some of the other nurses desperately tried to pull her away. "So whaddya say?"

The nurse raised an annoyed eyebrow at Samuel and stood up. "Honestly, I don't really care what the patients want. I only listen to the physicians here." She continued to tap the pen, but a bit faster then before. She happened a glance over her shoulder and finally noticed which room alarm was going off. Her lips tightened. Standing up slowly and putting the pen in her pocket, the nurse shook her head irritably. "Alright, let's go. I'll humor you children..." The woman replied, letting Samuel walk with her back towards Ace's room with a quick stride. Heaven only knew what had happened now. Several other nurses trailed behind them with defibrillators and other emergency medical equipment necessary to solve the alarms that had gone off.

Samuel tried to slow them down a little with a laugh. "I don't think we have to worry. I'm sure everything is fine."

"We have procedures to follow." The head nurse said, quickening her step.

Samuel sighed and shook his head, trying to imagine what they'd find when they walked in. He hoped as they approached the open doorway that the two of his friends were at least somewhat prepared for his entry. He was very surprised when they rounded the corner and pushed open the door, only to see Ace standing up, completely unhooked from the machines. He hadn't thought Ace would take matters into his own hands. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, but at last he laughed, even though he knew the nurse would freak out.

"Well there you have it." He laughed.

Ace looked up suddenly and grinned sheepishly at the nurse and waved, knowing he'd probably be in trouble but not really caring. He tried to give innocent puppy eyes, but had no idea how effective such an expression would be when he wasn't...well...a puppy.

The only thing that the nurse could do was stare at Ace in complete and utter shock, unable to figure out why he would even want to do something that a trained professional was required to do. Worse, she realized all of the power to the machines had been cut off, and she hoped that none of them were damaged as her personnel hurried over to check the systems and look Ace over. The general consensus was that he was alive. It didn't take too long for the head nurse to cut in and give Ace an extremely stern stare. Relieved that he was okay but furious at the potential problems he'd caused, she shook a finger in his face.

"Look here, you might think you're funny doing things like that, but you could have significantly hurt yourself or damaged the machines!" The woman started off on a tangent when Hoshiko approached her from behind, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Um, hey, hey! Miss...he...just doesn't understand. He doesn't like being cooped up in here. It's his first time in a hospital..." Hoshiko explained. "And I for one don't blame him…."

The nurse looked back at Hoshiko, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Look, young lady. I don't really care what either of you say. He did something wrong and I'm going to have to get the doctor check him over again. While he's at it, he might as well give you a final check up too. Just to make sure everything is alright." The nurse folded her arms and sighed, starting to walk out of the room to get the doctor. "That way you _might_ get properly cleared to leave."

Samuel raised an eyebrow at the nurse as she left with her assistants in tow, but once she was gone, he looked over at Ace and laughed unexpectedly. "For crying out loud, Ace, what were you thinking?!" He started cracking up. "You're completely insane!"

Ace frowned. "I don't want to be looked over again." He protested. "Can't you make her leave me alone?"

"No." Samuel laughed, wiping his eyes. "You got yourself into this mess."

Ace pouted. "But I'm alright. I don't need them to tell me that." He sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh.

Hoshiko leaned against the wall and sighed also. "I don't want to get checked again either..." She muttered, pulling once more at the bandage on her head impatiently. "This is crazy...I want to go..."

"You're both like little kids." Samuel snickered. "Don't worry so much."

Hoshiko complained, but she didn't have to wait too long before the nurse ushered two doctors into the room with her. One went over to Ace and gave him a bit of a reprimanding look, while the other approached Hoshiko. The girl looked at the doctor mildly discouraged. She was led out of the room and taken back to her own for the check up, while Ace and Samuel were left behind. The Nurse nodded in approval and left the room with a satisfied look on her face.

Reaching for Ace's hand, the doctor that had come to check him took a good look over the places where Ace had removed the IVs.

"...I don't understand. It would have just been simpler had you left this for us to do..." The woman said, not so much angry as just shocked. "...Do you feel any discomfort at all, sir? Please...I know you want to go, but for your sake, try to be honest..."

"I'm alright." Ace insisted. "I've been way worse than this before, trust me on that one." He looked down at his wrist, and even though the spot was visible where the needle had been, it didn't really bother him.

Samuel spoke up next. "He's a little confused about how hospitals work, Doctor. He's never been to one before, but I can tell when he's not feeling well and when he's alright. He seems to be doing fine now."

Ace nodded adamantly, wanting to avoid unnecessary prodding.

Sighing heavily, the doctor set Ace's hand down and reached into the pocket of her white coat and pulled out some cloth bandage wrap. Reclaiming his hand she started to wrap around the spot where Ace had removed the IV from. She then took his pulse on the other wrist and timed it carefully, just to be sure.

"You know, I'm doing you a big favor here." She stated as she decided his vitals looked pretty normal. She sounded a little irritated, but at the same time not so much that she was genuinely frustrated at Ace or Samuel. "I know that the Hospital isn't the nicest place to be...but just try to be grateful it's your first time here." The woman finished, letting Ace's hand go once more before stepping aside.

"Alright, I guess you may go. I'll sign the discharge papers."

Ace grinned broadly and turned to Samuel. Samuel gave him a thumbs up and nodded. "Perfectamundo, my good buddy." He smirked. "Why don't you go ahead and get changed in the bathroom over there."

The young man reached into his bag and pulled out Ace's shirt and jeans. "TRY to button it yourself this time." He snickered.

Ace rolled his eyes, but nodded. "I'll do my best." He said at last, snatching the items from his friend and walking towards the bathroom with one parting glance over his shoulder that was rather suspiciously sly.

* * *

Hoshiko sat back in her own room, looking at the doctor that had brought her back and waiting for him to ask any questions...or at least examine her head. He first looked at her head and checked her pulse, heart rate, and blood pressure. When he was sure all that was normal, He touched the sore area on Hoshiko's head, gently manipulating it with his thumb.

"Hmm... How's the pain? Getting better? Any dizziness or vision trouble? Nausea or confusion?"

Hoshiko would have hissed in pain if she wasn't so focused on trying to make sure the doctor believed she could leave. And of course when he applied pressure to the spot on her head that was tender the girl did end up taking a sharp breath in through her tightly clenched teeth, but tried to pass it off as a sort of strange deep breath, not a reaction to the terrible stinging pain.

As for the other symptoms, well, Hoshiko had been feeling nauseous since she had gotten up but the girl assumed that was solely because she hadn't taken her morning sickness medication for two days. Otherwise the did feel a bit dizzy when he applied the pressure to her head and things got a bit blurry too, but she wouldn't let on about it. She just had to go. There was no way Hoshiko was going to hold up Samuel and Ace. The mission was too important. Anything that was happening now could just heal as they went along. So, lying, Hoshiko nodded slowly.

"No, nothing like that...everything is just fine. Thank you, Doctor." Although it was hard to miss the look in her eyes even if Hoshiko tried very hard to hide it.

The doctor heaved a deep sigh and straightened up a bit, eying Hoshiko carefully. "On the surface the injury to your head looks like it's healing just fine. But of course the biggest worry is how you're doing internally. If it's bothering you, you need to let me know. I can't let you leave this hospital in good conscience if you're having any severe symptoms." He shook his head.

"Even if I do release you today, you're going to need to take it easy. Get some rest, and don't do anything strenuous."

Hoshiko gently rubbed the spot on her head where the doctor had put his thumb. "No, no, I'm fine now." She said, going to stand up a little too soon and finding herself sitting back down half way getting up. She laughed a little nervously, feeling stupid for what she had done, but shook her head.

"And don't worry about me. I'll take it easy. I promise." Hoshiko smiled, hoping that it was enough to get her out of the hospital without any more questioning.

The doctor sighed again, not quite pleased with the idea of letting her go just yet. Nevertheless, if she insisted, he would release her. "Alright... Go ahead and meet up with your friends. Don't forget to check with the front desk before you go... I'll call down and let them know you're coming."

That was all Hoshiko needed to hear. As soon as the doctor left, she changed into her new dress acquired in Pewter and gathered up the rest of her belongings. A few minutes more and she'd made her way down the hall, checked out, and went looking for Samuel and Ace.

* * *

At last stepping outside into the fresh air, Ace threw his hands up in delight. "Now THIS, is nice!" He said as the little trio made their way out into the street. "Much better than that stuffy hospital."

Samuel laughed, shaking his head. "Don't get too excited or you might strain yourself. You're still recovering a bit, you know."

"Bah. I'll be fine." Ace shrugged.

The glass doors to the hospital slid open again, and Hoshiko stepped out. Coming up behind the two comrades celebrating Ace's freedom, Hoshiko placed a hand on each of their shoulders and laughed slightly. Samuel was startled, but Ace turned and smiled at Hoshiko brightly.

"You are so lucky that doctor let me go, because I could tell he wasn't really happy with the idea." She laughed sheepishly and came in between the two, walking with them as they slowly started to move off.

"I gotta be honest though, when he was testing out that spot on my head where Osamu hit me...now _that _hurt. Wow. I guess I didn't realize how badly it had affected me at the time." The girl had gotten herself a bottle of water before leaving and started to shuffle through her purse starting to take her medications and herbs. "I'm really due for this stuff. My stomach feels rancid..."

"Well, you still have to be careful. Just because you're out of the hospital doesn't mean you can go running about all crazy." Samuel poked at her. "You have to be sane and civil, even if that _is_ hard for you."

Ace laughed. "Harder for you than her, my dear boy."

Samuel rolled his eyes. "Hey now. I take pride in my decisions, even if they are crazy."

Ace put his arm around Hoshiko's shoulders. "Well, this little one is much more careful than you are. She would never go and get herself into the situations you get into."

"Maybe not, but half of my problems are caused by _you_ anyways, Ace."

Hoshiko raised an eyebrow, looking at Ace and cut in. "Me?" The girl blinked a few times and then laughed. "Me, who got on the back of a ryhorn and nearly killed myself? The girl who does things haphazardly way too often for her own good?" Hoshiko shook her head, poking Ace. "You know just as well as I do, I'm not as careful as I should be..." But then looking down at herself, the girl laughed. "But now I have to be, no choice. I can't just go around getting myself shot and doing stupid things." She mixed some of her powdered herbs into her bottled water and downed it quickly. Then Hoshiko looked over at Samuel and nodded. "And you are right; Ace does get you in the most trouble."

Ace turned red in the face, as Samuel jumped in front of the little group, facing him and doing a little finger pointing dance.

"Hah! I told, you, I TOLD YOU! I knew it was all your fault!" He burst out laughing.

Ace, still blushing but managing a smirk in his own amusement looked up at Samuel and shook his finger at him. "Even if that's so you don't _have_ to follow me around like you do. Clearly you make the decision to be swayed by me."

"It's because of all the perks of having a big, furry monster for a friend. Except now I've lost a considerable amount of those, with your new disguise. You've even lost some of the scary factor."

"Lost a few but perhaps gained more." Ace offered a twisted smile.

Samuel snorted at that. "You _wish_." He was walking backwards now. "I'm not _that_ crazy."

"Lies."

Hoshiko hadn't expected Samuel's little dance, and as a result the girl simply raised an eyebrow at him skeptically as he and Ace bickered playfully. When she saw an opening, she commented,

"I'm starting to question your sanity, Samuel Oak." The girl laughed slightly, shaking her head at the young man. "I mean, there's no way that any of us are normal, but I was starting to think you were the sanest of them all..." But shrugging, Hoshiko afforded a look of humorous surrender. "Thanks for proving me wrong. I guess that puts me at the top of the sane list now. And to be quite honest...with me there, I'd say we're one sorry bunch." Clicking her tongue, Hoshiko smirked. "They'll pick us up and bring us to the asylum any day now..."

As if to prove Hoshiko's point, Ace suddenly grabbed Samuel in a headlock and gave him a good, hard noogie. The young man struggled to get away, but to no avail, so he simply protested loudly.

"Unhand me, you...you BEAST!"

"Never." Ace laughed, starting to walk again with Samuel still trapped under his arm.

"Hoshiko! Help!"

"AH!" Hoshiko yelled, although she couldn't help but laugh a bit at the scene. Falling back for a second as Ace started to walk away with Samuel, the girl cried out dramatically. "I'll save you Samuel!" And running behind Ace, Hoshiko, quite surprisingly jumped onto his back, as though she were going to get a piggy back ride. Grabbing onto his arms, the girl tried to shift her weight back and pull him off of Samuel. "Let him go Ace!" She cried out, still laughing. "Or you'll have to carry me around like this forever!"

"Okay," Ace quite literally shrugged, and kept walking forward despite the added weight. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by it, even though Samuel started protesting louder. "Gosh, you two children are so ridiculous. Do you have any idea how you guys must look right now?" The Incarnus chuckled. Even if he wasn't at full health, he seemed to be doing awfully good. Maybe just getting out and about again was working its magic.

Playfully, he reached up and over his shoulder with his free hand, grabbing Hoshiko and flipping her forward over his head so that she spun over his arm and he caught her between his arm and his chest before she could fall too far forward. Soon he had both of his friends trapped, and he walked down the street that way, with the biggest smile on his face you ever did see.

The sudden movement caught Hoshiko off guard and didn't much help her already somewhat dizzy head, but Ace kept her from getting hurt, at least, so once she found which way was up again, she managed to start stumbling forward. She stared up at Ace as he held her tightly and offered a woozy grin.

"Finally, you're getting back into the swing of things." She teased, poking at Ace's side. "I was getting tired of not being carried around." Hoshiko laughed gently and looked over at Samuel with a smile. "We might as well enjoy the ride."

Ace laughed and squeezed Samuel roughly, making the boy fake choking noises. "Yeah, Samuel, enjoy the _ride_." Ace snickered.

"You're a sick puppy, Ace." Samuel tried to push away from the Incarnus, but gave up promptly when he realized he was getting nowhere.

"I didn't say anything." Ace insisted. "I'm only repeating what Hoshiko said." He laughed out loud.

Samuel grunted and squirmed. "Yeah but...that's not—" He tried to wriggle loose but failed at that as well, leaving him panting. "—what she meant."

"Oh I know." Ace laughed, giving another shrug. "I also know what _you_ meant. And me...well. I'm just the man in the middle. I have no hand in this whatsoever."

"Except that you're constricting my chest cavity and I can't breathe." Samuel pretended to cough again.

Watching Samuel and his obvious dramatics, Hoshiko couldn't help but break her relaxed expression to burst out laughing. The girl couldn't imagine what on-lookers thought of their antics, but she couldn't possibly care either. It was too much fun.

"Ace! Let Samuel go! You're going to kill him!" She reached over and started to pull on Ace's arm that was holding onto her friend, she wasn't nearly strong enough to actually make him let go, but at least her best effort was there. "Then who will I have to save me! And the baby will have no Uncle. Just a mean, old diaper changer!"

"I should drop you _both_ on your heads for that one." Ace chuckled, but continued carrying them until they reached the street corner. At which point, he eased them to their feet and let them go. Glancing at Samuel expectantly, he grinned. "So are you dead yet?"

Samuel glared. "No."

"Darn, I guess I didn't try hard enough." Ace grabbed him again and roughed him up a bit more, causing quite a bit more protesting. This time though, he let Samuel go after a moment, and just smiled.

Samuel glared again, trying to smooth his hair out, but his angry stare soon transformed into a smirk, when Ace did not stop smiling. "You're such an idiot." Samuel laughed.

"Naw, you guys love me." He grinned even more. "Right, Hoshiko?"

Hoshiko smirked, wagging her finger at Ace. "No, as long as you keep bugging Samuel then we don't." It was all in fun and the look on her face betrayed that, but still it was fun to bother Ace. "In fact, I'd say one more strike and you're out of our band of merry weirdoes." Hoshiko placed her hands behind her back and started to pace, trying to look studious. And then stopped, patting Samuel on the head playfully just after he had finished fixing his hair.

"Because after all, being the leader of our club, Samuel has to be respected!" She poked him. "Honored!" Poked him again. "And most importantly, he must be punched in the arm by me!" Hoshiko couldn't keep a straight face any longer and started to laugh, playfully punching her friend in the arm.

"Oof! Hey!" Samuel cried out, now fussing over both his hair and his arm. "You two clowns just got out of the hospital. You shouldn't be getting all worked up."

"We're not." Ace assured with a glint in his eye. "We're just getting _you_ all worked up." He laughed at Hoshiko's antics, and then shook his head. "But seriously, Samuel, are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to lead us, Mr. Honored-and-Respected?"

Samuel punched Ace in the gut hard, although the move hurt Samuel more than it hurt Ace. And Samuel had known it wouldn't hurt the Incarnus anyway, or else he wouldn't have done it.

"Owwwww..." The boy hissed through his teeth, rubbing his knuckles. "Man, what are you made of? Bricks?"

"Steel, the Man of. Look me up sometime." Ace winked. "I might be taking applications for lovely assistants."

"You've already got a lovely assistant!" Hoshiko interjected, laughing and linking an arm with Ace, nudging him in the side at the same time. "Me! Samuel could hardly be considered lovely, and I'm a girl, so that makes me the perfect lovely assistant." She smirked. Then she broke away from Ace, taking the hand Samuel had punched Ace with and looking it over carefully. She couldn't be mean to him for too long, even if it was in play. "I'm sorry Samuel, I didn't mean to tease you so much." She glanced up at him. "Is your hand alright?" Hoshiko asked, hoping it was.

Samuel looked down at his hand. The knuckles were a tad red, but nothing worth fretting over. He laughed a little, and gently pulled his hand away from Hoshiko, shaking it out. "It's all good." He said. "I just have to beat Ace up more later."

"Hmm... If you can handle any more. You might knock yourself out if you aren't careful." He chuckled. "And by the way, Hoshiko is my new lovely assistant. Apparently you didn't meet the qualifications."

"You're a jerk." Samuel snorted.

"You're just jealous that I don't find you as pretty." Ace grinned tauntingly.

Samuel started walking a little faster to keep up right at Ace's side. "I'd be mortified if you did, actually."

"Denial is a sad state to be in. But don't worry," He smiled charmingly, "I'll help you get to a better place."

"Ace, speaking of better places, where do you think we should go next? We'd better decide soon anyways, if we want to get anywhere." Hoshiko asked plaintively.

Almost as if in answer, Ace slowed to a stop, looking up. They found themselves in the shadow of the fighting dojo, under the banner scrawled in ancient symbols of honor and courage.

"Well..." Ace mused out loud. "I'd say we could wander the city a bit, but I'm thinking we might do well to see if either Hart or Osamu are present. If they aren't, we're going to have to move on to the place we think Hart may show up next. We have to stay one step ahead of him, or risk him gaining the darkmatter he needs for his little 'project.'"

Hoshiko swallowed hard, staring up at the dojo. Her body went cold right at the sight of it, and the thought or consideration that Osamu or Hart could be inside felt crippling. Especially after everything Osamu had said, and it was hard to forget the dream that she had awoken to. But Samuel and Ace were with her...and as long as they were, she would be safe.

"We'd better go inside and check." Hoshiko managed to get out the words out, stepping forward along with Samuel and Ace, and entering into the dojo through the oriental screen doors.

As soon as they stepped in, the sound of gasp and applause surrounded them all. "Looks like the tournament is still on..." Hoshiko said softly, watching the buzz around them. They moved forward through the gathered spectators to the top of the stairs looking down over the fighting platform, and as she looked down upon the current fight between two young men, she saw Osamu. He seemed to be winning. Hoshiko instinctively looked away, turning to Samuel but staring more at his shoulder then at his face. "Well, Osamu is here...it must mean Hart is too..."

"Yes." Ace said smoothly, scanning the crowds. "He is." Raising a finger, the Incarnus gestured across the stands to a location fairly far from them. There, sure enough, was Hart. The man was soliciting more of his fliers, as Samuel expected him to be. But Ace was a little perturbed at the sight of Hart. If Hart hadn't left yet...

"I wonder if there is more darkness in Saffron..." He murmured to his friends, leaning close to them so they could hear.

Hoshiko didn't want to say anything at first, simply glancing back at Hart with a distasteful wrinkle in her nose. Huffing softly, the girl looked back at Samuel and Ace.

"I'd be hard pressed to take a guess, since I haven't spent much time in Saffron, but if Hart is here, then all I can guess is either he knows there's darkness or somehow knows that we're here. And it's assumable that there might be more darkness, after all...Osamu's medallion was only attached to him, not to Saffron itself. So in a way...he was more of a traveling darkness then anything. Although I would guess that there's quite a bit in Ecruteak."

Running a hand through her hair and tugging at a loose strand nervously, Hoshiko bit her bottom lip and couldn't help but glance back at her husband for a moment, all the blood rushing to her face, causing her cheeks to go hot and red. She certainly had a case of nerves. Ace didn't even notice how flustered Hoshiko was. He was more focused on Hart and the things that Hoshiko had said.

_Quite a bit of darkness in Ecruteak._

"You know..." He said aloud after a moment. "Come to think of it, Ecruteak is the pinnacle of what the darkness needs in order to grow. The bond between human and pokémon being so cherished there, it only makes sense that it would be a haven for growth of the demonic essence. But if that is the case, then the humans of Ecruteak are in grave danger."

"How do you mean?" Samuel asked, only half presently. He was watching Hoshiko's face, and frowning in Osamu's general direction.

"Well, the closer humans grow to the monsters, the more tightly bound they become with the darkness itself. All monsters, while not inherently evil in and of themselves, are vessels for the dark essence of the demon king, and they carry it with them wherever they go. It gives them their supernatural powers, so they benefit from it... But," He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Every time a monster is born, the capacity for the darkness to grow increases. Thus, the darkness is stronger now than it was hundreds of years ago. Not to mention, the more humans tie themselves to their monsters, the more they are opening themselves up to become vessels as well... It is a dangerous pact that trainers are making... A pact that should have ended a long time ago."

Just as Ace hadn't noticed her all that much, Hoshiko didn't notice him too much either. Although she heard parts of what he said and according to what he said his plan was, it made sense. Still, she couldn't keep her eyes from wandering to Osamu. Her hands were now freezing cold to go along with her red cheeks. All she could imagine was the man turning around with that dark, dark look in his eyes. The unimaginable horror that she had felt in her dream resounded in her brain, beckoning thoughts of her husband only moments away from him stealing her life away permanently. Swallowing slowly, the girl spoke in a weak voice.

"It makes sense Ace...Maybe...maybe after this we should go there next?" She said, hardly even aware that she had just not only agreed to go back to Ecruteak but in fact suggested it. She hardly noticed Samuel watching her, a cold, trembling hand rising to her chest, tenderly poking at the area where she had felt a searing pain before the dream had gone black.

Samuel blinked a couple of times, snapping out of his focus on Hoshiko and Osamu as Ace's words finally penetrated his brain.

"Now hold on just a second... I know you've explained similar things before but...It's hard to believe that simply having a close bond with a monster puts humans in such great danger." He protested.

"It hasn't always been that way." Ace said, looking off in Hart's direction and watching the man with only passing interest as he went on.

"In fact, thousands of years ago, monsters and humans were almost always at odds. People were afraid of them, and monsters were naturally aggressive towards them. But something changed... many monsters wound up fighting humans. Back then, humans defended themselves with weapons of all manner—swords, staves, bows and arrows. You name it. Sometimes, the monsters were not strong enough to stand against the humans. A few of those who were defeated were impressed enough by the humans' superior battle skills, that once they were defeated, they got up and began to follow the stronger humans. A sort of allegiance to the Alpha, if you know what I mean."

Ace closed his eyes and shook his head. "It was a rare occurrence, and the Demon King loathed that some of his servants were buddying up to the very people he wanted them to destroy. He'd meant the monsters to become tools for their destruction, not their partners. But that began to change when a man named Cheridan—a King of the Hero's bloodline—became so powerful in battle that he caught the attention of many monsters. It was at that moment when the demon king realized that he could get to Cheridan through the man's partnership with the beasts. It was a long time before the Demon King actually encouraged the partnership of man and beast, but the seed was sown at that time. Now, there are enough humans who are so closely bound with their monsters that they are virtually of one mind and spirit... That is where the danger lies. Sadly, it is the trainers and pokémon who love one another the most who are at the greatest risk."

As Ace started to speak even more, Hoshiko found herself able to look back at him, and although her expression was distant, the girl took his words in and mulled them over. She found it hard to process or even believe anything that Ace said about the bond between pokémon and their trainers, and yet whenever she would train back in Ecruteak, she found it hard to forget his philosophy as she'd look down at her beloved eevee and pondered Samuel and Ace.

"...If that's true then, I would assume that Ecruteak would harbor quite a bit of darkness. After all, the people who come there to see the towers believe fully in the legendary birds and are deeply grateful to them for their protection over Johto. Not to mention my family...they are completely dedicated to those pokémon and have been for at least a hundred years to my understanding..." Hoshiko offered softly, looking down at her hands quietly.

Ace nodded his head, his pure white hair falling forward from his shoulders and brushing against his cheeks. "There is a high possibility that Ecruteak is a prime location to which Hart will return. No doubt Arceus knows that is where he has cultivated the most powerful of his essence and allowed it to grow. He'll want Dialga and Palkia to go back and harvest it..."

Samuel's shoulders slumped forward. "Then we have to go back to Ecruteak...After everything we did to escape."

"It would be prudent. The only problem lies in how we will deal with the situation once we arrive."

Hoshiko stared down at the ground, her face was pensive and the girl chewed at her bottom lip for quite some time before starting to speak. She had an idea; it was a risky idea and one she was positive that Samuel and Ace wouldn't exactly be pleased with. But it was the only way she could see it working in their favor.

"I'll go on ahead of you..." Hoshiko started, softly. "Osamu will be here for another two days at least, so that means I can give my family the same story I did to him. That I went to see Koichi, because I was scared for the baby." She glanced up at Samuel and Ace for a second, unsure of what they might think or say.

"I know that they'll make me stay with them because Osamu isn't around, and so I'll also be back to work at the Dance Theater. That's where you two come in. You guys can come in, but you can't mention me, don't look for me or speak to me and if they mention me...just act...cold. If you feign their mentality, they won't be so bothered. And as long as you're paying, they're not going to refuse your patronage." Hoshiko then placed both of her clammy hands on Samuel's shoulders.

"I'll lead you two to the tower still standing at night after you arrive...I'm sure it would be where Ace will want to go." And then looking into Samuel's eyes and tightening the grip she had on his shoulders, Hoshiko's spoke quite seriously. "And I need you to promise me Samuel, that no matter what happens. No matter what you might see or hear about me. I need you to just act like my family does. Please. It's a lot to ask...I know, but this is the only way they'll trust you. You have to believe me. It's not like I'll give up on you guys or anything. I'm strong. My family doesn't believe in the 'let's talk it out' method. My mother will be furious when I go back to Ecruteak...but, just no matter what Samuel. Don't blow you guys cover."

And taking a deep breath in Hoshiko spoke once more. "Promise me, Samuel."

Samuel shifted uneasily. He didn't want to make any promises that would get Hoshiko back into the very situation that he wanted her out of. Yet, against his better judgment, Ace put a hand on Samuel's shoulder as well.

"It is difficult, but she knows the town better than we do, and she may lead us to precisely where we need to go. It could well be that there is darkness there, and we must find it and be rid of it... Or else seal it away and make it useless to Arceus..."

Samuel frowned a little. "And what happens when Osamu comes back?" He looked from Ace to Hoshiko. "What then?"

Hoshiko lowered her head, not wanting to look at Samuel. A deep sadness fell in her tone. Her hands were now trembling at the simple mention of Osamu's name.

"...Don't make this harder then it has to be, Samuel..." Hoshiko's voice was shaking along with her hands. "I don't know what will happen if we don't get out of there before Osamu gets back...If he does get to me before we leave...then..." Hoshiko swallowed hard. "He does. And I'll stay. Because if this is for something better, then it's worth it. And I will get out before anything bad can happen...But right now, we have my family to worry about, I don't need Osamu to be there to deal with that...I swear, they'll be absolutely furious with me..." Closing her eyes, Hoshiko shook her head.

"Samuel, please, just promise me you're not doing to do something. Anything. Just let whatever happens, happen. I swear, I'm not going anywhere. I promise you. So I need you to do the same..."

"Fat chance I'm leaving you there with that bastard _again_." Samuel snapped. "I can't promise I won't do anything to get you out of there if he tries to lock you away again. I'll do my best not to get in the way of your family so that we can do what we have to when we get there, but I'm not standing by anymore for Osamu, especially not after the things he said to you when we saw him last."

"Calm yourself, Samuel." Ace soothed, wrapping his arms around Samuel's shoulders and pulled Samuel close to him. It was only in that moment, when Ace was containing him, that Samuel realized he was shaking in his fury. "Hoshiko will be safe as long as we are both there for her. Have you forgotten?"

"We landed her in the hospital." Samuel hung his head, his messy hair falling over his forehead and hiding his eyes. "I'm sick and tired of seeing her get hurt!" Samuel started struggling to get out of Ace's grasp, but the Incarnus held him tightly, laying his chin on Samuel's shoulder.

His deep voice spoke soothingly in Samuel's ear. "Hoshiko is willing to do this. We will take care of her... But we cannot simply stand by when there may be a certain darkness growing uncontrollably in Ecruteak. We have to do something before Hart does."

Samuel struggled a little longer, but then gave up, exhausted. Ace was just too strong. "Damn you, Ace. I don't want Hoshiko hurt anymore! And she's _going_ to get hurt. She _always_ does when she's with her family! Especially Osamu! They have no feelings! No hearts! No—"

Ace kissed Samuel slowly, and with out a choice, the young man at last stopped shouting. But he was still shaking, and tears started rolling down his cheeks. When Ace pulled away, Samuel's voice cracked painfully. "You don't understand, Ace... You just don't get it."

"You can want to be a hero all you want, but sometimes being the hero means you have to make the hard decisions. Hoshiko _will_ be okay." Ace nudged Samuel's cheek with his nose, trying to encourage him. "Please believe me."

"How do we know anything is going to be okay, Ace?" Samuel turned his head, as much as he could while tightly restrained in the Incarnus' powerful arms, and looked over at Hoshiko desperately. "How do we know for sure?"

Ace looked away for a moment, clearly stumped by that question. The truth was...he didn't know for sure. Nobody could.

Everything became increasingly harder for Hoshiko to handle. Watching Samuel's reaction, it made her heart wrench at the pain he was feeling...the same pain she was feeling too. Fear, uncertainty and so many more things that were too difficult to describe. Thinking of Osamu made Hoshiko's whole body tremble. The very idea of being under his rule once again was absolutely horrifying to her. But despite how numb her mind had to go in order to accept it, Hoshiko was willing to make the sacrifice.

But as she continued watching her friend struggle, Hoshiko wasn't able to hide her emotions anymore, either from herself or from her friend. Only when she looked up were the tears soaking her face revealed and the young woman looked at Samuel, her face plainly showing her expression of sadness and pain. Stepping over so that she was in front of Samuel, Hoshiko gently placed her hands between Ace's arms and Samuel, hoping Ace would oblige and let Samuel go.

Ace gently released Samuel from his hold, but to his surprise, even after all that struggling, Samuel didn't immediately pull away. Instead, he leaned his back against Ace for support as Hoshiko came close and talked to him. The only real motion he made was to lift his head and looked her in the eye.

"...Samuel...I had never been so certain in my life that nothing would ever be okay again..." Hoshiko started softly. "And you know what? I'm still not certain it'll be alright. Certainly, my mother will punish me, but I have something that they need, I carry for them their only and last chance at continuing the family...so even if they physically break me and mentally too, they can't kill me. They won't kill me Samuel. My mother is past her child bearing years, and this child is the only one I will ever be capable to carry...it is impossible for them to take my life away." Hoshiko spoke softly and slowly, trying to be as gentle as possible, even with tears streaming steadily down her face.

"And Osamu is the same. Maybe he can still hurt me. But I'll survive it. I'm not going to go anywhere, Samuel. I won't leave. I promise. I promise I won't. Osamu can put me through pain all he wants and abuse me...but...as long as I have life to hold onto and..." she paused. "And friends to count on...I'll live."

Sniffing back a few more tears, Hoshiko tried to control her emotions, even if it was so very hard to do. "So please, just listen, no matter what they say or do, let it be. I'll still be there. I'm willing to accept the pain, physical pain is so temporary. Osamu can do no worse to me than he's already done, and I still have nightmares every night, even if I'm not in Ecruteak. If I can accept it...then I need you to do the same, Samuel. Just for now...I promise, I won't ask you do to it again..."

"Why…why do you ask me to do these things?" He moaned, reaching a hand up to wipe the tears from his eyes. More took their place almost immediately, so he quickly gave up on that. "You expect way too much from me... How am I supposed to let my friend suffer...and for what? Some uncertain victory?"

Hoshiko's lips curled inwards, trying hard to hold back the overwhelming emotion. She wanted to break down into sobs, but she refused. It was too hard, too much to ask, she couldn't stand seeing Samuel in pain and her own fear was only growing with each increasing minute. It would have been much easier to simply agree with Samuel and not to go Ecuteak. To not accept what might or could happen.

"...I'll dance for you there..." She said quietly, looking off to the side. "I'll get to keep my promise." Her voice was shaking. "I won't ask you to promise me anymore...but I won't go without your blessing too, Samuel..." Hoshiko tried to wipe away her own tears now, hardly able to control them anymore. Looking back, Hoshiko searched Samuel's pained eyes, both mirroring each other's emotions. "...Please then, Samuel...let me dance for you."

Samuel choked a sad laugh and looked away from Hoshiko for a moment, staring into the smoky haze that hung over the stands and listening to the people shouting and cheering the fighters on. He wished, just for one moment, that he could be invincible for just long enough to run down there and pulverize Osamu's jaw.

"Alright..." He sobbed, frustrated but realizing that with both Hoshiko and Ace pushing for this that he himself had no chance. "I'll do it... But if anything happens to you, I swear I'll—"

"Samuel..." Ace's voice caught him. "No threats...not to her family. We'll protect her as needed, but not until then..."


	23. Home Before the Hart Is

**Chapter 23: Home Before the Hart Is**

Hoshiko went on ahead of Samuel and Ace, just as she said she would. Uncertain about when her friends would arrive, she constantly reminded herself that she would only find out upon seeing them at the Dance Theater, as long as everything went as planned. Right now, no matter how sick Hoshiko felt in the pit of her stomach, she realized that everything was currently falling into the place according to her plan. It was a comfort, but a dismal one.

Her mother stood beside her with a tight grip on the girl's shoulder; her fingers squeezed tightly against the bone with no gesture of compassion or protectiveness. Only malevolence hung within the moment and it almost made Hoshiko cower, except that her upbringing ingrained in her a sense of respect and calm in situations of punishment. She had changed into her kimono but wasn't done up with her makeup, and her cut hair was as plain as anything. Standing in front of the scrutinizing eyes of her sisters, Hoshiko tried to look past the older girls and stare at the wall behind them. It didn't take long for her mother to start speaking, more to her other daughters, than to Hoshiko herself.

"My dear children." She started. "Do you not agree that it is wrong for a child to run away from their home, showing disrespect towards their family?"

"Yes Mother." They agreed in unison.

"...And do you not agree that it is irresponsible to go against the wishes of one's family and tradition?"

"...It is, Mother, but Hoshiko is a disrespectful child." One of the girls spoke up.

"Indeed, she is..." Her mother replied, glancing coldly at Hoshiko and then turning to another one of her sisters. "Do you not agree that children who wish to make a spectacle of themselves should also be treated likewise with their punishment?" Her mother posed the question.

"Why yes, Mother." One of the girls started, looking at Hoshiko contemptuously. "If Hoshiko wishes to put herself in public so much, then why not offer her the chance with her punishment?"

Hoshiko would have wavered if she felt she could, but she was too afraid to.

The girl's mother pondered the idea. "Something pubic..." She mused. "Yes, considering Hoshiko's wish to run away from her family and spend time with unsavory people not suited for her company, then I see it fit that she endure some for of public punishment..."

Hoshiko wanted so badly to cry and wished she could hide with Samuel and Ace.

Looking at Hoshiko's eldest sister, her mother shoved Hoshiko to her. "What is your suggestion, my child? You, by far are the wisest of my children. And it is only fit that the wise pass judgment on the foolish." She said. "You decide Hoshiko's punishment."

Turning to her sister with pleading eyes, Hoshiko's expression begged for some shred of mercy. The woman only looked down at Hoshiko with a bitter frown, not a trace of sisterly love in her eyes. All that lay therein was disgust and irritation. She did not want to put Hoshiko in a position that would compromise the family's role in society or dishonor them in any way, but she had to think of something troublesome enough that Hoshiko would despise the punishment.

"We must have her speak publicly and confess that what she has done was wrong, renounce her despicable little friends, and pledge herself to the family name before the entire town."

It was as if someone had dropped her already fragile heart and broken it in two. Any physical pain would have been easier to endure. Even publicly confessing that she had been wrong, as humiliating as it was, would have been much simpler. But to disown her friends, to speak poorly of Samuel and Ace—even within her family circle—would have been bad enough, let alone out in public. The girl's expression was one of shock and horror as she stared up at her sister.

"I...I can't..." She said weakly. "Please, anything, but I can't do that..." Hoshiko begged sadly. "I just...I can't."

"You can and you will." Hoshiko's mother said. "Your sister has chosen an appropriate punishment for you to endure." And taking Hoshiko's hand up in a vice grip, the woman lead the girl to a table in the room. "But, of course, our family tradition still remains with corporal punishment, so we shall execute that first." She lifted a bamboo staff, meant for decoration off of the wall. Taking first Hoshiko's right hand, the woman laid it out flat on the table and cracked the staff against the girl's bare knuckles. Hoshiko didn't move. This certainly wasn't the first time she had experienced this. There was a hush over the room as her sisters watched Hoshiko expectantly for a reaction and slowly, after the fifth crack from the staff, Hoshiko flinched and from then on she started to cry silently and bite at her lip to prevent from crying out. And just as she had expected it to be over and her hand was released, Hoshiko's left hand was seized and given the exact same treatment. Left to look at her raw and bleeding hands for a moment Hoshiko sobbed quietly in pain.

"Go and prepare yourself to be properly and respectably presented in public." Hoshiko's mother said curtly, turning her back on the girl.

"But...my...my...makeup...how...how can I...put...it on...like this...?" Hoshiko's voice trembled.

"You are apparently a very resourceful child, I would not see it past you enduring the simple process of putting on your own make up..." Her mother replied coolly before turning to leave.

Hoshiko remained for a moment, staring down at her hands and considering what she had been told she would have to do. There was no way, no way she could renounce her friends. Hoshiko's sister sneered at the girl, noticing the misery upon Hoshiko's face. The eldest was apparently very pleased with her choice of punishment.

"Do as mother tells you, like a good girl." She yanked Hoshiko to her feet and pushed her off towards the back room so that she could prepare. "Go make yourself look pretty."

* * *

Samuel and Ace hung on tightly to the body of the large, flying sea serpent as she twisted her way through the sky. The thin, scale-less body shone smoothly in the light, rich coral in color upon her back and pearl white on her underbelly. Her tiny legs tucked close to her underside. A long, trailing ribbon that gleamed now and then to onlookers on the ground, Petra was a fast and much less steady ride than Samuel was used to. He greatly missed riding on Ace's back, because the Incarnus was always so careful not to make sudden movements. Still, he knew full well that, especially in Ecruteak at the Dance Theater, it would be important for Ace to appear as a human, so he did not complain.

"Easy Petra!" Samuel called out over the wind, "Not so much diving!"

Petra roared a response, gaping her mouth and flashing rows of needle like teeth. Samuel wasn't sure if that was an affirmative or a 'shut up.'

* * *

Hoshiko bit her tongue to prevent from insulting her sister like she wanted to. Even so, it didn't take much effort to hold back the hate. All the venom was gone from her words and personality. After the beating her hands had taken, she was in too much pain to really speak. So instead she let her sister push her along.

Once in the back room, Hoshiko proceeded to wrap her hands carefully before even attempting to do her makeup. The blood from the cuts in her hands quickly created red stains across the white bandages that covered her hands completely. Holding back the rest of her tears and sniffles of pain, Hoshiko went to applying her mask.

White painted face, cherry lips, deep crimson eye shadow. The method was so instilled that she hardly had to think about it. It was all too familiar, and the face stared back at Hoshiko as she watched herself in the mirror was the person that she knew as a broken, damaged person. Not the person she was with her face free of the white paint. Rising slowly to her feet, Hoshiko slid her hands into her sleeves and exited the room to find her sister there waiting.

She only wished that they had forgotten about her punishment and would only send her to the Dance Theater to get to work. Because Samuel would be arriving soon, she only hoped he would miss this. After all, Hoshiko wasn't going to say anything wrong of her friends and was completely unsure of what sort of result that would elicit.

Hoshiko's sister flashed a cruel smile at the girl as she approached. "Oh, very nice. You almost look like you could be a respectable part of the family now, if I didn't know you better." She frowned and pointed to the door. "Out with you now. Mother is in the Town Square, and she is expecting you." Her sister waved her hands. "Move along."

If Hoshiko hadn't felt so restricted inside of herself, she would have wrinkled her nose distastefully at her sister and uttered a sarcastic remark. But as it was, the girl didn't want to anger her family any more than they already were. If for anyone's sake, it was Samuel and Ace's. If they couldn't make it into Ecruteak then the whole plan was for naught….

Turning her head with a straight face, and forcing herself not to complete the thought, Hoshiko walked out of the home, her movements just as graceful as they had always been, even under stress and pain. She walked the quiet normally beautiful road to the Town Square, feeling that today it was something more like a nightmare. Indeed, her mother and sisters were there waiting for her, but more distressing than that was the crowd of people that were gathered around them, almost forming a circle around the group. Her family cruelly planned to see that anyone and everyone from Ecruteak was present, and Hoshiko suddenly found herself holding onto her stomach for some sort of comfort that the child within her might provide. The unseen baby was the only one present that wasn't currently against her.

And yet with elegance the young woman made her way through the parted people and went to the center of the area where her mother and sisters stood beside her. Looking out upon the crowd, Hoshiko was relieved not to see Samuel's platinum hair, nor Ace's white locks among the throng of onlookers. Swallowing hard and feeling her mother poking her in the back, Hoshiko found it hard to find her voice and even if she opened her mouth...nothing came out.

Hoshiko's sister frowned at the girl when she stalled, and she hissed through her teeth just loud enough for Hoshiko to hear. "Well?"

The people of Ecruteak were all watching expectantly. They knew the Kimono Girls as well as they knew and prided their towers, and so hearing one speak was a real treat, especially since most of the time they stayed in the Dance Theater. Of course, they did not know what Hoshiko was up to or what she was meant to say. Still, that didn't seem to matter. They watched her with as much eagerness in their eyes as they would if Ho-oh itself came to visit them.

Feeling her cheeks burning underneath the make up that so thoroughly covered her face, Hoshiko stared out at the crowd anxiously. Her heart skipped every second beat and it was hard to breathe. But at her sister's urging, Hoshiko felt her voice come to her at last. Raising her head, the young woman tried to sound as eloquent as possible.

"...I have come here today to explain a great injustice that I have committed." Hoshiko started, her voice sounded a bit desperate. "I left Ecruteak, dishonoring myself and going against our family tradition. I would like to confess this crime and ask for the forgiveness of both my family and the people of Ecruteak. So that I may learn my place and atone for the wrongdoings of my insolent youth." The young woman bowed to the crowd and then standing straight once more, continued on.

"Also, I would like to, in the presence of my family and you, dear people, pledge my commitment to my family name and the tradition of our ways. I now commit myself completely to them and to their wishes for...my..." Hoshiko couldn't get it out. "For my..." Her eyes wandered to the faces of the people, to see their reaction. And then there was the fact that she wouldn't speak of her friends. Suddenly she felt trapped, and all she wanted to do was run. But she couldn't.

The people stared, startled by the words that were coming out of Hoshiko's mouth. They hadn't known, really, what she'd been through, but this small glimpse was completely unexpected. They continued staring, still listening expectantly, but many of their mouths hung agape as they waited for her to continue. A Kimono Girl? Dishonoring her family? It was unheard of and shocking, but also intriguing. Hoshiko's sister prodded her side to get her to talk again.

* * *

Over top of the mountains Petra flew, and Samuel felt almost comfortable at seeing them. Even the distant shape of Mt. Arcanine, with its deep black stripes of igneous deposits in the red stone soothed him in some strange way with its familiarity. Yet, he knew the danger within it, and was all too glad that they weren't going there.

Suddenly, Petra let out a shrill cry, and her long body twisted and jerked violently to one side, snaking around something that, at first, Samuel had not even seen.

"What the?!" He looked back over his shoulder and glimpsed something in the sky behind them—sort of a fading haze of blackness dissipating into the white clouds. "What was—"

Before Samuel could speak again, an ear shattering roar caused him to instinctively duck and cling closely to Petra's body, not even really knowing what was coming. His first thought was a bolt of lightning. The splitting roar was certainly loud enough to be a close range crack of thunder. But, as a shadow loomed over his head and he looked up to see the huge form of Dialga floating in the air—no...not floating, _charging_ at them through the sky.

"PETRA!" Samuel cried. Immediately, the large flying dragon dove down. "Hart's here!?"

Samuel called over the rush of wind to Ace, who was holding on to Petra just as tightly. "I don't think so!" Ace shouted. "There's no sign of him! Look!" He pointed backwards, just as Dialga turned and was coming around again, mouth wide open and filling with glowing energy. Sure enough though, it didn't look like Hart was riding him.

"What's going on?" Samuel cried out, just as a beam-like pulse of fiercely pure dragon energy flashed through the sky and tore towards them. Petra twined and lurched out of the way, narrowly avoiding the hit. She started to fly faster.

"It's an ambush!"

Another raging beam of energy ripped through the fabric of the sky and blazed towards them, forcing Samuel and Ace to flatten themselves against Petra. They could feel the searing power graze their backs.

"Dialga must have been following orders! Then that means he should return to Hart! We can follow—" The clouds began to darken, and when Samuel looked up he could literally hear the sizzling rumbles overhead as deadly lightning began building behind the black. "Oh no..."

Ace called out over all the noise, as wind rushed past their faces and Petra tried to dive a bit lower. "He probably is under orders, but I have a feeling he's mad about our last little spat!"

A bright flash right in front of them made Petra shriek and double back over on herself, almost sending Ace and Samuel to their doom. A second lightning bolt came down in front of her again, just as she turned, forcing her to race skyward to avoid running into it.

"Gee, you think?!"

* * *

Looking straight forward at the people in front of her, Hoshiko felt deeply ashamed but remained as composed as possible. She changed the subject slightly and returned to her apology. It felt safer to her than commitments and the topic of her friends right now.

"I apologize also to you, the people of Ecruteak, for shaming you in my actions and running away like I did. I promise to you all from now on that I will be honorable and respectful of my tradition, my honor, my family and of everything in life. I have been raised to be." Hoshiko swallowed hard, forcing herself to go back to the topic in which she had avoided moments ago.

"I...also promise to commit myself to my family. From now on, I wish to do only their will and so to avoid any more dishonor to myself." Hoshiko wanted to close her eyes, to hide from the people's shocked faces. "So please, forgive me." The young girl tried to conclude her speech with another bow.

Looking down her nose at her daughter, Hoshiko's mother was shocked at the fact that she had purposely avoided a topic that was very important to her punishment and as the girl stood up she whispered in her ear.

"You've missed something my child." She said.

"I...I won't say it..." Hoshiko tried to whisper softly.

"You must denounce and disown those deplorable people you've socialized with."

"I...can't. I won't do it. Have you're way with me...but I won't say anything against my friends..." The girl said quite certainly.

But her mother turned to the eldest sister and shook her head in disgust. "Her speech has meant nothing to her. You must do something. She's a willful child who must be broken..." Her words were near silent so that the crowd could not hear.

"What am I to do, Mother?" Her sister asked with a shocked whisper, "There is a crowd watching us, and we must maintain our dignity in front of them. Persuade her. She will listen to you better."

Just as Hoshiko's older sister finished speaking, a low rumble of thunder in the distance rolled in over the town like drums leading a death march. Lifting her head, Hoshiko's sister noticed the black thunderheads collecting into one huge mass on the horizon, and she mused that she had never seen a storm quite so fierce looking before.

"Hoshiko." He sister hissed again, this time grabbing her shoulder and forcing her attention to the welling storm. "Hurry and speak, before the rains come."

* * *

Dialga's roar sent a rippling shockwave out from an epicenter, rattling Samuel's eardrums and making him cling tighter to Petra as the dragon shot straight up. He did not dare to look back, because looking back would mean he was looking straight down at the ground as it sped farther and farther away. It was all he could do to stare into the fast-approaching black clouds and hope that they would break through them.

Behind them, Dialga swam viciously through the air, rising faster and faster until he was right on Petra's tail. He snapped his jaws, trying to catch the edge of her fin, but a flick of it sent her shooting higher and leaving him far below. Dialga shrieked in rage and hurled a blast of white-hot dragon's breath in her direction. She whirled around it and continued rising high, until she was right up against the belly of the dark black clouds.

Samuel looked into the billowing haze rolling in around them, and when he looked this way and that to see nothing but the black ceiling in every direction, he could feel his heart hammering in his ears. It already felt like it was going to explode, as the altitude made breathing harder and harder. The air around him felt like ice, biting at his bare arms and face mercilessly, and all he could do was gasp a helpless "heaven help us" as they plowed right into the building storm.

It was almost like being underwater, with only a slight difference. He could breathe, but not enough to feel satisfied. He felt his chest clenching as the moisture from the clouds collected on his skin in cold little droplets. The sound all around them seemed muffled the deeper they burrowed into the swirling clouds, and even the wind that had been blasting by their faces had stopped. All he could hear was the rumble of thunder all around him, and he could _feel_ the electricity making the hair on his arms stand up.

Petra swam through the clouds, but rapidly became disoriented amid them. She lost her direction, and could not rightly tell which way was up, so she began to fly erratically, jerking one way and then another to try and regain her bearings. She wove her way between electric bolts, narrowly avoiding strikes one after another. Then she entered a patch of clouds too thick to see any distance through. She continued forward, but Samuel cringed and closed his eyes the whole time. He just knew they weren't going to make it out of this...it wasn't physically possible.

A dark face suddenly appeared in front of Petra, literally out of nowhere, and the mouth opened wide, displaying a flash of sharply pointed teeth as the clouds around it rushed out of the way. Petra jerked her head back and roared in shock, narrowly avoiding getting her head snapped in the jaws of Dialga's mouth.

Samuel cried out in surprise, completely caught off guard by Petra's sudden reaction. He lost his hold on her slick hide, and began to tumble backwards, right over Ace's head. Ace felt Samuel's body brush him, and he looked back in time to see his master hanging onto Petra's thrashing tail fin, as the long dragon began to swim through the clouds again.

"SAMUEL!" Ace screamed, twisting around and trying to reach for the boy's hand.

But the distance between the two of them was just too great, and Samuel's grip on Petra not nearly tight enough. His fingertips began sliding down the smooth scales with every whip of her long tail, and finally, they reached the very edge. Samuel's eyes widened, and he could feel the heart in his chest stop beating as he clenched tighter...only to watch the tail rip right out of his hands.

He couldn't scream, couldn't even breathe as he flew backwards, propelled by the thrust of Petra's powerful tail until he could not see her anymore. All that he could think was one word. "No." It wasn't real. It wasn't really happening. It couldn't be...

And then reality hit. He could feel himself falling faster, and he fell out through the bottom of the clouds. The rush of ice cold wind shook him from his state of shock, and all at once, Hoshiko came to mind. He wasn't going to make it...he wasn't going to be able to get to Ecruteak and she would be stuck with Osamu and her cruel family...for the rest of her life.

It was just too much to think about, but looking over his shoulder and seeing the ground looming closer and closer, gradually and yet faster than Samuel ever wanted to see it approach, he knew that there was no alternative.

A flash of movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he could see a long, red object snaking down out of the clouds and rushing towards him.

_Petra._ He thought her name but was too out of it to call out the word. _Ace..._

The Incarnus was sitting on Petra's back, close to the dragon's head, and urging her down, faster and faster. Dialga was right behind them, but Ace's only real concern was Samuel. And the boy knew it. Instinctively, he extended his hand and his fingertips as far as he could, reaching desperately for Ace as his partners drew ever closer.

He hoped they'd arrive before the ground did.

Ace's strong hand reached out as they dove down right beside the falling man, and he leaned to the side, forcing Petra to move in as close as she could without smacking Samuel away on accident. Samuel strained harder, his blue eyes pleading desperately with Ace to catch him. And he felt the warm and powerful grip clamp closed around his fingers with almost crushing force. All at once, his fall ended, and he was jerked upward and into Ace's arms.

* * *

The storm was the perfect opportunity for Hoshiko to avoid the rest of her public punishment. Her family should have been satisfied anyways, she had shamed herself in the eyes of Ecruteak, and she would have to live with that. Even if she had said something about Samuel and Ace the family would have little to gain from that except satisfaction.

Looking to her sister, Hoshiko nodded, she would say something. Raising her head, the young woman started to speak once more, her mother seemed relieved but hat wouldn't last for long.

"I thank you once again for your attention. It has helped me properly atone for my sins. Please, return to your homes before the impending storm arrives."

Bowing one last tine, Hoshiko went to walk away. Her mother was fuming but of course it wasn't visible from the outside to any of the townspeople. The harsh woman seemed composed and calm, following behind her now-shamed daughter and waving for her other daughters to follow.

It was a matter of moments before they arrived back at the family home, even despite Hoshiko walking slowly, trying to mentally prepare herself for anything that could or might happen. She knew it wouldn't be good once they all got inside, safe from the storm. A different sort of storm waited in the walls of this house, and Hoshiko braced herself for it to strike with full force.

And it did. As soon as they entered the home and closed the doors, Hoshiko's mother banished everyone except for Hoshiko and her eldest sister. Turning to Hoshiko, rage creased every edge of the furious woman's face.

"HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY ME! HOW DARE YOU DEFY YOUR PUNISHMENT!" The woman practically roared at Hoshiko, only inches away from the girl's face. But Hoshiko was satisfied with herself.

Hoshiko said nothing.

Her mother lifted the staff off the wall once more. "Sit down." She commanded. "Take off your sandals and socks."

Hoshiko obeyed quietly. The young woman sat with her feet out and her mother proceeded to assist roughly, as if even sitting down could not be done properly by Hoshiko. Once the young girl was situated with the soles of her tender feet exposed, her mother snapped the bamboo staff against them sharply, and began the long, terrible thrashing, moving from one foot to the other, back and forth, in rhythmic and abrupt motions. The room filled with the sound of the staff whistling through the air and then cracking against bare skin, over and over. Hoshiko sobbed quietly at the pain, as her mother made sure to hit both the tops and bottoms of her feet with equal strikes.

Hiding her face with her hands, Hoshiko tried no to react too strongly, After all she had gotten her wish, physical pain was better then saying wrong of Samuel and Ace. That was what she wanted. But it wasn't over. The same treatment went to her arms and elbows. Only then did her mother step away from the young woman.

"Get up, wrap your feet and go to the Dance Theater. You have work tonight."

Hoshiko swallowed hard and tried her best to get up, falling back onto her knees in pain, seething through tightly clenched teeth. Her mother wouldn't help her, in fact the woman had already left the room. So looking up to her sister, Hoshiko's pain was clear, eyes begging for at least someone to help her and guide her back to the back room so she could treat her feet. She could hear rain falling on the roof, just like the tears she had wanted to cry.

Hoshiko's sister obliged to pull the girl up, but it was not the help that Hoshiko wanted to receive. She was very rough, and not particularly careful about Hoshiko's fresh injuries. She gave the girl a good shove towards her room.

"Get ready and don't waste time. I will be dancing tonight too, so if I am late because of you, I will tell mother and she shall punish you tenfold." Her sister hurried her along, opening the door for Hoshiko and helping to get the girl's dancing kimono on.

"Honestly I don't know why you just don't do as you're told. It would save you so much trouble and pain. You're a stupid, ridiculous child. You haven't grown up at all."

* * *

Samuel clung tightly to Ace like he never had before, and although he only wanted to hide his face and give his nerves a chance to recover, his hope for a moment's peace was very, very short lived. Dialga's earth shaking roar went through his bones, rattling him to the very core, and he knew, by the sound of it, that Dialga was practically on top of them.

Still holding on for dear life, Samuel lifted his head just enough to look back over Ace's shoulder and see a blast of pulsing energy explode out from Dialga's mouth. Petra whipped around suddenly to face it and try to counter with her own blast, but she was too slow, and was struck in her exposed underbelly. She had no time to recover, before Dialga himself plowed into her, head first, with his iron skull. Breath escaped her in a sudden and short roar of pain, and she began to tumble backwards.

"Hang on tight, Samuel!" Ace cried out.

"We'll never make it if we keep running!" Samuel shouted in horror as the world around them began spinning out of control. "You have to do something!"

Ace nodded resolutely, and as he tried to hold onto Petra's squirming body, he peered up at Dialga and opened up his hand, a ball of energy from his own aura collecting in his palm. "I've got a good clear shot—"

Upon completion of the word 'shot,' Petra screamed out, and Samuel thought for sure they were all dead. A searing heat struck him with so much force that he thought he'd explode. He did not realize that a bolt of lightning had shot right out of the clouds overhead and struck Petra, sending her and everyone else reeling.

* * *

Hoshiko looked at her sister sadly as she helped her on with her dancing kimono. The material brushing up against her arms was incredibly painful and she wanted to whimper and cry from the stinging in her arms and feet. She felt like she was going to collapse. Eyes narrowed, she would have bitten her lip if not for lipstick and cried if not for makeup. It was true that if either girl was late, Hoshiko would be held responsible and currently, she couldn't afford anymore beatings.

"...I...I'm not immature..." Hoshiko said sadly. "I only do what...my heart tells me to..." She looked at her sister earnestly, only hoping that by some miracle she might get a positive reaction...

But before anyone could say or do anything else, Hoshiko was already prepared, although her sister hadn't given the young woman a chance to wrap her feet, the two braved the rain and Hoshiko braved the pain her body to get to the Dance Theater. Once there, the girl was greeted by her mother, whom Hoshiko bowed respectfully to.

"You're late." She said irritably.

"It...took some extra time to get ready. My arms and feet are in such pain..." Hoshiko said meekly.

"That is no excuse child. There will be more punishment to be dealt after this evening's work."

"Yes, Mother." Hoshiko said, her expression deadened but the young woman picked up at fragile tea pot with her bandaged hands and went to work.

Hoshiko's eldest sister gracefully strode past her, making her way towards the back of the dance theater. She was meant to be dancing on stage tonight, instead of for individual customers, so she hurried to join her sisters under the lights. She stopped just long enough in passing to shoot Hoshiko a cold stare.

"I hope for your sake that you soon learn to behave like a proper Kimono Girl..." She muttered under her breath, and then made her way up onto the wood and bamboo stage, her cherry-blossom covered kimono shining silkily in the light.

* * *

Petra was falling. The shock from the electricity was just too intense for her to fight against it, and there was no longer anything she could do to fight or flee. Realizing that they were going to crash, and knowing that he himself was still too lacking in energy to transform into a more suitable flying form, Ace knew it was all he could do to brace for impact. Pushing away from Petra with his legs to put distance between her and them so that they would not be crushed under her, Ace pulled himself and Samuel into a complete free fall. He rolled onto his back and curled up around his master as tightly as he could, and together they plummeted like a cannonball until they crashed through the trees and slammed into the ground below at full force.

Bird pokémon in the foliage took to the sky in a massive, living, screeching and hurrying away. Dust and leaf litter rose from the ground in a great, smoke-like plume and slowly cleared, revealing a small crater in the forest floor. Ace had taken the brunt of the impact, protecting Samuel from death with his own body. The only thing protecting Ace was his nature as a monster.

When Samuel came to, only minutes later, he felt his head buzzing, swimming, and throbbing tremendously, like it would soon burst. Pushing himself up with his hands, he found himself looking right down at Ace's face, and, although weak, the Incarnus was conscious. Ace flashed him a pained smile, and Samuel realized what Ace had done just to protect him. Smiling back and looking away a little, feeling awkward for the position they landed in, his face turned red despite himself.

His focus, however, was almost instantaneously redirected, for as he looked away, a shadow fell over them. He looked up, and through the wide gap they had left in the tree branches, he could see the belly of Dialga as the beast flew over them. Samuel froze instinctively, but instead of noticing them, Dialga simply passed by overhead...and was gone.

A pained groan from Samuel's throat arose, and he finally allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief that somehow, through all this, they had lived. Slowly, Samuel pushed himself up off of Ace and rolled into the leaves on his back, laying a hand on his own chest and gulping sweet oxygen.

"If I live to see my next birthday, I'll be amazed..." Samuel groaned. "How do I let you get me into these things?"

Ace slowly sat up, in tremendous pain but gritting his teeth and bearing it. "It keeps you out of the trouble you naturally get yourself into." Ace coughed, forcing himself to his feet and reaching for Samuel's hand. He pulled the boy up and, to Samuel's surprise and slight dismay, gave him a big hug.

Samuel squirmed. "Okay, okay. I'm fine, really. But we can't stand around here." He shoved Ace away from him. "Not that I'm not thankful you just saved my butt, but we have to find Petra." Hurriedly, he turned away from Ace, and the Incarnus agreed.

"She can't be far off." He suggested as Samuel broke into a run. "She must have landed somewhere nearby. We have to call her back and get her to a Pokémon Center quickly, she's been injured terribly, and considering that neither of her elements tolerate abuse by electricity, she's not going to be able to—"

Ace cut off as they approached a wide clearing in the trees, where the grass and dirt lay perfectly exposed to the sky above. In the center of the clearing, lying curled over herself like a torn out wad of string, lay Petra.

Samuel gasped and ran towards her, locating her head amidst the long twine of her body. He crawled over her and reached for her face, lifting her from the chin and trying to straighten her out a bit. He saw, as he moved, that she had burns from the Thunder strike and deep gashes that suggested Dialga had found her even after she fell and had assaulted her. He put his hand over her nose and felt no movement of the air. When he turned, frantically to look at the snaking contours of her body, her ribs did not rise and fall, even a little.

He turned his gaze back to her and bit his lip. "Oh no..." He whispered sadly, "Petra..."

Slowly, the patter of falling raindrops sounded little by little, louder and increasingly louder, as the heavens opened up and shed their tears.

* * *

"I'd much rather be a proper human." Hoshiko said quiet enough that only her sister might hear as she passed. Taking the tea to the first occupied table that she saw, the young woman was silent, as was custom. She was not allowed to speak a word to the people that came in and out of the Theater unless they were battling. Tonight, only dancing and customary tea would be served. She would pour their tea, leave the pot on the table as she danced and then take it back, return for a fresh pot and repeat this same action again and again at each table.

There was no variation in procedure, unless she was summoned to dance at someone's particular table. That wasn't the case yet this evening. She had already poured for one table and was dancing for them. She could tell that her other sisters were blatantly avoiding the tables where there sat men, leaving them for Hoshiko to contend with. And it was no surprise. Their reactions to her grace and poise were plain as the looks on their face, and they spoke words to her that Hoshiko let fall on deaf ears.

As she danced for a certain unsavory group of men, Hoshiko's mind wandered. She considered why Samuel had yet to arrive. Something must have happened. Her mind started racing, even as she tried to remain calm and dignified for her audience, but the longer she worked, the more worried and concerned for the safety of her friends she became.

As her hand swept downwards in mid-dance the girl felt a sharper then normal pain in her hand that went right up her spine. One of the men had caught her fingers and pulled Hoshiko forward a bit. With effort, she ignored her stinging feet and avoided stumbling.

She was silent. The man wasn't. But Hoshiko was. She tried to gently pull away from him, but the more she did, the more he held tighter and tighter onto Hoshiko's injured hand. There were tears of pain that she was clearly trying to hide in her eyes...But it was hard.

The door at the entrance to the theater opened slowly, and into the quiet lantern light stepped two very wet and somber looking patrons. One of them looked to be in a considerable amount of pain, although he seemed to be fighting to hide it behind very slow movements and a flat expression. The other's expression seemed vacant, but with a certain sadness around the very edges. His wild platinum blonde hair was sloppy and dripping, some of it plastered against his forehead and cheek bones. Both had injuries.

They made their way to a table and faced the stage, seeming exhausted but not open to talking about it. They ordered the service of a dancer, but then settled in to watch and wait for someone to arrive at their table. When they were left alone for a moment, one of them leaned forward on the table and rubbed his face. The other, with tangles of wet white hair lying limply against his pink and yellow island shirt looked at his companion empathetically.

"I'm sorry, Samuel..."

"I know you are...and...it's not really your fault." He squeezed his eyes shut. "We couldn't have known that Dialga was waiting for us...I don't blame you for any of it..."

Struggling away from the man, Hoshiko found herself looking around to see why her sisters wouldn't come to her rescue, but the thought didn't last long, Hoshiko realized that even if they saw, they wouldn't help. More importantly, Hoshiko saw the very familiar frames of Samuel and Ace now seated at one of the tabletop lantern lit spots. She had to get to that table before any of her sisters did, and found a new strength within herself to wrench her aching hand away from the man. Bowing to their table she took the tea pot and dashed as gracefully as possible to grab a new pot of tea.

The other girls seemed to avoid the table, thankfully, obviously because there were two men there. Hoshiko was pleased that they had assumed the wrong thing and carried the tea pot over. She was quiet as ever, pouring the tea into Samuel and Ace's cups, showing her blood stained, bandaged hands and leaving the pot on their table. There was the normal contented look on her face just like all the other Kimono Girls...she looked just like all her sisters. Only height separated them. Otherwise they were identical.

Breathing to steady herself, Hoshiko started to dance for the two. Her movements were slower and more graceful then she had been with the rest of the people at the dance theater and the girl rivaled even her sisters on the stage. Keeping in perfect time with the music, she felt like cringing at every movement but wouldn't because she wanted to do this for Samuel. She wanted to keep her promise.

Samuel caught a glimpse of Hoshiko's hands, and when he did, he recognized her and felt her pain. Biting his lip harder, he glanced at Ace and shook his head.

"I guess we're not the only ones..." He murmured, knowing that Hoshiko wouldn't be able to answer them, but still wanting her to know that they understood.

Slowly, a slightly chilled Samuel took his cup of steaming tea and sipped it, Ace watching him closely and then doing the same. The normally cheerful Incarnus seemed very reserved, and perhaps that was because Hoshiko had asked him to be, but perhaps it wasn't. Still, he watched Hoshiko with interest.

Samuel watched as well, but he could not help the feeling that Hoshiko didn't deserve this. He wished he could see her dance free and happy, not all cooped up in this place, dancing by their rules after they had so clearly hurt her hands so badly. For, as nice as the theater seemed, to Samuel it was just another prison, and he didn't like it.

Hoshiko could feel words in her throat that burned to escape her lips and speak to Samuel, but that was impossible. It would be too noticeable. After all, she couldn't speak to customers at all. And so instead, she continued on in the dance. Her eye contact was different than how she was with the other patrons also; it was much more caring, and despite all of the makeup on her face, it was easy to tell that this was Hoshiko. She might have been a caged bird, but she was one that was content in her pain, pleased to be with her friends and have them there to watch her. The sadness that seemed to be constantly in the Dance Theater for Hoshiko would be different now. She would remember this moment forever.

Slowly the dance ended and Hoshiko found it in herself to actually kneel in front of the table. This time it was too hard to hide her pain. The young woman pretended to organize the things at the table and clean it, as though there might have been a problem with it. Glancing up at Samuel, she watched him intently. As she reached over to wipe the other edge of the table, her sleeve had gotten caught, revealing the uncovered wounds on her arm. Hoshiko didn't realize it, she was too busy studying Samuel sympathetically, as if his eyes told her the story of his sadness.

Samuel noticed Hoshiko watching him, and it was hard for him to maintain eye contact with her. He just smiled, albeit sadly, and looked down at her hands, watching what she did. Ace leaned over the table and helped to fix Hoshiko's sleeve, gentle moving it so that it would hide her injuries. He looked her in the eye with a gaze that flashed ice blue.

"Thank you, Miss." He smiled. "You dance beautifully..." He wished there was more he could say. Something that could get her to stay at their table, but he knew she had work to do, and that they wouldn't be able to really talk to her until tonight, when the theater was closed and her whole family was asleep.

Hoshiko turned, shocked at how her sleeve had gotten caught on the table, and she looked at Ace gratefully for fixing it. Embarrassment overcame her, for she never wanted them to see her injuries. She knew they would worry. With a slight nod, she abandoned her vague expression of contentment for a small smile that she was positive no one else might notice. She wished that they could sit around the table and talk, that she could dance more for them, and they would be able to enjoy themselves. But the situation loomed over her threateningly. She couldn't risk it.

It was obvious from the look on her face that Hoshiko wanted to say something, but couldn't. So instead, she reached into her kimono folds discreetly, taking out a small folded note that she'd prepared for this moment earlier in the day, just in case she found herself caught in silence by her family.

"_Meet me behind the house where you rescued me from Osamu_." It read.

Then after pouring them some more tea, Hoshiko left for another table, glancing longingly back at her friends.

* * *

The early evening turning into dark night, and the Dance Theater closed once all of the patrons left. Hoshiko stole out of her family home, sadly worse for wear as her mother had put her through more punishment that evening once they had finished work. She'd washed her face and gotten her arms, feet and now back wrapped. Hoshiko wore a light cotton yukata that she could use for sleeping and was out behind her personal home with bandaged feet, and her bag, waiting for Samuel and Ace.

Looking around cautiously, Hoshiko only hoped that no one else would see her. The young woman's messy hair fell in front of her face, and she finally let the tears of pain roll down her cheeks slowly. Her lip quivered, and she bit it as if to hold it still.

A soft rustling sound and the crunch of pebbles underfoot gave away the approach of someone. Shadows cast on the ground just around the corner from where Hoshiko was standing, and at first it may have scared her half to death. Until she saw the two figures come around the side of the house. From the shapes of their shadows, it was clear who they were. Samuel, with his slender body and messy hair stood beside the similarly sized but somewhat more muscular Incarnus.

Both of them walked on quiet feet, and they noticed Hoshiko half hidden away in the shadows. Samuel had to fight running to her, so as not to make too much noise. They approached, and Samuel reached for her, very carefully, to give her a hug, then stepped aside to let Ace do the same.

"We came as quickly as we could." Ace whispered. "But on the way to Ecruteak we ran into a bit of trouble...and then on the way here tonight, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was asleep... We didn't want to give you away."

The gentle warmth of Samuel and Ace's embraces was so comforting that it would have been too hard for Hoshiko to put words to the feeling. The young woman hugged both of them lightly, so not to hurt herself or either of them. She felt so terrible for both of them for the visible battle scars they both wore in shades of black, blue, and red. And the sadness that had been in Samuel's eyes seemed so deep when she had seen him at the theater, that she sensed something was wrong. She reached for Samuel's hands with her own aching, trembling ones.

"Samuel...whatever happened...I'm so sorry..." Her voice was compassionate, soft, and obviously weak. Her light clothing hid the numerous beatings she'd taken and fresh gashes on her shoulders. She swallowed hard, the tears on her cheeks more visible as she stepped out of the shadow of the house to see her friends more clearly.

"...Please, please don't feel bad for me. You've done perfectly." Hoshiko spoke gently. "My mother...was livid..." Her voice and expression trailed. "...But, I'm still here. I kept my promise. See Samuel? I wouldn't lie to you, everything was alright..."

She started walking slowly with the two, down the road and avoiding the light of the stone lanterns that kept the quiet town lit when the sun went down. She still wanted to talk, of course, but it wasn't the time to stay on one place, so they headed for the Golden Tower that peeked over the trees at the edge of town. The moon highlighted its tall, elegantly curved eaves and gave it an unearthly glow. Samuel and Ace took Hoshiko's cues, and followed her in complete silence, but they couldn't help noticing how she limped when she walked now that she didn't have to control it for the sake of Dance Theater guests.

The quiet forested path leading up to the tower was bathed in silver moonlight, and the wind whispered softly in the trees, as if it was telling a very special secret. Every once in awhile, the lonesome cry of a hoothoot rose from the darkness and sent a chill down Samuel's spine.

He walked behind Ace, who had taken a position at the head of the group. Even though Petra had not been as close a friend as the Incarnus had to him, she had always been a crucial part of his team, and she'd always been there for Samuel, through thick and thin. She was, after all, the very first monster he'd ever taken to the Scout Challenge.

Nobody talked on the way to the tower, though, everyone keeping their sorrows to themselves. They quietly climbed the immaculate front stairs between guardian statues and slipped in through the huge double doors, entering into the old-style oriental tower and into the sheltered darkness. The door closed behind them heavily, silencing the whispers of the wind and the outside noises of night completely. All that they could hear now was the faint creaking of boards and the occasional scrabble of tiny rattata claws in the walls.

Samuel leaned against the wall and took a moment to calm himself in the darkness of the quiet building. Ace came to his side and put his hand on Samuel's shoulder.

"Are you gonna be alright?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah..." Samuel managed in a labored tone. "I'll be okay..."

Hoshiko felt awkward as she watched Ace speak to Samuel. The young man hadn't said a word to her since they had seen each other and even at the Dance Theater. She knew he was having a hard time looking at her. She felt kind of bad in fact; Hoshiko had wanted nothing more then to speak with her friend, and it had been a long, hard day worthy of venting for her. Although she would never regret what she had done by not speaking out against her friends, nobility and a clear conscience didn't ease the pain, and even just standing still sent shooting pain through her entire body. Approaching Samuel hesitantly, Hoshiko's reflected sadness and uncertainty.

"...Samuel...what happened? Why...why won't you talk to me?" She asked, distressed, placing a bandaged hand on his shoulder.

Samuel didn't look up, but with both of his good friends close by in the shadows of this sacred place, at least he felt safe. He felt secure. Closing his eyes, he kept his head hung and answered Hoshiko quietly.

"Petra...It's... She didn't make it." His voice was a little hoarse. "She's gone."

Ace felt his heart clench, hearing Samuel's pained words. He glanced over at Hoshiko, feeling the need to explain. "We ran into Dialga on the way here. It came out of nowhere... We didn't really have much of a chance..."

A shocked gasp of horror escaped Hoshiko's lips as she heard the news, and automatically Hoshiko wrapped her arms around Samuel in a comforting hug. She ignored the pain her arms but shifted uncomfortably on her feet, which practically screamed in agony from the bottoms of her soles and especially within the tender arch.

"Samuel...I'm so sorry..." She spoke gently, trying to be soothing with her words. "I...I wish there was something I could do to help you..." Her voice was unimaginably sad and wavered on the end of her words from her own agony. "...But...I...I'm here for you...Samuel..." She assured him, looking at her friend's face with the deepest of sympathy.

"I know." Samuel whispered, forcing himself not to cry. He didn't want to be overly emotional. He'd already cried in front of Hoshiko before, and he didn't like doing it. "I'm really...glad I have you two." He reached a hand up and quickly wiped his eyes, trying hard not to let the tears fall. "At least me and Ace made it back here..."

"At least _you're_ okay, Samuel..." Ice blue eyes met his. "I've never been so scared in my life... I thought for awhile that I was going to lose you..."

Samuel laughed weakly. "Lose me? ...Come on, Ace...You know I'm too stubborn for that..."

Hoshiko bit her lip and let Samuel go. She understood that he hadn't wanted her to see him cry and so didn't say anything in particular about his emotions. Instead the young woman offered him a comforting smile and leaned against the wall beside Samuel, tilting her feet so that all the pressure was on her heels.

"Well...I know that I'm happy you're alive..." She nodded slowly. "And I know Petra would be too..." With that, Hoshiko cringed. It was getting increasingly harder trying not to show the pain her mother's punishment had caused her, and she wasn't ashamed to cry in front of Samuel.

Ace took a deep breath, realizing that they couldn't stay at the entrance for too long. "We should get moving, huh guys?" He looked at Samuel worriedly. Samuel just nodded and pushed away from the wall. He extended a hand to Hoshiko.

"If you want, I can carry you..." He offered, the only sign that he'd actually taken notice of how much pain walking caused her.

"I don't know about that." Ace's voice came, from all the way across the room already. Samuel looked up, seeing his friend's pale hair in the moonlight pouring in through the window. "There's a ladder back here... I don't think you'll be able to carry Hoshiko up there..."

Samuel frowned a little bit. "It'll be too hard for her to climb this way...look how badly hurt she is..." His gaze fell upon her bandaged hands and feet, which were again starting to soak through with patches of blood.

"I can go up alone, if you want." Ace offered softly.

Hoshiko frowned guiltily. She felt bad for being so weak. "...No...I'll be alright, Samuel..." She replied quietly, focusing on her breathing to direct her mind away from the pain. But it wasn't working out very well, so the young woman scowled.

"If my mother would have just left the bottom of my feet alone, I'd be fine." She bit her lip and tipped herself back onto her feet, letting out a pained grunt as she pressed her feet flat against the floor. "I swear, just because I wouldn't listen to my sister's stupid punishment idea..." Her hands clenched into fists but she put an arm over Samuel's shoulder so that they could at least walk together to the ladder, it would be a help to her.

"I'll be okay, though. I can make it up the ladder..." The young woman looked determined but inside was unsure. "I always hated that bamboo rod as a child, but I don't think I ever knew just how much damage it could do until today..." Hoshiko said, wanting to obscenely curse both her mother and the staff, but too much of a lady to do so.

Samuel gently guided Hoshiko to the base of the ladder, where Ace was standing, and he glanced over at the Incarnus. Ace's hair and skin looked so white in the moonlight...Samuel never could get over that. He reminded him of a ghost, or even a much needed angel.

Ace raised an eyebrow slightly at Samuel's unbroken gaze, nudging his friend gently. "Hey...you awake?" He asked with a weak smile.

Samuel shook his head, snapping out of it. "Yeah...yeah I'm alright... I just...was remembering something."

"Well good. But there's lots of time for remembering after we get out of here, okay?" He laughed faintly. "Come on, hurry. I'll go up behind you guys, just in case Hoshiko slips, I can catch her."

"Thanks, man." Samuel whispered, reaching for the rungs of the ladder and starting up.

"Thanks Ace..." Hoshiko repeated, staring up at the ladder defiantly.

The young woman first placed her hands on one of the rungs, and then slowly placed a foot on one. Her eyes instantly spilled over in tears with the pressure of all of her weight on her sole against the solid bar, but she did her best to remain silent as the three ascended. Of course she whimpered softly every now and then, but the noise was slightly stifled. Ace, coming up below, saw how her legs trembled as each foot set in place and pushed her a little higher. He frowned.

"...Ha...haha..." Hoshiko laughed softly, trying to mask her pain. "It's…much easier than...I thought it would be..."

In fact, it was actually much more difficult and Hoshiko could feel her feet slip quite often, but she buckled down.

Almost at the top, Hoshiko had to take a second to stop, hugging the ladder with her arms to steady herself. She'd never felt such agony, and it now traveled up her feet, through her legs, and all the way up her spine in a fiery heat that refused to relent. Her muscles ached, and she broke out in a cold sweat. Her mouth felt dry.

"Agh...ah...augh..." Breathing labored, the young woman clearly struggled with the last few rungs.

Samuel, safely at the top, turned around and crouched down, reaching for Hoshiko and gently grabbing her hand.

"I gotcha." He said with an exhausted grunt, pulling the girl up after him. He stumbled backwards a bit though, because of his own weariness, and he barely caught himself. "Are you alright?" He asked, looking at Hoshiko only once he was sure he had his balance again.

Hoshiko swallowed hard, trying to push back the cries of pain climbing up her throat. Nodding to Samuel, the girl sat on the floor.

"Y-Yeah..." She managed to cough out. "I'm...I'm okay...Thank you...S-Samuel..."

She tried her best to hide her misery, but every muscle in her body tightened around shot nerve endings. She felt stiff, and at this point it even hurt to sit, to breathe. Burying her face in her hands the girl muffed her painful cries, her body was tense and she wasn't sure how she'd be able to continue on. Ace emerged from the ladder and dusted himself off.

"I hope we don't have to climb many more ladders..." He commented with a slight frown as he noticed Hoshiko sitting on the floor. "I don't think you guys will make it all the way to the top..." He glanced at Hoshiko expectantly. "Tell me...if there is darkness in this tower, where do you believe it would most likely be?"

Moving her hands away from her face, Hoshiko looked up her cheeks bright red and stained with tears. "...If...there is darkness here...then it should be...at...at the top...of the tower..." She cringed once more, looking towards her feet. Dark red stains now seeped through and covered the soles of her feet entirely.

"...There's...there's a bell...there...it's...fabled to...summon...Ho-Oh...it's...the...the...AUGH!" Hoshiko cried out loudly, but quickly covered her own mouth to prevent from doing it again immediately. "...It's the...essence of the...tower..." She finally was able to finish her statement on a shaky note.

Samuel made a face and scooped Hoshiko up off of her feet, using his own tired arms to support her under her legs and back. A quiet glance told Hoshiko without words that he did not approve of her pushing herself.

"This isn't good for Hoshiko..." Samuel complained. "She won't make it to the top..."

Hoshiko's face was wrought with guilt just as much as it was with pain. She looked up at Samuel and studied the look on his face, knowing he didn't want her going any farther. But Hoshiko would be damned if she had to stay behind and get found out, or force Samuel to wait with her when she knew he'd much rather go along with Ace. Whether she liked it or not, whether Samuel liked it or not, Hoshiko had to come with them. There wasn't any other option. She wasn't usually a child about pain either, enough time spent around Osamu would make almost any person nearly immune to any sort of physical torture. But this was indescribable.

"...I...I'm coming..." She said, with a weak certainty to Samuel, looking up at him with a sad and yet determined look. "We...can radio...Koichi after this..." She tried to smile despite the pain, to comfort both of them. "But...I won't stay behind..." The young woman said gently.

Ace nodded. "So I see..." We must go there then... If it is the bell that summons Ho-oh and contains the essence of the tower itself, then it is the bell that harbors the greatest amount of darkness. But...destroying the bell is out of the question...We'd wake the whole town, and they would hunt us down like dogs." The monster shook his head. "I'll have to put a seal on it..."

"A seal?"

"Yes... It won't be the strongest seal ever, but it will prevent the bell from ringing, and it will hold the darkness at bay. With any luck, perhaps it will stave off Ho-oh as well." He spat the last sentence distastefully.

Turning her head to Ace, Hoshiko couldn't help but feel hurt. He had insulted a pokémon that was so important to her heritage and tradition that it crushed her heart, almost as if he'd been disgusted with _her _even after everything she'd gone through for his sake. But she was in too much pain to argue the topic.

"There's...a...few more...ladders..." Hoshiko admitted, plainly discouraged.

Samuel could tell just by the way that Hoshiko looked at Ace that the Incarnus had hurt her feelings. He shot Ace a glare, but Ace ignored it. He already knew what was bothering Hoshiko. He remembered all too well the argument that they had gotten into at the lighthouse, when she first learned he could speak. And he was still certain she would never understand Ho-oh the way he knew the bird.

"Please..." He said after a moment, moving off ahead of the two. Dust kicked up around his feet, and he saw the shadow of some spider pokémon in the rafters skitter across the floorboards. "Don't push yourselves too hard. If you need to stop, I want you to let me know."

Samuel sighed as Ace moved on, and continued to help Hoshiko, but as they walked, he whispered. "Don't let the lummox get to you..."

There was a discouraged look on Hoshiko's face when Samuel spoke to her. She had, in a way, realized that she was helping Ace, if only because he was so close to Samuel. And Samuel was her best friend. But on a deeper level, the reality dawned on the young woman that she was helping someone who couldn't find it in himself to respect her tradition and beliefs. It was a hard pill to swallow, and she'd done it partially without realizing exactly what she had done. Even if Hoshiko didn't like the way her family treated her, she did love her heritage and the family tradition deeply. She even loved the aspect of dance that tortured her so.

"...I...I'll try my best..." She said quietly. "...But I think I'll have to...not let myself bother me..." Her eyes closed for a moment. "I've made...a...peculiar decision..."

Ace waited for them. Once they had reached the next ladder, Hoshiko let herself down from Samuel's arms and smiled at the young man in thanks before starting to head up, bracing herself for more pain.

Samuel again went up first so that he could help Hoshiko up once he made it to the top, and Ace took up the rear. The Incarnus could sense the sadness and general tension from Hoshiko, and as with all beasts, it made him uneasy. He'd heard what Samuel said too, but took it as Samuel simply joking around. Their banter was common enough, even in dire situations at times. Still...he was bothered.

And it did not get easier. As Samuel began climbing, the young man started talking to Hoshiko, trying to be encouraging, obviously, but it bothered Ace nonetheless.

"It's not so much yourself." He said. "Ace is insensitive sometimes."

"Begging your pardon." Ace grunted from below. "I try my best to be sensitive and understanding, but there are some things that are simply intolerable. As sweet and innocent as the traditions of Ecruteak seem to be, they are the very reason that evil has settled here in the first place. And Ho-oh is the bringer of trouble, whether the fact is easy to accept or not. The creature was created from imperfection. It is the essence of flaw incarnate."

It was only once Hoshiko reached the next floor with Samuel's help that she turned to speak to Ace, her face was still covered in sweat and tears, but she did note that she was starting to go numb from the simple overload of pain all over her body. It made it a little easier to climb at least, but it was disconcerting, and it only felt worse now that her heart ached too. The girl opened her mouth shakily to comment on what she had heard the Incarnus say.

"Isn't it...enough that I've...suffered this much already?" The girl looked away, dejected, wrapping her arms around herself. "My body...has been...beaten...to help your cause. A cause that...by any right...I shouldn't even be supporting..." Eyes narrowed, the young woman shook her head. "Can't you just...keep your...comments to...yourself?" Hoshiko closed her eyes, visibly cringing from her pain.

"Part of...the reason...my feet...are like this...is because...I refused to speak badly of...you..." Finally looking back at Ace with her amber eyes only showing sorrow, Hoshiko looked hurt. "Why do you...have to...say...such...horrible things in my...presence...?"

Ace's shoulders slumped slightly at that, and when he looked over at Samuel, the young man only glared.

"Do you even have a conscience? I wonder sometimes." Samuel snapped at Ace. "Just because we're doing what we have to doesn't give you any right to tell Hoshiko that her culture is based on some lie. Do you even know how awful that sounds?"

He walked over to ace and pushed his finger hard against Ace's chest. "You're my friend, and I owe you a hell of a lot, down to my very life, but I'm telling you right now, just because I'd give my life for you doesn't mean I like it when you talk badly about something that another of my friends has grown up loving and believing in since she was born. Can't you just respect that the bond between humans and pokémon is a long held tradition here? Can't you just be happy that Hoshiko is helping you at all? You act like it's such a horrible thing that the people in this town believe in, but what about you? You're mighty hypocritical, preaching how awful it is to have a bond with a monster but then you go and try to get all buddy-buddy with us."

Ace flinched at that, but he scowled too. "Look, I told both of you ahead of time that neither of you had to do anything for me. It was your choice to hang around, not mine."

Samuel got right up in Ace's face. "You saying you don't need us anymore, ya jerk?"

Ace shrank back slightly, looking like he wanted to yell at Samuel, but clearly restraining himself. "No..." He said at last, very quietly. "But I could do everything without you if I had to."

"Is that so?" Samuel shoved Ace backwards. The Incarnus didn't retaliate.

"It is." He frowned. "But you know what else?"

"What? Why don't you go ahead and tell us how worthless we are because we're not your precious Chosen."

Ace looked at Samuel solemnly through the haze of dust drifting in the moonlight that poured in from the windows. "I _want_ you two around..."

That shut Samuel up, and he watched as the Incarnus pushed past him and headed towards the next ladder, quiet and looking rather forlorn despite all efforts to remain completely firm.

Hoshiko didn't know what to do, she wanted to try and calm Samuel down, tell him not to get so mad at Ace for her sake...but he had already said everything he could. Her heart broke over the fact that Samuel and Ace had gotten into an argument over her and yet on some level, the young woman felt so secure at how he had stood up for her and protected her tradition. Even if she was guilty, Hoshiko had to admit that it felt good to have Samuel defend her. Limping up to him, Hoshiko wrapped her arms around the young man, crying.

"...Thank you...Samuel..." She said sorrowfully. "...I'm sorry...you had to...do that for me..." She looked at Samuel's face, her eyes were regretful for putting Samuel in a spot between two friends. "...But...thank you. I've...never felt so...protected..." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, the young woman placed her head in Samuel's neck and she started to sob.

Samuel gently wrapped his arms around Hoshiko and rested his chin on her head. His temper was already cooling, thankfully, but he was still irritated with Ace. Nonetheless, he knew it wouldn't last.

"Hey... I promised I'd take care of you and I meant it. Besides... Ace does need to learn some manners..."

He released Hoshiko from his embrace, but still offered her support while they walked over to the ladder, avoiding weak boards in the floor that looked like they might break. Up in the rafters, glinting yellow eyes peered down at them, but made no move to come closer. The flutter of zubat wings made for uneasy ambiance.

Samuel stopped in front of Ace, and frowned. Ace looked away. He looked like he wanted to say something, but just couldn't. So, Samuel turned and started climbing the ladder, summoning Hoshiko to follow. They climbed this one in silence.

Hoshiko nodded once more to Samuel, just before she started up the ladder. She wanted to say something, anything to try and make it better, but it seemed that there was no way for the girl to resolve the trouble between Samuel and Ace.

The entire remainder of the trip to the top of the Tower remained silent, thus. Once there, Hoshiko dragged herself to the windows and peered through the breezy openings. She saw a beautiful moonlight-soaked Ecruteak below them, and remembered that this was what she so loved about her hometown. It was peaceful and sheltered from the rest of the industrialized world. The air was clean, and the entire town was a Zen garden, raked white sand and mossy stones, thick bamboo, swaying cherry trees, and crystal clear ponds and streams. She had been so distracted by her pain and distress tonight and over the years to remember why she loved it here. Climbing to the top of the Tower always reminded her, even when her entire body trembled with exhaustion and pain. Her pale skin felt cleansed by the light washing into the Tower and the young woman's eyes turned and fell upon the bell hanging over its centuries' old pedestal. She watched it with grim anticipation.

"...This is it..." She said hesitantly.

Ace stepped forward, and stopped beside the bell, reaching out and laying his hand upon it for a moment. It felt cold to the touch, the metal chilled by the darkness of the night. But there was a perceptible heat coming from it, an icy heat that reminded him if the strange feeling he got when he passed through the gates between worlds. The very similarity sent a chill up his spine. And in his nervousness, he ventured to break the silence

"There is a power of foreboding darkness over it, but whether it's something that Hart, Dialga, and Palkia can use I do not know... It is clear to me, however, that it is a danger to the town..." He shook his head. "The only way I can seal it is with the Mark. If I cast a time seal on it...then it will only exist in one point of time until that seal breaks. The seal won't last forever... But it should last long enough for us to purge the darkness from the land.

Samuel frowned a little bit, but nodded. The purge that Ace intended on doing was fierce, if he still meant to do it the way he suggested. And Samuel had a feeling that nothing had changed...

"I guess...you should seal it then..." Samuel mumbled.

"I will, but it will take some time and energy... I don't have a lot of strength at the moment, so it will take much longer than usual... But if you hand me the Mark, you two may find a place to sit so that Hoshiko can rest..."

Hoshiko swallowed hard, watching Ace interacting with the bell. She felt as though she had betrayed her entire tradition and family's beliefs. Biting her lip, Hoshiko was quiet and sat down in a corner of the room, waiting for Samuel to join her.

Looking down at the grain of the floorboard beside her, Hoshiko pondered it for a moment. It banded in the opposite direction of the other boards, and one of the nails stood up just a little from the edge. To Hoshiko, it was a familiar, comforting sight. She reached to pull it up, although it took a great effort to pry it from its place with her weak, painful hands. Down, hidden underneath the board was a dusty box made from folded paper. Lifting it out gently, the young woman looked at it for a moment, blowing on it to lift the feather-light coating.

Coughing a bit at the puff that swirled around her face, Hoshiko turned to Samuel as he sat beside her. She held out the box. "Take..a look inside..." She said, smiling a little, despite the current cloud hanging over her.

Samuel reached for the box and opened it, peering inside. A collection of things that Hoshiko prized during her childhood lay within, including photographs of her as a young girl, both dressed formally and not. Samuel marveled at the old, sepia picture that sat on top. A toddler Hoshiko sat with her arms hanging around the neck of a baby Eevee.

"I used to come up here...all the time...as a kid." Hoshiko admitted as she watched Samuel's eyes dance over the items on the surface of the small pile.

But before he had a chance to start looking through everything, Ace cleared his throat to get Samuel's attention. Realizing he had forgotten to give Ace the Mark, Samuel reached into his own bag and then tossed the artifact to Ace so that the Incarnus could begin his work. Samuel then turned back to Hoshiko and looked into the box, slowly sliding back to the floor to sit with his friend.

He lifted up the first picture and gazed at the one below it. A picture of Hoshiko as a little girl, practicing the flute looked back at him. Her eyes peered over the instrument, aware of the camera but trying to concentrate. Samuel smiled a bit.

"Cute kid." He smirked. "I wonder what happened."

Mouth gaped for a moment, Hoshiko eyed Samuel. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was make her forget about whatever weighed on her in the moment. And so it didn't take long before Hoshiko punched Samuel in the arm, recoiling a bit from the pain it made her hand feel, but she didn't say anything. Instead, the girl yanked the photo out of Samuel's hand and held it up beside her face, trying to mimic the expression.

"Nothing happened, unless you suddenly went blind, you dork." Hoshiko smirked and peered into the box herself.

"You woulda smacked me if I'd said you were _still_ cute, so I figure if I can't win, I might as well have fun with it." Samuel protested, smirking and rubbing his arm.

Hoshiko rolled her eyes. "I...would save all sorts of...things...in here." She reached in and pulled out a decorative hair pin. "Hey, it's my first pin. I got this..." She looked a the picture that she'd snatched from Samuel. "Well, I was about 5 here and I had it then." She laughed gently. "It's been a long time..."

Samuel turned his attention to the pins, and looked at the one she was holding. Slowly, he took it from her and slipped it into her hair. He was no expert with such things, but he didn't do too badly. At least it stayed in, and didn't look terribly ridiculous, although it hung a little more loosely than it should have.

"Well there." He said with a faint smile. "That's a _little_ better."

Hoshiko wanted to poke around her hair a bit to get an idea of how Samuel had placed the pin, but refrained, not wanting to make him feel self conscious. After all, they were alone anyway. So instead she smiled at her friend.

"Well, at least it's an improvement. Even if it is only _minor_." She laughed gently and shook her head, peering into the box once more to draw something else out of it.

She pulled out a few items out to show her friend: a tiny lantern hanging from a braid of red and gold ribbon, a jade phanpy, and an ornate paper fan. She looked up at Samuel and smiled. Also inside the box was a broken tea cup, like the ones from the dance theater and a tiny pair of shoes that matched her kimono from one of the very old photos.

Samuel reached out his hand and held it, palm up, so that Hoshiko could set the phanpy and the lantern in it. He had never seen such a small lantern before, but he had to admit it was the most delicate and intricately designed little thing he'd ever seen. It still had a little wick inside, and he wondered if it would still burn. Slowly, he reached into his bag and pulled out a match.

"Would it be okay if I lit this?" He asked softly, setting the small objects carefully on the wood floor.

Hoshiko smiled, and nodded a quiet yes, watching him with expectant interest.

"I made that...when I was little." Hoshiko said softly, pointing to the inside of the lantern where a name was written out in foreign characters. "Well...I made the lantern, not the phanpy." She laughed gently and retracting her hand, Hoshiko waited for him to light it. "I hope it still works..."

"We'll find out then, won't we?" Samuel struck the match and carefully shielded it, slowly easing his hand to the lantern and sticking the tiny flame inside. Surprisingly enough, the wick lit and stayed lit for the time being, so he took the little glowing light and hung it up on a nail projecting from the wall. "Look at that." Samuel said with hushed awe. "It's beautiful..."

The smile Hoshiko had on her face in fact softened in the warm light of the lantern. All at once, she felt like a young child again, sneaking away into the Tower for some peace. The pale glow reminded the young woman of her more carefree childhood days, before betrothals, punishments, and pregnancy. These were the times when dancing was in fact a joy, when legends seemed more real and beautiful than anything and when Hoshiko didn't worry about anything.

"It is beautiful, Samuel..." She said with a content voice. "Very beautiful..."

She watched the light for a moment, watching how it reflected off of everything in her and Samuel's little corner. The shadows danced fleetingly, in a tiny way, breathtaking.

Samuel stared into the flickering glow for a short time, then turned his attention to the jade phanpy, lifting it and gently rolling it over and over in fingers. Its little, rounded ears folded flat against its carefully carved body. Its trunk curled tightly over its head, and its small mouth hung open, as if trumpeting. The edges gleamed pale green in the soft light, and Samuel's grin broadened.

"For good luck?" He asked. Hoshiko glanced down at the tiny figure in his hand, the light causing her amber eyes to seem illuminated.

"Yes, for good luck." She replied, taking Samuel's hand and closing his fingers over the figure. "Every child in our tradition is given one when they're born." Hoshiko explained. "But..." She still held his hand closed over the jade phanpy, but looked up at her friend's face. "I'd like you to have it."

Samuel's brow lifted in surprise, and he almost looked a little guilty at the suggestion. "Me?" He asked, almost stuttering. "But...what about your baby? Wouldn't it better be given to them?" He looked down at the little elephant monster, rubbing the cool, smooth stone with his fingertips. "I don't deserve anything like this..." He chewed his lip, marveling at the sparkle of the wonderful little carving. "And I don't really have anything to give you back for something so precious...a piece of your childhood..."

The expression on Hoshiko's face was a gentle one in contrast to Samuel's shock. She watched as he looked at the phanpy over and smiled. "No, I'll get a new one made for my child..." She said, thoughtfully, quite positive of her decision. Shaking her head, Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh lightly. "But you've given both me and my child more than that phanpy could ever be worth, Samuel..." Hoshiko looked up from Samuel's hand to the young man's face. "Don't you remember what I told you back in Blackthorn?" Her head tilted a little. "If it wasn't for my hope in your promise, I would have done something unthinkable." Now it was Hoshiko's turn to look guilty and it was plain as day on her face. "I regret even thinking of it now...If not for me, for the baby...but I can't change that. I can though, be thankful that I was able to hold onto your promise." And so, Hoshiko smiled.

"You gave us the gift of life, Samuel, and that's more then even the most precious of gems are worth. So, please...take the phanpy. From both of us...I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Wow..." Samuel murmured gratefully. "Thanks Hoshiko..." He lifted his chin, and the corners of his mouth curved into a sincere smile. "That means a lot to me." A tiny laugh. "Plus I can use all the extra good luck I can get."

Gently, he slipped the jade phanpy into his bag and looked back into the box, now illuminated in the soft light of the lantern. He slipped hand inside and pulled out a few little folded pieces of paper. Notes, apparently, written by Hoshiko as a child. He unfolded one just to be sure, then paused and asked if it was okay for him to read them.

Hoshiko peered at the letters in the light of the lantern, in the notes, her past was illuminated, or at least the parts that Hoshiko wanted to remember or felt were important enough to record. Some of them reflected her emotional distress as a child, taking the hobby of writing down her emotions for Koichi, since her sisters were less then trustworthy with her emotions.

"Please...go ahead." Hoshiko finally said to Samuel, watching the letters as he read them, "I wouldn't hide anything from you Samuel."

Given the chance to look at Hoshiko's childish handwriting, Samuel studied notes that highlighted her joy of dance and how her sisters seemed jealous of her. She wrote about how she couldn't understand that. Another, of her meeting a very young Osamu and the distress that she had felt upon the meeting and how much Hoshiko as a child questioned whether or not the things her betrothed said was true. It seemed like Osamu tried to fool her quite a bit, maybe to get her to do things that he wanted, as children often will. A third spoke of her wish for someone to talk to, a friend. And even more went along to speak of her daily life, her first major punishment and so on. She wrote about working at the Dance Theater. As a child, she mostly followed her older sisters around and helped them. Then she learned to cook and serve tea. Then, gradually, she was initiated into dancing at the shows on stage. She had been training for that even since she was a baby, the notes said, but she still got stage fright the first time. It didn't last long, and Samuel wasn't surprised.

"This is the stuff, I'd never tell anybody..."

Samuel smiled to himself as he carefully unfolded and read each one, taking time to pick through them carefully so that he understood them entirely. Every now and then he would laugh, a soft chuckle, heartwarming and mild. Sometimes he would click his tongue and shake his head at the less than pleasant things her family had done to her. No matter what he did though, everything in the little notes touched him in some way or another, and when he was finished reading them, he gently folded them back up and tucked them away.

"You had some crazy life..." He said softly, looking up at Hoshiko after a moment. "Especially for one so small. It seems like... like you missed so much without Koichi. And yet you found things to keep happy... Even if only a few. I love how you wrote about chasing butterfree in the garden and trying to catch them with a rice sack." Samuel laughed, then rubbed his chin. "I should have written things down like you did. Then again my stories wouldn't have been as interesting." He smirked. "You should be a storyteller. I bet people would love it if you did that."

"You really find them that interesting?" Hoshiko looked genuinely shocked at how Samuel had complimented her notes, she played with her hair a bit, feeling too modest to agree. "Thank you. I always just thought it was daily life, nothing all that important." The young woman laughed and stared down at the folded notes in her box. "I suppose I could be a storyteller..." Hoshiko looked down at her hands thoughtfully. "I'm not sure what I want to do after the baby is born." Hoshiko wiggled her fingers around nervously, thinking hard.

"I've considered a few different things. I mean, obviously, my first choice would be to come with you and Ace but I don't know how that's going to work with a newborn..." Looking up at her friend, Hoshiko looked regretful. "...I've been reading some of the books that Koichi gave me and it seems like the baby needs a lot of care...and I...don't want to screw this up. I want to give the baby a happy life, with or without a father. So I guess I'll be a mom for awhile...maybe Koichi will let me stay with him."

Closing her eyes, Hoshiko sighed heavily. "...I still wish I could come with you and Ace. Because that's where I'm happiest...but...but if life demands it..." Hoshiko gently placed a hand on her stomach. "I only get one shot."

"Well..." Samuel smiled a little. "You're always welcome to help us out. I'd never say you couldn't. Who knows, maybe you can get a little sling to carry your baby in, and then you can go everywhere with us, because if that baby is anything like you, she's gonna love a good adventure. Might as well get started young." Samuel smiled and looked up, staring off into nothing and imagining what such a thing would be like.

"I mean... We gotta ask Ace of course..." He trailed off for a moment, suddenly remembering the brief fight from earlier. He felt bad for yelling at Ace...for getting so angry. But Ace disrespected Hoshiko…."

"A sling?" Hoshiko hadn't ever considered it, she had certainly seen women use them before in her travels but had completely forgotten about it when she was considering herself. "That's a brilliant idea, Samuel." Hoshiko sounded delighted and yet calm all at the same time, she was starting to get tired and it was showing in her worn expression. "Yeah...I guess we would have to ask Ace." She added, seeming a bit discouraged at the idea. "But I think he wouldn't mind..." There was a quietness about Hoshiko and she watched Samuel, her head falling a bit against her shoulder as the young woman, now with both tightly bandaged hands rested on her stomach, was fighting of the sensation of falling asleep.

"...You know, I'd like to hear about your childhood more, Samuel...I bet I would find it..." Hoshiko yawned deeply. "Very interesting..." There was a little drowsy smile on her face.

"My childhood?" Samuel laughed a little bit, only half-presently.

His eyes were locked on the quiet shadow of Ace by the bell, and he swallowed hard. The Incarnus, despite all of his power, grace, and determination, seemed oddly small, weak, and frail for some reason. He could almost sense a change in the way that Ace stood and worked, and Samuel felt...somehow responsible. He felt bad.

Ace's body gleamed pale like an apparition, from skin to hair, to the way his ice-blue eyes glinted even in the dark now and then. Ace was otherworldly, in so many ways. Such a strange and foreign creature... beautiful and elegant in his own right, but at times...hard, cold, and unyielding...

"My childhood wasn't really that special..." Samuel laughed. "Locked in a cell whenever I got in trouble... I did find myself wandering off quite a bit though..."

Hoshiko's eyes had slowly closed, though she tried to listen to Samuel, hoping for stories of himself. Even if she was tired and her body thrummed with a now dull, buzzing pain, the girl wanted to hear badly enough that she would force herself to stay awake. But when Samuel hadn't elaborated on the topic, it raised her curiosity and Hoshiko at last opened her eyes to see how intently he watched Ace.

She still felt bad about it, the argument. After all she was the one to blame. If it hadn't been for her sensitive personality, Samuel would never have tried to protect her. And if she had never helped Ace, part of Hoshiko wouldn't have to feel guilty for what was happening right at this very moment. Even though she wanted to address Samuel's childhood and forget the fight, it was impossible, so although drowsily, she spoke very genuinely.

"...I'm sorry Samuel...I didn't mean to make you and Ace get into an argument. I should have kept my sensitivities to myself...I know how Ace reacts...If I just would have stayed quiet, it wouldn't have happened."

Samuel shuddered a little bit and turned to look at Hoshiko. There was a tear in the corner of his eye that he quickly blinked back, and the boy pulled Hoshiko into a tighter embrace. Times like this he was glad to have Hoshiko around, even if she was convinced this was her fault. In a way, she had caused the argument, but in another sense, it was something that Ace brought about by speaking negatively towards Ho-oh. Samuel knew that the Incarnus had a few weaknesses, and that they were significant. He was a bit too harsh with words sometimes, and occasionally didn't take people's feelings into consideration when addressing topics regarding his mission. He would need to learn...or else a lot of people would always be against him and never trust him. Perhaps that was the problem he had even now. Perhaps, and Samuel had no way of knowing, it had been his problem in lives past.

"You don't need to be sorry..." Samuel murmured. "You didn't do anything wrong. You're right to defend your heritage and what you believe in... Ace just...he doesn't understand the angle you see things from. He has an entirely different viewpoint and..." Samuel swallowed hard. "In some cases, it's not very pretty."

Sighing heavily and leaning her tired and aching body on Samuel as he hugged her, Hoshiko closed her eyes once more. She knew he was being kind...even if it was her fault.

"Thank you Samuel...for understanding everything...I'm stuck between a tradition I love and a family who wants to force me into something I hate...it's a tough place to be, so I guess I'm really sensitive..." Hoshiko sounded quite sleepy, but was still interested in finding out more of Samuel's childhood days.

"We sound like we were a lot alike as kids..." Hoshiko yawned. "Although I didn't wander around a lot, I got to come here. But I got locked away in my room quite a bit when I wouldn't listen to my family..." Hoshiko bit her lip. "You weren't punished though...were you Samuel?" Hoshiko asked, her voice sounding sad at what he might say.

"Well..." Samuel trailed off for a moment, reliving the memories in his own mind as he prepared to explain them, "After my mother passed and we moved to Green Bays, for awhile my father just let me do whatever. He put me in the care of some of his bodyguards. One in particular, named Jaques, watched over me in my early youth. Jaques tried to keep me entertained, but my dad was really busy working on building up his new organization, and living on an island of stone and walls of steel is not a place that fuels a child's imagination. A lot of times I snuck out and stole his watercraft to get to other islands...just to see different things. The first few times I got out, only Jaques noticed I was gone, but as I got older and my father started expecting me to help him more, he began to notice when I went missing."

He could remember it clearly, the feeling of dread the first time that it was his father that had sent for him...and not just Jaques. "He didn't want me running about because he needed my help, and he didn't want me to find any friends and bring them back to CELL...after all...CELL's existence was supposed to be a secret. So he punished me by locking me in the dungeon where he held monsters or people who stumbled too close to the island..."

Samuel laughed nervously. "After awhile I just got used to being locked up like that. I didn't like it, but I knew why he did it. I also knew it wouldn't stop me from wandering. I liked to explore. I even hopped on ships to try and make it farther than Green Bays... I got in trouble a _lot_."

"You still seem to get in trouble a lot." Hoshiko teased a bit, quietly, not wanting to make light of Samuel's situation, but not wanting to make him think that he had made her too sad with the story, even if she _was_ saddened by what had happened to Samuel when he was young. Shaking her head, she chewed at her lip for a moment before saying anything else.

"It was unfair that your father did that to you Samuel...you didn't deserve to be locked up. Being free is what you've always deserved." She looked up at her friend's face. It was true, just looking at Samuel she could tell he was a free spirit, only if she knew because she herself was one.

"But at least you only got locked up, you could get out and escape..." She smiled gently. "I'm not saying you didn't go through a lot...because you did, Samuel. But...if you look on the bright side..." The young woman raised one of her hands between them. "I think everything your father did was because he loved you, he might not have known how to show it and it might have been a bit unorthodox at time...but...it's a lot worse to wonder if your own parent hates you..." Hoshiko started to unwrap the bandages she had put on her hand, the red marks and raw skin exposed. "Because this isn't something I'm not used to...whenever I would disobey my sisters or mother...well..." Hoshiko swallowed hard and lowered her hand.

"...I'm glad you never got hit or hurt physically Samuel. Please know...I really believe, even if it didn't seem like it, that your father did love you."

Samuel looked away, pained by the sight of Hoshiko's damaged hands. He hated that she had to come home to this. "I think you're right... I think that, even though he was a cold, hard man and didn't know the first thing about affection, I think what he really wanted more than anything was to help people..."

He closed his eyes, remembering the moment that he'd found his father in his office, guarding the pure orb with his life. He'd given it to Samuel, with words that the boy would never forget...

"As long as there are monsters, man will always be in danger. We weren't meant to cohabitate with them..." Samuel mumbled the words faintly, remembering taking the orb from his father just before the man died. Samuel shivered slightly as he remembered what Ace said:

_He was right._

Listening intently to hear Samuel's soft words, Hoshiko was shocked and there was a strange understanding in her mind that he was recalling something that his father had said. She reflected on the statement for a moment before saying anything. She wasn't sure what to say either. Hoshiko knew what her and Samuel's stance was on the topic of pokémon but now, this was something different to know. A human believed the same philosophy that Ace did, and it was Samuel's father no less.

"So your father...believed the same thing Ace does..." She said quietly, with a certain air of uncertainty. "I...wonder which one of us is wrong..." Hoshiko said just as gently, more quizzing herself out loud than actually asking Samuel such a difficult question to answer. She couldn't figure it out, so she changed the subject. "I'm glad that your father loved you Samuel...no matter what he believed." She placed her unwrapped hand on Samuel's. "...And I'm sure he still does...I think a solid belief that all of us can agree on is that our dearly departed ones live on, if only even in our hearts they can still love us and watch over us..."

Samuel looked down at Hoshiko's hand. It seemed so simple, all of it. To believe one thing or another. But it was intensely complicated, and Samuel knew that now. His father had devoted his life to destroying monsters, while Samuel had fought hard to learn more about them and become partners with them. Maybe that was why his father was always so cold to Samuel... Maybe...

"The product of my father's years of working at CELL was a powerful orb. I don't understand the notes he wrote on it... It was all so in depth and detailed. But essentially he created an orb with the power to absorb darkness and draw it out of whatever it lurked in. He gave it to me... hoping that I could stop Snap from opening the gate."

Samuel's gaze remained locked on Hoshiko's hand, rubbing his thumb over her smooth skin in deep thought. He was careful to avoid the numerous gashes that were only just starting to scab over, so he could only stroke a small patch of skin.

"Snap had already transformed Ace... Had already infused him with the intense darkness from the concentrated darkmatter that he had us scouts collect. But the orb... The orb my father gave me was potent enough to draw the darkness from Ace's body. I was forced to battle Ace...but once he was weakened enough, I used the orb to free him of his prison...and he returned to normal. My father meant for the orb to be used to take the darkness...the life force out of all monsters... I couldn't do that... But I did use the orb to stop the gate from pouring out its evil on all of Green Bays...The darkness that came from the other side was so immense that the orb shattered, but it's thanks to that orb that Ace and even I am here today..."

He closed his eyes. "I owe my father a lot I guess... I just wish I could understand why he felt so strongly... Why he truly believed that monsters were never meant to be a part of our world... Why he thought they had to go."

Hoshiko's eyes opened once more to watch Samuel as he spoke, she was silent, taking in each word. Because what he was saying was, to her, of great importance, if only because it was about Samuel. Anything more she could learn about her friend meant a lot and so the young woman wouldn't miss a word.

She had wanted to cringe with Samuel ran his thumb along her hand, her wounds hadn't healed by any means, actually they were still quite fresh. It had only been a matter of hours since she had received the harsh treatment. But she kept herself stiff and didn't react at the crawling pain that went through her hand and up her wrist when Samuel touched it.

"If that orb he made was able to save you and Green Bays...then maybe there is some truth to what he said and...and Ace too. I can't ever say that forming a bond with a monster is a bad thing, after all, they've been my only friends for years...but maybe there's a way that the two opinions can meet half way..." Hoshiko sighed. "Then again, nothing is that simple any more...we're not playing children's games I suppose. Everything seems to be so complicated..."

"I don't know what the answer is..." Samuel whispered quietly. Why did everything have to be so confusing? Hoshiko was right. These weren't children's games anymore, and deciding who was right or wrong or making compromises just wasn't what it had been when he was a child. Not that he had known many other children or learned of those things the way _most_ kids did, but he still had a concept of it.

"I just... I don't want them to be right... Evidence suggests that there may be more truth to the things they believe, but it horrifies me to think of that because if it _is_ true then..." Samuel cringed.

Hoshiko didn't know what to say. She felt the exact same way. There was a sort of trepidation about the whole topic that almost made her not want to talk about it. Her face looked thoughtful for a moment, searching for the right words to try and comfort Samuel and at the same time comfort herself. Fear of the future was something Hoshiko had to live with everyday, though, so she couldn't figure out why the words were so hard to find.

"I know what you mean...but...well, I don't know what to say, Samuel. I can hardly figure out how to cope with waking up and realizing every morning the fact I'm pregnant isn't just some crazy dream. It happened. I can't get out of it. And I guess...well, before, when I was with Osamu, for awhile I just kept repeating to myself that it was going to be okay..." She closed her eyes; the time was vivid in her mind. "I fought with him over it, I swore that I wouldn't bear his child and I was positive that I was right. I thought I was invincible. That if I forced my opinion he couldn't do anything to me." Looking up at Samuel, Hoshiko's eyes opened and were full of sadness. "But when it really came down to it, I was powerless. I was scared, hurt, ashamed and violated...but worst of all was the powerlessness. My opinion suddenly meant nothing, and all my fighting was for naught...And after all of that, when I found out I was pregnant...I thought my life had ended."

Hoshiko paused for a moment. "And I guess in a way, that's where we're at now. Isn't it? We're both scared of something we have no control over. And although it's not like Osamu taking away my innocence so brutally, it's something neither of us want to ever face. But some day we might be forced to. So we have to be brave. We have to stick with our convictions and..." Placing one of her damaged hands on her stomach and using her other hand to put Samuel's there also, Hoshiko looked at the place where her child rested.

"We have to live with what we're given...because when it all comes down to it, it may be the only chance we have, and it would be worse of a shame to miss that than having to brave the evils we fear." Hoshiko smiled gently. "So we should trust in each other and in Ace...and your father. Because no matter what happens. We only get once chance at it. No do-overs, Samuel...and I would hate to regret missing out on something as important as life."

Emotions in Samuel's throat welled up and he almost choked on them. Why, _why_ did he have to be so easily stressed and upset? Then he realized...it wasn't that he was upset... It was that everything Hoshiko said was so true, so _real _and visceral, that every bit of it hit a nerve and sent a shockwave through his entire body.

They were powerless, ultimately. They could have whatever opinion they wanted and nobody would stop them, but that didn't mean they were right or that their opinion would change the future. The best they could do was hope that they were right, and just move forward one step at a time. Whatever happened, they just had to grin and bear it, and do their best to do what they could, for the sake of everyone.

And then, there was the issue of his father, and of Ace. Both such powerful figures in Samuel's life, but he had very different feelings about each of them.

"I used to think I hated my father..." Samuel murmured after a second, "For how he treated me growing up, and later on for the things he said he believed about monsters. But now... Now I realize I owe him so much... Even if I never did agree with him." He glanced up towards Ace. "I guess... I've learned to love my father, despite everything. But in a way he's still my nemesis... He's everything I never want to be." He sighed.

"And then there's Ace... I've never had a friend like him... He makes me so mad sometimes...and he harasses me and never lets up... But I know he cares about me... And I'd give my life for him. But somewhere inside of me I know his darker side... And, while Ace is sweet and calm most of the time there's a side of him that just scares me half to death." Samuel swallowed hard. "He's a killer...and he knows it...and he's not afraid to admit it. He wouldn't kill an innocent human being, but he'll dispatch an innocent monster. And not just for food... Just to kill them... And the things he believes, the fact that he says he will die at the end of this all... It leaves me full of confusion and terror. I care about Ace but... I'm scared of him too... And I'm scared _for_ him."

"Yeah...I know of that side of him too..." Hoshiko said quietly, recalling when Ace had her arm in his jaws in place of the tiny teddiursa. The pain had been stunning, like nothing the young woman had ever experienced before. And yet her eyes looked a little distant, not at recalling that memory but at the overwhelming uncertainty that still swam in her mind.

"But you know what, I'm scared too Samuel and maybe not for all of the same reasons you are...but I have a feeling I'm just as frightened as you are. And so we can be scared together..." She watched their hands on her stomach intently. "And maybe someday we'll have the answers to all our problems and maybe someday we won't...but no matter what, we'll know we've done everything we could possibly to. We've exhausted all the possibilities, and if life doesn't listen to what we dictate...then we won't have to feel bad. And whatever happens to Ace, you'll know he had a best friend in you...and I'm sure, no matter how he acts sometimes...that's all he ever wanted. So you gave him something no one else could, Samuel."

Hoshiko then became quiet, still just staring at her stomach and focusing on her breathing. Their hands felt nice there, warm and comforting. And she wondered if the baby could feel it too. "...And I hope you know you have a best friend in me..." She said to Samuel without looking up.

Samuel smiled a little at that, his eyes wandering down to their hands and to Hoshiko's ever-so-slightly swollen abdomen. The shadows dancing in the faint lantern light seemed to animate their fingers, even though they weren't moving. Shadow puppets. That's what they reminded him of. He could remember playing shadow puppets when he was young and bored. It was, after all, one of the only things he could do when he was in his dad's office. He wasn't allowed to touch anything. Maybe the little baby inside of Hoshiko would like shadow puppets someday too. Samuel leaned against Hoshiko, letting her know that he understood, and he'd never forget.

"I wouldn't have thought it when I first saw your face on the boat leaving Green Bays but... Now there's no denying it." He laughed softly. "And I'm glad."

The girl couldn't help but laugh, watching Samuel's face and remembering how he had looked so funny, soaked on the deck of that boat when they first met and she was giggling so much. She probably had offended him, there was no doubt about that, nobody liked to be laughed at. But at least they had been able to get over each other's differences enough to become the friends that they were today.

"...I'm glad we're friends too Samuel." Hoshiko's head rested sleepily on her friends arm, her eyes still lingering on her belly. "It seems like forever." She murmured dreamily. "I thought it would all happen so fast, but I can't even feel the baby move or anything yet. It's weird that way...Certainly wasn't what I expected." She laughed gently and glanced up at Samuel. "I'm glad that you'll be able to be there for me during this whole time...at least the child can have some sort of good male influence...I'd hate the baby to grow up without anyone..."

Heat rose in Samuel's cheeks, and he cleared his throat with a nervous chuckle. "Nobody's ever called _me_ a good influence." He laughed. "I'm always a punk, or a scoundrel, or a scamp, or a rogue. Gosh, seems like scarcely anyone ever says anything positive about me. Are we _sure_ you want your baby to grow up with a crazy guy like me around?" He smirked. "After all, I do have a tendency for trouble."

"And I don't?" Hoshiko said curiously with an eyebrow raised. "I get in trouble just as often as you do. I wouldn't go around bragging about your trouble experience Samuel Oak, because believe you me, you've got some stiff competition." The girl laughed and shoved her friend playfully with her shoulder, even though they were leaning on each other. Samuel responded by leaning into her more and playfully snuggling against her head.

"And yes, I'm sure. I couldn't think of anyone better. After all, you might not think it, but you've been becoming more of a gentleman everyday. To be quite honest, I think I've been good for you." She smirked with smug humor. "So by the time I have my baby, I won't have anything to worry about. Besides, you're already a good example." Hoshiko laughed once more. "You know how to get me out of trouble better than anyone I know!"

A gentleman? That was ONE thing that Samuel never thought he'd be described as, and had it been Ace who said it, he probably would have spoken up against the very idea. He certainly didn't feel like a gentleman. But then again, he thought, maybe it wasn't so bad. Perhaps he could be a gentleman and a rogue at the same time. Smirking a little, although pink in the cheeks, he nodded slightly.

"I guess you're right. I'm becoming an expert at it." He grinned evilly. "Then again, you give me a _lot_ of practice."

Hoshiko took a good hard look at Samuel for a moment, tempted to stick out her tongue at him, but instead she opted for the most obvious of actions and playfully punched him in the arm, again forgetting about the injuries to her hands until the pain shot up her arm in protest. She didn't care.

"Of course, you must realize I'm giving you all that practice to make sure that you grow up to be a respectable gentleman." She smirked and went back to leaning her head on her friend's arm. Yawning once more, Hoshiko fought her eyes closing. "I'm so exhausted...this pregnancy thing makes me so sleepy. It's supposed to taper off though...in fact the one book says I might find it hard to sleep later on..." Wrapping her arms around herself as if they were a blanket, Hoshiko blinked a few times to try and keep herself awake. "But for now...sometimes it's so hard to stay awake...it's like...my body is working for two people now..."

"Well, that's because it is." Samuel chuckled, pulling Hoshiko close. "But don't worry about it. You can rest your eyes. I'll keep watch and make sure nothing bad happens, okay? When Ace is done with the seal, I'll wake you up, and we'll start planning how we're ever going to get back down from this tower."

Though Samuel laughed again, there was a slight undertone of worry. After all, climbing this high had been an ordeal. He didn't much like the idea that they might be trapped now. Shrugging it off, though, he did his best to remain in good humor. Leaning forward, he started talking to Hoshiko's belly.

"You hear that in there? Get some sleep cuz soon we're gonna get cracking."

Hoshiko listened to Samuel and did close her eyes and it wasn't long before her head fell heavy on his arm, but she wasn't asleep quite yet and spoke up tiredly as she heard Samuel crooning over her stomach. She giggled gently.

"I don't think the baby wants to sleep Samuel..." She patted her stomach gently. "Apparently Baby is doing a lot of growing right now...and you know what." She yawned again. "I believe it...but maybe, just maybe she'll listen to her uncle..." There was a contented smile on Hoshiko's face. "I'm sorry, I wish...I could...stay...awa...ke...lon...ger...Samuel..."

Hoshiko's words finally trailed off, and she nodded off to sleep in the warmth of her friend's arms and the peaceful glow of the tiny paper lantern.


	24. Tragic Justice

**Chapter 24: Tragic Justice**

Sleep was a welcome and warm delight, despite how uncomfortable the hard wood floor was, or how much the old tower creaked spookily in the night. The skitters of tiny pokémon feet in the shadows didn't bother Samuel much, and he fell asleep shortly after Hoshiko did.

When he woke up, the little lantern was out, and it was very, very dark. Samuel stiffened slightly, hearing the noises again, but this time they didn't seem so innocent. They sounded creepy in the unknown blackness. Something brushing his shoulder startled him out of his mind, and he jumped, almost jarring Hoshiko awake.

"Shhh..." Someone hissed at him from the blackness. "It's just me."

"Ace, you son of a... I should smack you upside the head for that."

Ace shook his head, a scarce movement of shadow in the deep darkness. "The bell has been sealed, but I'm afraid that in doing so I must have disturbed a balance of some sort in this tower... Something seems off..."

"Yeah, Moron, you blew out the light."

"A cold wind came through and all the lanterns went out." Ace protested. "I did nothing. But I wonder what triggered it..."

Glancing at Hoshiko, Samuel made sure that she was still comfortable, and not too cold. "Well...what are we going to do?"

"I have to find out what happened... We won't be able to get out of the tower if we can't see where we're going."

It was hard to avoid the noise that Samuel and Ace made simply in talking, especially when Hoshiko was leaning on Samuel's shoulder. So despite the girl's friend's best efforts she found herself wiggling a little and slowly opening her eyes to find a surprising darkness that confused her until she became more aware of the meaning behind Samuel and Ace's words. The girl's voice spoke out gently in the deep blackness around them.

"...All the lanterns went out?" Hoshiko looked around but it was in vain. "C-can't we just light mine again?" She asked, sounding a little nervous, even if she didn't want to. The young woman was very sensitive to the Tower everything in it: the lights, the wood, even the monsters. After all, it was the only place she took solace in during her childhood.

"There's something terribly wrong..." She muttered, trying figure out exactly what was out of place. "...I...can't figure it out, but there is something very unbalanced..." The girl, taking Samuel's hand and requesting his help, rose to her aching feet. Then she started patting the wall old wooden with her other hand, listening to the sounds within it as she tried to feel her way to the window. However, even they were dark. When Hoshiko's hands found the sill just over Samuel's head, she leaned towards it, but couldn't see much of anything. She knew she ought to be able to see stars or at least the glow of Ecruteak down the road a little. "...This is...strange..." She spoke to Ace. "What happened?"

The Incarnus reached out through the shadows and gently pulled Hoshiko back into a sitting position so that she wouldn't fall. He was grateful that he had more senses than just his eyesight. For him, locating his friends in the darkness was as simple as sniffing the air, although he didn't call attention to it. Ace scooted in close to Samuel and Hoshiko so that he could put an arm around both of them and give them a better sense of where he was sitting.

"It seems as if there is more darkness in the tower than simply that of the bell... But I can't be sure. As soon as the bell was sealed and left incapacitated, a cold wind blew threw and every lantern went out... We could attempt to relight yours, but I'm getting a sense that something in this tower has changed because of what I've done." He paused, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Yet what it is precisely, I am unsure."

"Hoshiko, how much do you know about this tower? Is there something in here we should be afraid of?" Samuel asked, a bit nervously.

Hoshiko answered hesitantly. "I...well...I know a lot about this tower..." She said quietly, uneasy as if someone or something might be overhearing her. "There are legends that speak of how the tower itself has the very essence of Ho-oh within it, that it stood long before Ecruteak and that hidden deep within these walls, it's as if Ho-oh is always present, guarding over his home and roosting place...

"Once...when I was little...I almost..." She choked back a bit, not wanting to speak of it, but continued on. "Jumped from one of these windows..." Her eyes closed, although it wasn't visible. "But a gust of wind, I swear...I swear it that the trees were still as can be, it pushed me back inside..." Even more hesitant, Hoshiko finished. "And I thought I saw a huge rainbow-colored pattern cast down upon the floor through the windows as if it were above the tower, overshadowing it completely..."

Ace's back went rigid and his hands clenched, although in the dark nobody would notice. The tone of his voice, however, was obvious.

"So you think it's Ho-oh..." He growled slightly. "Hmph. It would figure that the bird would fight against me... Ho-oh knows all too well what I stand for, and does not want me to succeed..."

"You can't blame Ho-oh for wanting to live." Hoshiko said softly, shaking her head. She was actually attached to Ho-oh quite a bit, attributing the pokémon for saving her life at such a young age. She had often told her sisters that she had seen Ho-oh but they never believed her. The young woman however didn't want to start another debate among the group and so tried to refocus their attention.

"We'll have to find a way out of here. If Ho-oh is angered, that can only mean trouble...I know this place like the back of my hand...but...you'll have to trust me..." Hoshiko said nervously. She knew out of the three, she was the only one who could actually lead them out, but she was still frightened of what might greet them on the way.

"I doubt Ho-oh cares if it is going to die. Its heavenly body already perished once as it fought for its cause to bring humans and monsters closer. If it is angry with me, it is because I have again interfered with its plans." Ace slowly pushed himself to his feet, the sound of his shoes scratching against the hard wood floor.

"Well, no matter what the deal is, Hoshiko should still lead us out, otherwise we might be in trouble." Samuel murmured.

"We could always jump over the edge, but personally I'm not too keen on that idea. Facing angry spirits isn't exactly a nice option either, though."

"I'll light Hoshiko's torch." Samuel pointedly ignored Ace's alternative, reaching into his bag and trying to feel around for a matchstick.

If the lamp had been lit earlier, it would have been easy to see that Hoshiko was glaring at Ace, but since it wasn't, another argument was averted. Hoshiko sighed and turned to the sound of Samuel's voice.

"I wouldn't suggest jumping over the edge... We're ten stories up. I think we'd better try and get down from here a little more….slowly..." Hoshiko added.

Suddenly, a small, warm light filled the corner as Samuel struck his match. The pale glow outlined the features of everyone's faces, but depend the shadows. The young woman bent down and picked up her box quickly shoving it into her bag and pulled something out of it at the same time. She lifted it for everyone to see. It was a tiny bell, tarnished but still functional, it tinkled softly with the mere motion of Hoshiko's moving hand.

"I think...this should help protect us..." The young woman took the lantern from Samuel in her other hand got up with help from Ace, who stood immediately when he realized Hoshiko was trying to move. Despite their conflicts, he helped steady her until she was ready to move on her own. Hoshiko started to take a few slow steps forward. "We'd better start getting back..." And in the lantern light Hoshiko, in her yukata, appeared more like a maiden of the tower than the friend that Samuel and Ace knew, as if she was some sort of ethereal guide.

Samuel licked his fingers and pinched out the burnt head of the match. He then stared at Hoshiko for a quiet moment in deep thought. Both of his friends had such a ghostly essence about them. Ace, when he stood in the moonlight, and Hoshiko in the dim lantern light and the shadows of the tower. Maybe, just maybe, each of them had a connection to those things which made them seem so otherworldly, serene, and elegant.

Samuel shuddered slightly and shook off the eerie feeling coming over him. Instead of dwelling on it, he came in close to Hoshiko's side and started to help support her as they made their way back towards the ladder. Ace was just behind Samuel, and his hushed footfalls just barely sounded close enough to turn around and see him. Samuel didn't need to look back to know that Ace was there though, so he kept his face forward, and swore he could see the outline of the ladder just a short way ahead. And then it was gone. Samuel slowed down and rubbed his eyes, trying to see the shape through the shadows.

"What the...did you see that?"

Indeed Hoshiko had seen the exact same thing that Samuel had and the young woman didn't like it all. Being so many feet up and in a tower of a legendary guardian pokémon, whom it was her responsibility to protect and serve, made the girl nervous. After all, if it wasn't for her, they wouldn't be here. She had betrayed Ho-oh.

"...Y-Yeah..." Hoshiko said shakily, looking at Samuel and lifting the lantern so that their faces were visible to each other. So was Hoshiko's fear. "...T-there's no ladder left..." She bit her bottom lip. "I don't know what to do." Hoshiko said, her voice was tight and her hand was trembling, causing the tiny lantern and the light it cast to dance erratically. "I-I'll try...I'll try the bell..." She added, feebly shaking the bell, there was a sweet tinkling sound that came from it.

The sound of the bell was relaxing, and it made Samuel feel a bit more comfortable with the situation, but as he stared into the darkness and realized the lantern was getting gradually dimmer, he still could see no sign of the ladder.

"What does the bell do?" Samuel asked.

"...I don't really know what the bell does. I always thought it might repel evil." Hoshiko said quietly, her voice was considerably nervous. "I found it here, and since it seemed so pure and gentle...I thought maybe it had some sort of connection to the tower..."

Ace narrowed his eyes at the bell in Hoshiko's hands, wondering about the object with curiosity and slight apprehension. He'd have to study it closer, some other time. For now the trio needed to deal with the situation carefully, though. Ace's eyes wandered back up to where Samuel was gesturing. Before Samuel could say anything, he noticed something move, and a shadow appeared in the corner of his eye.

"Hey... shine the light over there..." Samuel pointed.

Hoshiko's eyes narrowed and she turned the lantern to where Samuel and told her to. At first she didn't want to look and turned her face away, fearing what might have caused the noise, but it didn't take too long for her curiosity to make her turn her head and peer into the dim lantern light to view the small area that it illuminated.

"...W-What...is it?"

There, in the darkness, was the outline of a ladder laying across the floor.

"How did that get there?" Ace asked, concerned and bewildered.

Hoshiko blinked a few times, she felt so much like her mind was deceiving her that it was hard to imagine how the ladder had simply—or not so simply—moved behind them.

"...I...I don't know..." She answered, confused and a little frightened. "M-Maybe we can put it back?" She suggested, although quickly added. "But...I doubt it be that simple..." And slowly, Hoshiko approached closer to the reappearing ladder.

"...Ho-oh..." She spoke softly under her breath, hoping that maybe the beast could somehow hear her, if he was so aware of what had happened at his tower. "It's me...Hoshiko...t-the...the little girl you saved." Hoshiko's cheeks flushed red, feeling embarrassed for speaking to Ho-oh out loud, especially in front of Ace.

"...I'm here to see you...Please don't be angry...please let me and my friends go." She added a little something else, hoping that if Ho-oh could indeed hear her that she could capture the pokémon's sympathy. "...I have a little child within me...one to continue our family's bloodline...there will be more children to learn of you and follow in my footsteps...please Ho-oh, let us go...I'm...frightened right now. But...I know I can trust you..."

Ace frowned a little bit, but he didn't contend Hoshiko's decision to try and speak with the bird. If the girl could get them out of there, then all the better. Somehow though, Ace doubted it would be that simple. No essence in the tower would approve of what Ace had done, and he knew it.

As if in answer to his thought, as the group approached, the ladder faded, and completely vanished right as Samuel reached down to place a hand on it. A violent chill passed through Samuel's body, and he stared in disbelief.

"Wh-what happened to it?"

At this point, Hoshiko was not only bothered and frightened by the happenings with the ladder but she was starting to get frustrated with it. Their attempts were obviously going no where and the longer they spent in the tower the more malevolent the energy around them seemed to grow.

"This isn't working..." The young woman said softly, turning her face to Samuel. Part of Hoshiko was ignoring Ace, but she still sensed his emotions towards her and her actions. Hoshiko didn't appreciate it. "I know we're too high up but the only way out might be from the outside..." Her eyes glanced in the direction of the window. There was no way it was a safe option, or even something she had wanted to consider...but it might be the only avenue they had. "What do you think Samuel?" Hoshiko asked, leaning a bit more of her weight on the young man, starting to feel worn and withered. Her whole body hurt, though the sharp pain had subsided and given away to the dull, constant throbbing of frayed nerve endings.

Samuel gently supported Hoshiko, not complaining in the slightest at having to help her stay up. He was nervous about what might be going on around them in the dark, and with the lantern near ready to go out, he was on the verge of panic. Somehow though, he hid it well.

"Maybe we should slip outside and climb down from the rooftops." He suggested."

"That will be very dangerous for Hoshiko..." Ace commented quietly. "If she falls..."

"You can catch her." Samuel interrupted. "You caught me when we came crashing to earth from the sky... This drop wouldn't be nearly as long..."

Hoshiko knew full and well that if she were to fall from the top of the Bell Tower, even if by some strange miracle she was able to survive, it would be impossible for the little baby growing inside of her to live through the impact. Biting her lip, Hoshiko shook her head.

"I'll be fine." Although her concern was clear. "L-Let's just get started..." Hoshiko said softly, leading Samuel over to the closest window and pulling gently away from her friend. She climbed awkwardly out of the window and onto the slanted roof of the tower. Stumbling slightly, Hoshiko realized that all of the lanterns on the outside of the tower, hanging under the curled up corners of the pagoda eaves, had also been extinguished. "My family is bound to find out about this soon..." Hoshiko whispered back through the window, her face now a little more illuminated by the moonlight.

Shifting away from the window and holding tightly to the gold-carved likenesses of Ho-oh that accented the outside corners of the Tower, Hoshiko waited for Samuel and Ace to emerge. All Hoshiko could do was find herself staring down from her place on the roofing, nervously observing the ground so many floors below. Shadows consumed it, swallowed it utterly, and she wasn't even sure it existed anymore, with how dark it was out here.

Ace was the last to climb out of the window, but he was the first to speak up the moment he could. "Hoshiko, listen to me. I'm going to go first, that way if you slip, I can catch you. Samuel, you come down last, so you can help Hoshiko as much as possible."

Samuel nodded slowly, understanding perfectly what had to be done. Slowly, he moved forward and found a good place to balance, and he watched as the Incarnus made his way to the edge of the roof and took a deep breath.

"Do NOT do what I do." He said flatly. And before anyone had a chance to protest, he jumped.

Hoshiko could have shrieked and ran after Ace...if she wasn't on a roof so high up that it could easily bring her to death. So instead, as Samuel shifted, Hoshiko offered him a purely grateful but terrible worried look and slowly shifted closer to the young man. She took hold of his shoulder as she reached him, using the small spaces between the shingles in the roof to maintain her foothold. It was a very precarious procedure.

"Thank you...Samuel..." Hoshiko said, practically breathless from fear as the two made their way to the edge of the roof.

Hoshiko slowly bent down and grabbed hold of the edge, lowering herself and dangling there for a moment, stretching her feet out as far as possible and feeling for the next roof tier. Samuel grabbed her hands and held on tightly to her, allowing her to let go of the roof and rely on him to ease her down farther. Samuel felt his palms sweating. He was terrified to drop his friend, but the fear made him hold tighter and adrenaline gave him strength and made him so completely aware of everything around him that he didn't have a hard time balancing himself. His knees protested as the roof tiles rubbed against them through the holes in his jeans, but he didn't care.

Hoshiko's toes grazed the edge of the lower landing briefly. She had to fight back the instinct to struggle or panic, and simply let that brief touch be the deciding factor. She let go of Samuel's hands, and he lost his hold on her. She disappeared into the darkness, and all Samuel heard was a soft but unnerving thump.

She landed on the second panel much less gracefully than Hoshiko would have liked to. Her footing was loose, but she fell forward and caught herself with her hands. The pain that resulted ravaged her palms and sliced straight up her arms, as if she'd landed on a cheese slicer. For fear of death, however, Hoshiko didn't cry and she certainly didn't let herself slip. Crouching low to keep her balance, the exhausted and worn young woman quickly moved make room for Samuel to join her.

"I'm alright Samuel." Hoshiko called up to him, just loud enough that he could hear.

After this, all Hoshiko wanted was to curl up in a bed, resting her aching limbs and body. She might be accommodating the baby but one thing was for sure, the baby wasn't accommodating her. All that growing it was doing and all the changes her own body was going through made her more exhausted than all the dancing she had done in her lifetime could have.

The tension of just watching Hoshiko drop down to the level below was almost more than Samuel could bear. He wasn't worried one iota about Ace. He knew the Incarnus was just fine. But Hoshiko... The only thing that gave him any relief was hearing her voice call out to him.

Nervously, Samuel peered over the edge. It was hard to see anything below in the shadows, but he had to trust that Hoshiko would be okay and that he wouldn't fall on top of her. Taking a breath, he moved to ease himself over the edge, but froze just as he was about to begin. Looking over his shoulder suddenly, he couldn't fight the feeling that he was being watched...Very closely. From somewhere behind him. He didn't want to look. The sense of dread overpowered him, and he pointedly ignored his gut instinct, hurrying to slide over the side.

Hidden in the shadows where the slanted roof met the center of the building, just under the eaves of the next level, Hoshiko remained crouched, trying to keep in a spot where it wasn't too difficult to stay put. Still, despite the lack of light, Hoshiko saw when Samuel finally decided to come over the side. His shadow, only slightly darker than the night, fell across her field of vision and hung there. She caught sight of his feet swinging freely, just like hers had. The girl came out of her spot and carefully shifted herself over enough to take hold of Samuel's one ankle.

"It's just me." The girl assured at once, so as not to startle her friend. She gave a soft tug to encourage him to finish coming down, but he seemed uneasy. He was taller then her so it he didn't have far to stretch to reach the ledge she stood on. "You're close." She coaxed.

But that's when Hoshiko saw a strange, somehow darker shadow that hadn't been present before creeping over the edge like a heavy, black fog. It obscured even the black night sky. The girl's eyes went wide but she quickly grabbed Samuel's other foot and put it on the roofing and pulled back so there would be room for him.

"Samuel! Hurry. There's something...u-up there!" Hoshiko called out to him, retreating as much as she could without forcibly pulling Samuel down.

Startled by Hoshiko's affirmation of his own senses, Samuel looked up without thinking. His blood ran cold, and he slipped, losing his grip and falling onto the roof below his feet. Unable to catch his footing, he rolled down to the edge and barely managed to catch himself on the eaves, saving himself from plummeting to the ground below. His eyes squeezed shut until he had a firm handhold, and then he barely had the will to face what he had seen before.

Hovering in the thick shadows, a vapor of darkness hung just over where he had been standing. Glowing red eyes and a fiercely jagged smile gaped at him, while wisps that shaped themselves like clawed fingers drifted, unattached to any body. The fingers curled and the red eyes burned, casting a pale, almost flame-like glow on the edges of the floating, smoky entity.

Hoshiko had no idea what to do, she wanted desperately to help Samuel, but he was far out of her grasp, and it was getting hard to balance herself on the roofing. Her already aching body protested from the strain. So, taking off her obi sash, Hoshiko looped it around one of the lantern hooks on the roof and held the other end, letting herself slide down to where Samuel was once more. And now with much more leverage the young woman reached for Samuel's arm, stretching her fingertips to reach him.

"Samuel! Come here!" She called out to him, grasping his hand and pulling him upward, belly along the roof. When he was close enough, she reached over his body and put the rest of the material from her sash through one of his belt loops, tying it tight. "I've got you secured!" Hoshiko said.

Without the obi, her yukata's outer shell, the cotton clothing piece opened, leaving Hoshiko with only the very light, thin under layer of the yukata to protect her skin from the shill in the air. The wind picked up, as if to spite her, and the young woman shivered. The outer layer of the yukata whipped wildly about, nearly blowing away.

Samuel lay flat against the cold, slippery roof tiles and clutched at them uselessly. He was shaken, but alive, and more than a little grateful for Hoshiko's help. He crawled close to her, but even once he was safely out of harms way, he couldn't help but look up and see that strange shape hanging over them. It watched, eying them with intense focus and a sinister smile.

"What is that?" Samuel asked, scared half to death and hoping that Hoshiko knew what was going on, as the Tower expert.

Exhaling sharply in relief of knowing Samuel was safe, Hoshiko looked up to reassess the looming vaporous face in the night. The girl blinked a few times and shivered visibly as the cold air stung at her and bit at the exposed wounds on her shoulders.

"It's...a ghost of the tower." Hoshiko said breathlessly. "H-Haunter." The girl added and she looked at it with determined eyes, reaching into her bag, the young woman took out the bell and held it out at the monster, shaking it a few times. "Hopefully, the bell's purity can get rid of it."

Hoshiko paused before she could hope aloud any more, and was reminded of something that she had been taught: How to banish evil spirits. It was just an old family tradition, and she'd never seen it enacted before, but the Bell Tower was ancient and tales told of ghosts in the tower long before its twin even burned down. Thinking hard on the fragile, distant memories, Hoshiko started speaking haltingly to the shadow in her own foreign tongue, using words that her mother and maternal grandmother had taught her. At first they felt forced and labored, but as she remembered, they flowed more freely. Samuel listened, but he couldn't fight the fear that engulfed him as he looked into those deep, soulless eyes that seemed to creep ever closer, like the rising tide.

A sense of horror crept all along Samuel's skin, making the hair on his neck stand on end as he looked into those fiercely glowing eyes. At first the ghost just floated there, watching them. But when the faint tinkle of the little bell rang out, the strange vapor-like entity seemed to get darker, almost dissolving into the night sky above. Samuel knew it was still there, though. The eyes remained, two glowing orbs floating in space slipping down from the roof above and to their level. It moved closer. A strange noise filled the air, almost like laughter combining with a frightened scream. Then, the ghost disappeared. Samuel swallowed a big lump in his throat, hoping it was really gone and not simply hiding.

"D-do you think that Ace disturbed it when he sealed the bell?"

Hoshiko cringed as she watched the creature vanish and nodded when Samuel asked her the question. "Well, I think since it disturbed the tower in general, he's probably awoken some of the evil spirits around the area at least and brought them straight to here. Or else it has something to do with Ho-Oh being angry. Either way, we'll probably see more..." Hoshiko said, sounding exhausted. Making sure she had a grip on Samuel's arm, Hoshiko undid her obi's material from Samuel's belt, and balancing herself, the girl swung it enough to release it from the hook so they could continue down the tower.

Starting to lower herself down the next level, Hoshiko was starting to find it hard to hold her own weight. One hand slipping, she bit her lip and gripped onto the edge with the other, her outer yukata practically falling from her shoulders. Finally able to grip with her other hand after an eternal minute, the girl struggled, and the rest of the yukata fell to the roofline of the floor below. Hoshiko looked up at Samuel nervously as she hung there. This time, there was enough distance that her feet wouldn't reach the next platform easily.

"I'm too short." Hoshiko said nervously, her voice shaking from pain, cold and exhaustion.

Samuel leaned over the edge and tried to see Hoshiko, but she was just a pale shape against the darkness. Squinting, he could just make out her figure, the frail lines of her bare shoulders straining against the weight of her own small body.

"Maybe I can ease you down a little." He suggested, moving to reach for Hoshiko and try to assist her. As he extended his hand though, his back stiffened. "There it is again..." Samuel whispered in horror, not wanting to frighten Hoshiko at all. "It's down there, on the platform below you."

Hoshiko wanted to look back and see where the ghost pokémon was, however, she'd have to wait because it would be too hard turn her head and see it. Biting her lip, the girl hesitated, although as soon as she felt Samuel's hand near, the girl gripped onto it desperately to keep from slipping. Panic rose inside of her, and she knew she couldn't hold on much longer.

"It doesn't matter now, Samuel. I'll fall!" Cold sweat slicked Hoshiko's hand in Samuel's palm. "I'll be fine! But I need you to let me-AHHHHHHH!" Hoshiko shrieked, her other hand, battered, painful, and strained, lost hold against her will. If not for Samuel's tightening grip, Hoshiko surely would have fallen.

Samuel's heart pounded in his ears, and he could feel his hands sweating as he held onto his dangling friend. Terrified of dropping her, he reached out with his other hand as well, He couldn't hold her up for long, but he hoped he could manage long enough to help her get down.

"Okay, okay. I got you. Tell me what to do." He grunted, breathing heavily. His eyes darted back and forth between Hoshiko and the ghostly essence that lay in wait in the darkness. He could barely see it, except for the glowing eyes, watching them closely.

A lump of nerves knotted together in Hoshiko's throat, and the girl tried her best to swallow hard to at least get a word out for Samuel as he held tightly onto her.

"J-Just...l-let me down a bit." Hoshiko said, her whole body trembling in Samuel's grip. She trusted him, that wasn't the problem, it was that she understood how difficult it would be for him to hold her and let her down on a slanted roof in the dark. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to hold on!" The girl apologized. Meanwhile she could feel the cold essence of the Haunter near her dangling feet. The chill—heavy like lead and moving from her limbs to the pit of her stomach—passed through her as if it was wrapping its ghostly claws around the girl's bandaged ankles.

"I'm scared Samuel! It's so close to me!" The girl's hand's tightened on Samuel's sharply.

"Just hold on." Samuel coaxed, although his voice broke with fear despite himself. "Don't let go until you feel the roof under your feet, okay?"

The little glowing coals down below reflected their eerie light, and seemed to be moving back and forth between him and Hoshiko as much as he was watching his friend and the ghost at the same time. For the longest time, as Samuel tried to ease Hoshiko down, the strange spirit didn't even move more than just that tiny bit. However, the closer Hoshiko's feet got to the ledge, the creature became restless.

It disappeared, and then reappeared right at Hoshiko's side, its misty body almost seeming to become solid, even as it remained afloat. It breathed out as cold as ice, along with a chilling laugh as it reached pointed claws towards Hoshiko's arms. It was only a moment after the breath touched her skin that she went completely stiff. Her feet were on the ground indeed, but her blood felt as though it had gone cold. Her limbs refused to flex.

She saw and felt those otherworldly hands touch her skin and pass through the surface. She swore she could feel the fingers probing her veins and her nerves. Malevolent energy seeped from the monster as its claws buried deep into her injured skin. Hoshiko shrieked, and she let go of Samuel's hands. The girl fell into a crouch on the platform that thankfully her feet had been hanging just above. Hoshiko struggled but without avail, and since the creature held her arms, the girl couldn't reach for the bell that she had put back into her bag.

She screamed, against her own will, paralyzed except for her vocal chords. She looked into that merciless smile and saw death. Behind the hooked teeth that stabbed out of the gaseous purple face, the black throat opened to oblivion. Threads, like nerves or veins, glittered somewhere in the depths of that darkness, like a web connecting life and death in one tangled mass. Faces hung there, too vivid to ignore, but too unreal to even call visions. They stared back at Hoshiko, vacant eyes hollowing out into deep, worm-filled holes. Hoshiko felt her mind go numb and terror seize her.

"Hoshiko!" Samuel cried out thoughtlessly, not thinking that his voice would carry in the quiet night.

He got a response that silenced him. "Samuel!" It was Ace. "What's going on?"

"It's Hoshiko! She's been attacked!"

Down on the ground below, Ace, standing in the shadow of a tree, clenched his fists and moved forward into the pale moonlight that before had seemed nonexistent. When Samuel saw him, far, far below, he almost imagined that Ace had somehow ignited the silver fire of the moon all by himself. It felt brighter somehow, although the boy knew it had to be his imagination. Looking up at the dark silhouette of the pagoda tower looming over him, Ace strained to see the distant shapes upon the upper tiers of the pagoda. He couldn't see Hoshiko, but he could see Samuel leaning over the edge. And he could sense darkness. Not strong darkness, but enough of it that the presence of a tainted monster was obvious.

In a flash, Ace jumped up onto the first ledge, sprang from it to one of the large nearby trees, and propelled himself off of the tree again, using it as a launching pad to reach the higher levels of the tower. His legs carried him higher faster than any ladder ever could, and he landed only feet away from Hoshiko, catching himself with his hands and looking up to see the haunter as its body began to melt into the air and its essence began wrapping around Hoshiko.

"Nesting doll puppeteer! Arceus may pull your strings, but—" Ace shouted at the creature, surprising it and drawing its attention to him for the moment. "—That girl's body is not your puppet! If you want to mess around, you come and take me!" Ace's eyes flashed their fierce ice blue, even in the dark of night.

The haunter stared at him for a moment, and then released Hoshiko and floated over to face Ace.

As soon as the Haunter let go of her, Hoshiko felt her cold body give away under her. She would have rather dove to help Ace, but she knew that there was nothing physically she could do to help. Ace deserved a huge expression of thanks after this, and Hoshiko had no idea what she was going to do. But there was in fact one thing she could. With one hand, shaking from cold, she pulled the bell back out from her bag and started to shake it once more, hoping that it would have the same results as it had the time before with her and Samuel.

Meanwhile, far below in Ecruteak, a single house stood out from the rest as its windows became illuminated. Hoshiko's tired eyes didn't fall upon it from her place on the roof. Instead she watched Ace with gratitude and some measure of lingering fear.

"...Ace...Thank you..."

Ace stood against the haunter as it swept through the air at him, a barely visible trail of purplish vapor, streaking his way. He moved to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature and a slip off the edge of the roof. The ghost came around again, and spread out, extending long, disembodied fingers towards Ace and twisting around the Incarnus as it came closer. Hoshiko felt her throat go tight, like her air was constricted as she watched the blackness snake around the Incarnus.

Ace didn't move for a moment, rather, storing up energy. Ghosts and spirits were always difficult to deal with, but Ace was more able to withstand its attempts to enter his body than Hoshiko was. Forcefully he fought the natural feeling of dread and the cold that washed over him. His head became dizzy and light, and even though his panic instinct began to kick in as he felt his body go numb, his will resisted the creature firmly.

_So help me, if you try and take me you will PERISH._ Ace hissed in his mind, his will doing battle with the will of the dark spirit. _I have more power over you than you could ever imagine._

Suddenly, a faint blue and black glow arose around the medallion hanging at Ace's neck. A shockwave of sensation, invisible but perceptible even by humans on some level, traveled through the air, seeming to temporarily stall time and silence the noises of night all around. In the time of the almost pure silence, the tiny bell tinkled softly. Its sound resonating seemingly forever.

The haunter screeched and recoiled, unraveling from around Ace and evaporating into the air. Ace was able to breathe, and he glanced in Hoshiko's direction as the chime ended and the sounds of bug pokémon and hoothoot filled the air again. The rustle of leaves in the wind sang their humble tune against the backdrop of the lonely night sky.

Swallowing hard, Ace nodded to Hoshiko slowly, acknowledging her thanks. "Any time..." He murmured faintly, his deep voice sounding for all it was worth like the night itself, if only the darkness and moonlight could speak for themselves.

Hoshiko's heart certainly skipped a beat at the sound of Ace's voice, and until the bell had caused the haunter to vanish, the girl could have sworn that she didn't breathe at all. There was a look of sheer relief painted across her porcelain features as Ace strode towards her and knelt to inspect her injuries, unsure if she'd gotten them from the haunter or earlier in the day. The girl shifted closer to him, placing one of her trembling hands on his. Her palm and fingers were freezing, almost as if the girl had died. But of course she was alive, it was just the lingering effects of the ghost pokémon's touch.

"...I'm so glad...you're alright..." She said gently and then called up to Samuel. "We're...We're okay Samuel!" But even as Hoshiko said it, she sounded weak and worn. Her eyes fell upon the lit home at last, and it was easy for her to recognize even from way up here. "My family, they're awake!" She said nervously to Ace beside her.

Ace tensed and looked out across the sleeping town to where Hoshiko was focused. His eyes narrowed angrily at the singularly lit house, as if simply by staring at it, he could will the occupants back to sleep.

"We're going to have to get you into the tree. The forest is the only safe place. We can't stay in the tower, because they could easily climb after us if they suspected we were here..." He looked around nervously. A chill on the back of his neck told him that they still were not alone. "Come on. Climb onto my back and put your arms around my shoulders." Ace bent his knees, crouching to make the task easier for Hoshiko.

Hoshiko was silent, considering what would happen if her family were ever to see what was going on. The idea wasn't something she wanted to entertain for too long though, so instead, the young woman slowly crawled piggyback against Ace, gripping tightly onto his shoulders.

"I'm sorry that I'm so cold." Hoshiko apologized, knowing how she would cause Ace's spine to shiver just from holding so close to his back. Her gaze drifted across the distance, and she happened to notice small, antlike shadows where her family seemed to be exiting the house. A string of lights trickled out of that open front door, lanterns in the hands of hunters. "They're coming! What about Samuel?" She asked, in a quick, hushed tone. "My family, they're coming..." Hoshiko bit her lip and hid her face in Ace's neck. Surprisingly, she was no longer afraid of being up as high as she was. Her family seemed a lot more concerning. Especially if they managed to get Samuel in their hands.

Ace held his breath for a moment and carefully calculated the distance between himself and the tallest tree. It wasn't a stretch for him to reach it, but reaching it while keeping Hoshiko safe was another challenge entirely. Still, he had to try. Coiling his legs tightly beneath himself, he quickly kicked off of the rooftop sailed through the whistling wind. They fell together gracefully, and landed on the thick branch of the dark tree right across from them but a good distance below. Balancing was tricky with the girl throwing off his center of gravity, but Ace caught on quickly enough, and promptly leapt from that tree to the next, and then to the next, swiftly carrying Hoshiko into the woods through the canopy.

"Samuel will be alright." Ace puffed as he ran along from limb to limb, almost as fluidly as if he was running across the ground. His eyes darted from his feet to the tree in front and back again, systematically checking every single moment where he was and where he was going. "That boy can handle himself when he really needs to. But don't you worry. I'm not about to leave him all to himself. I'll go back for him when I'm sure you're safe."

Hoshiko tried her best not to move as Ace brought the two of them through the woods. Part of Hoshiko was still frightened at being quite so high up, but she trusted Ace too much to be more scared of the height than she was of the haunter or her family. And her mind was so busy thinking about Samuel that her thoughts found it hard to focus on anything but that.

"I know...I trust Samuel's abilities. But...but my family." Her eyes narrowed as the girl whispered, close enough to Ace's ear that she knew he would easily be able to hear her trembling voice.

* * *

Much for Hoshiko's better, it wasn't until Ace had the girl out of earshot that her family approached the tower, able to make out the shadow of a human high up near the very top of the roof. Hoshiko's mother fumed, absolutely infuriated and yet shocked all at the same time. She could have sworn that she had heard her daughter's name carried on the wind. And with her missing from her room it didn't take too much knowledge to guess at who was at the top of the tower.

"GET DOWN HERE YOU INSUBORDINATE CHILD AND COME BACK HOME!" The woman hollered vehemently, unable to make out who the shadow really was with her older eyes.

Samuel tensed when he heard Hoshiko's mother yelling. Naturally relieved that the young woman had already been safely removed from the situation, he felt a mixed sense of dread at being discovered himself. Backing away from the edge of the roof, he tried to retreat into the shadows so that he could formulate a proper escape plan. His eyes darted to the trees around the tower. He could not jump as far as Ace could, and he wasn't as agile either. Sure he was skilled and strong for a kid, but truth be told he didn't stand a chance of getting away without being caught if he tried the same thing Ace had. He was going to have to be much sneakier.

* * *

Ace carried Hoshiko on until they far exceeded the borders of Ecruteak and reached the banks of the river flowing south from Lake Rage. Ace knew that if he dropped Hoshiko off in the woods around the lake, she'd be safe from her family for now...but not safe from lurking monsters.

Jumping to the ground, he bent his legs to catch the shock so that Hoshiko wouldn't feel it. Gently, he eased her to stand and put a finger over her mouth.

"Listen to me; you have got to be extremely quiet and still. Don't move, don't make a sound, and whatever you do, don't panic. I want you to sit here in the thicket until I get back. But you need to know...there are monsters in the forest, the grass, and the water. Do _not_ move or they'll find you. Do you have your pokémon on hand?"

Hoshiko was breathless as Ace set her down. She stood there and looked up at him, stunned for a moment. She nodded mutely.

"I...I..." The girl finally got her voice back. "I have my pokémon with me..." She said softly, shifting her weight and settling into a sitting position in the moss and reeds where she could stay comfortable for quite a bit of time. "I promise. I promise...I won't move, Ace." Hoshiko said, shivering against her own will. She wished she hadn't lost the outer garment of her yukata.

"Good." Ace nodded decisively. "Your pokémon will protect you. Make sure you have them out, just in case, but keep them quiet..." He slowly stood and straightened up. He didn't like the idea of leaving Hoshiko alone, but he knew she was safer here out of the range of her family. "I'll be back."

With that, Ace turned and started running back through the forest.

* * *

The shadow had vanished, but with the evil darkness gone, enough light spilt from the moon to catch the edge of Samuel's retreating body and give Hoshiko's mother a brief but clear view to prove that the figure up high in the tower was not her daughter. At the alert of one of her children, the woman turned and received the beautifully woven outer shell of Hoshiko's lost yukata. Her expression turned sour.

Whoever was up there, he was with Hoshiko, and by the looks of the clothing recovered from the ground, he was not very pure in his intentions. She guessed quickly that it must have been Hoshiko's detestable friend. That was almost as good as Hoshiko herself, in the woman's mind. Calling up in a loud voice, the woman yelled at Samuel Oak.

"CHILD!" She yelled both in anger and to be heard across the great distance separating them, "I'VE GOT SOMETHING VERY PRECIOUS TO HOSHIKO." And surprisingly, it was true. She had kept something with her to use as a trade off with the girl if she were to misbehave any more, but this would be just as effective. "HER CHILDHOOD LETTERS FROM THAT DEPLORABLE FATHER OF HERS." She raised the lantern and reached into her kimono to withdraw a twine-bound stack of letters. She only hoped the boy would see them as she waved them in the air. "IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN THIS INSTANT, I'LL BURN THEM!"

Samuel grunted at the threats, but quietly he slipped back into the Bell Tower through one of the windows and slumped to the floor. Reaching for his chain and thinking fast, he unhooked one of his pokéballs and opened it, releasing his fierce eagle creature, Garuda. The long talons of the creature scraped the floor as it ruffled its feathers and made a whistling sound through its hard nostrils.

"Hey..." He whispered, reaching up and petting the bird's feathers. "I need you to do me a favor..."

Another disobedient child was not what Hoshiko's mother wanted, and in her frustration at not seeing Samuel reappear on the roof of the Tower, the woman undid the string that Hoshiko had so carefully wrapped around the pile of letters and took a few from the top, placing them next to the flame in her lantern. It wasn't long before the paper set fire.

"I'VE ALREADY BURNED SOME OF THEM, BOY!" She called up at him.

* * *

Hoshiko nodded feebly as Ace went off, she was happier to see him go only because it meant he would get to Samuel faster. The young woman reached into her bag slowly and retrieved the pokéball for Hanu, releasing the pokémon and hushing him quickly. Sensing his master's stress the pokémon came close beside her and breathed gently onto the girl in an attempt to warm her.

Hoshiko held a gentle hand on the side of her dear friend's face and watched his strong eyes with her own weak ones, wishing that she herself could have such a powerful spirit. His thickly armored scales and the deep ridges of his gaping, fishlike mouth felt smooth but hard under her fingertips. The fins around his draconian brow jutted out sharply in the low light reflecting off of the lake and trickling through the tall, gently waving grass. He would protect her, as he always had.

* * *

A rustle in the trees just over the head of Hoshiko's mother gave away the definite presence of some lurking thing. Perhaps Samuel had been moved enough to jump down and had gotten himself stuck between a pair of limbs. The rustling got louder, signifying some unseen internal struggle hidden by the boughs. A few leaves dropped, drifting soundlessly to the ground and settling in the grass.

A closer inspection revealed a shadow in the darkness, but it was so dark in the branches that the shape was completely indeterminable. Even holding a lantern up to it only further obscured the view by casting a glare in the eyes of the searchers.

The rustling suddenly stopped, and there was deep, unbroken silence. For a long time it rested that way, until bug pokémon began chirping again, convinced the disturbance was over. Before Hoshiko's mother could let out another angry cry, however, the tree suddenly exploded in a shower of leaves. From within, some creature with large wings swooped down. Golden-plumed wings flashed in the orange lantern light, and screeching with all the ferocity of the tower spirits cut through the stillness. His call carried on into the night, but right in that moment, in that small circle of light cast by the lantern, the creature's eyes burned, and its sharp talons grabbed for the letters in Hoshiko's mother's hand.

Startled and caught off guard, Hoshiko's mother was stunned, forced to watch as the letters were lifted off and away from her. Of course it made the woman angry, but there wasn't anything that she could do but strain to see the huge bird escaping back into the trees. At least she had managed to ruin a few of the documents. But her bait had gotten away, and that made the woman even more frustrated than losing the letters themselves. Now she had no leverage.

There would have to be another way to coax the young man down from the Bell Tower. After all, the aura coming from the place was overwhelmingly malevolent, so he wouldn't want to stay in there long anyway. Maybe a different approach would work in the woman favor.

"FINE! YOU'VE WON! MAYBE I'M WRONG, BOY." The woman called up, now aware that Samuel was hearing her words. "PLEASE COME DOWN. YOU HAVE MY SINCERE APOLOGIES." And surprisingly, it wasn't hard for the woman to make her words just as graceful and fetching as the dances she taught. "YOU INDEED KNOW MORE OF MY DAUGHTER THAN I. PLEASE COME DOWN, FOR THE TOWER IS DANGEROUS. I WISH THAT YOU MAY TEACH ME MORE OF HOSHIKO, THAT I MAY ACCEPT HER."

Even from his position high inside the Tower, Samuel could hear the voice of Hoshiko's mother, distant and small as it seemed. He chewed his lip, and narrowed his eyes in frustration. She sounded so sincere. But such a sudden change of heart was confusing at best, a dirty trick at worst. Samuel was inclined to believe the latter.

At that moment, through the window flew Garuda. Samuel looked up as the large eagle-like pokémon landed beside him and dropped the letters in his lap. Sighing in frustration, he picked them up and put them in his bag, where they would be safe.

"What should I do?" He asked his monster. The creature just tilted its head very far sideways and looked at him with inquisitive black eyes. Samuel sighed again. "If I stay in here...that ghost is going to come back... I know it's here watching me. I can feel it."

Garuda ruffled its feathers and squawked.

"But I can't just go down there... I mean I'm not worried about me... But Hoshiko... If I go down there I'm putting her at risk too..."

The bird's head popped up again and in spread its big wings, making a strange almost twittering noise through its nostrils.

"But maybe we can lead her away from Hoshiko..."

A loud clattering sound from within the shadows of the room made Samuel's blood run cold. He knew he wasn't alone up here, and he couldn't risk getting caught facing a dark spirit when he didn't know how strong it might be. Better to leave and let the evil entities calm themselves. He didn't like the idea of facing another haunter, or anything worse. He didn't doubt there _were _worse things, though at the moment it was hard to imagine.

Far below, looking up at the darkened Bell Tower, Hoshiko's mother pursed her lips tightly. That boy hadn't said anything and since the eagle-beast had disappeared inside, nothing had come down. There were clearly evil spirits present, judging by the lack of light from the always-lit lanterns encircling the place, and Hoshiko's mother knew well what could happen to the young man, high up in the tower if he decided to linger too long.

"PLEASE, BOY, IT'S DANGEROUS IN THERE!" Her voice was pleading and still surprisingly earnest. Even Hoshiko would have had a hard time figuring that her mother was lying from the insistently kind and concern filled tone.

Even her daughters were even shocked at the woman's behavior. But she didn't pay any heed to them; her focus was completely on Samuel. After all he was the only one who could get her what she wanted.

"PLEASE COME DOWN! HELP ME REDEEM MYSELF TO MY CHILD!"

Samuel stood up quickly, feeling the air around him start to get cold as ice. He could simply _sense_ that that was a bad sign, and that he shouldn't stick around any longer, without Hoshiko's bell or Ace's power to protect him. Shivering, he walked towards the window and urged Garuda out first.

The eagle obeyed, but as Samuel climbed out the opening after his monster, he realized that if he came swooping down riding on the creature, he might take away any chance he had of claiming that he had no connection to the creature that stole Hoshiko's letters. Hesitantly, he recalled Garuda and leaned to peer over the edge. He could climb down, but it wouldn't be easy by any stretch of the imagination, and it would take a long time. He began the long, perilous descent.

After a great length of time, he made it to a tier low enough that he could reach for a tree branch hanging over the rooftop, and he grabbed for it. A sudden force against his back made him lose his balance, and he missed. Teetering forward, he found himself on the brink of slipping. Desperately he grappled for the tree limbs, but now they were too far out of reach. He felt another shove against his back, and all at once, the air was blasting his face as the ground rushed up from beneath him. Behind him, in the eaves of the Tower, dark laughter erupted and then faded into nothingness.

Hoshiko's mother's face was awash with shock at seeing the boy plummeting towards her and her daughters. She was the first to run and grab him, although her children followed their mother in a hurry to support her. The boy was bigger than most of them, and falling fast. They needed to pool their collective strength to have any hope of saving him without hurting themselves. They bunched together and moved under him, outstretching their fingers and bracing for impact.

He hit hard, and everyone fell to the ground in an ungraceful heap, but Samuel's weight was spread amongst the daughters, and everyone managed to survive with little more than scrapes and bruises. And Samuel's ears rang for a short while after; the screaming of the women as he fell into their arms left quite an impression.

Samuel made to get up, but the hands of Hoshiko's mother held onto him, and with the help of her daughters, she stood, supporting him and cradling the fallen Samuel like a baby. This vulnerability in the face of so many girls made Samuel uneasy, but he didn't have the strength to fight them off, still recovering from his fall.

"Thank you..." The woman said softly, perhaps to her daughters or perhaps to Samuel for finally relenting. Her painted face bowed into a strangely compassionate smile.

Slowly with the help of her children, the woman started to walk back to their family home, all of them carrying Samuel's weight.

"You look injured... Please, let me take care of your wounds. You can tell me of Hoshiko then? Please..."

For a minute or so, Samuel was too stunned to really struggle. He found himself looking up at the tower in disbelief as the dark silhouette disappeared behind the veil of the forest.

"Someone pushed me." Was all he could manage, both disturbed and terrified by the experience. It would take awhile for his heart to slow down again. When it did though, he began to realize the situation he was in. Nervously, his eyes darted from Hoshiko's mother to all her sisters.

He started to struggle, wanting to be on his own feet again. "I'm alright, really." He gulped, not even slightly willing to tell where Hoshiko had gone.

"Maybe it was one of the spirits." Exclaimed one of Hoshiko's sisters, sounding shocked.

"Of course, I imagine it was." Added another, as all the girls watched Samuel closely and kept him under control. They wound their way through empty streets, approaching the home of the Kimono family.

"Oh how terrible!" The girl who spoke first sounded again. Horrified that one of the spirits might push the young man out of the tower.

"Hush!" Hoshiko's mother said, looking at the girls irritably as they entered the house.

They brought Samuel inside and toted him into Hoshiko's old room, laying him out on the bed. Hoshiko's mother dismissed her children and kneeled down beside the low bed to take a look at Samuel. As she studied his face, she couldn't understand why her child would follow along with this ragged young man. His hair was a mess, his clothes were torn, his skin was dirty, and he had chains hanging from his jeans. His ears were pierced and he had banded tattoos on his bare upper arms. The thought of the discarded yukata made the woman upset, as she pictured this young man forcing Hoshiko into infidelity. With effort, she kept herself calm and poised.

"...Tell me...what does my daughter speak to you about? Why is she so interested in you, child?"

Now that she had Samuel with her, the woman knew full well to calm him down first and then treat him as she had her own daughter, to make sure once Hoshiko returned there would not be a repeat of his infamous rescues.

Samuel swallowed nervously, looking the woman in the eye. This was, he reminded himself, the very same woman who had beaten the bottoms of Hoshiko's feet until the soles were torn off. As concerned and genuinely compassionate as she was now, that fact still haunted the back of Samuel's mind.

Somewhere in his brain, he was already realizing that he'd been dragged into the prison of Hoshiko's childhood, and his old magician's escape instincts were kicking in, telling him to start searching for ways to get out.

"She uh...She doesn't...really tell me much that I haven't told you and that you don't already know." He lied, unwilling to mention Ace or the Incarnus' mission. "She's a free spirit..." He laughed nervously. "But, uh...I'm not...feeling too hot after that big fall... My head is spinning."

"I see." Hoshiko's mother sounded dejected as she stood up slowly, the young man disappointed her, in many ways. Nonetheless, she nodded slowly and spoke. "I will bring a warm cloth to soothe your head, Child." She said softly before turning to leave the room, closing the door behind her.

Although it took a minute, there soon followed a disturbing click that made it obvious Samuel had been locked in. Without any windows in the room, there was no escape. Samuel had been trapped in Hoshiko's old room. The air settled, still and stagnant around him, almost claustrophobic and unnervingly silent.

Upon further observance Samuel saw several mementos of Hoshiko's childhood left about the room. Kimonos hung inside of an open closet. Dance shoes sat upon the wooden floor nearby. Makeup lay on top of the vanity, and childish drawings of Ho-Oh and Lugia hung on the bamboo portion of the walls. Papers with Hoshiko's writing, text books in her own language and even some old toys that looked more like show pieces and as though they hadn't been played with at all sat in various locations around the room, as if Hoshiko had never even moved out. It was a sad place. It was Hoshiko's cage.

Waiting behind Hoshiko's door was her mother, she had gotten the same bamboo staff that had subsequently beaten Hoshiko. She would wait a moment before entering the room once more...

Samuel felt a cold chill run through him. A fear completely different from the terror he felt in the Bell Tower, but just as potent. Escape was not an easy option. But then again, he reminded himself, it never had been. Instinctively he scrambled to find a place to hide his bag, tucking it away so that there would be no change of it being taken from him. He had a much, much better chance of escaping as long as he had all of his belongings.

He thought about Garuda and his other partner, the sabrecat monster. The two of them would likely be able to help him get out of here, and probably defend him against the women of the house, unless they too unleashed their own monsters. He had a feeling that either way, a battle was coming.

Tentatively, he reached for his chain and pulled off Sabrecat's ball, clenching it tightly in his hand as he began to ponder how he might get out. His attention diverted at the sound of a soft creak. Slowly the door opened a crack and Hoshiko's mother slipped in, making sure the door was closed and secure behind her. From the look on her face, it was clear that she had done away with the compassion ruse. In fact, with the bamboo staff in her hand, the woman looked downright foreboding.

"Child, you have been a thorn in my side, much like my daughter. She has deceived me and vanished, but you've been left behind. And if I cannot make an example of correcting her behavior, then I will use my child's bleeding heart to my advantage and at the same time teach you not to return and meddle with my family." She approached Samuel and seized the boy's left hand, holding it out along the wooden frame of Hoshiko's bed.

"She will return and certainly not stand for her friend receiving such punishment as she willingly bears. And maybe you will realize the pain Hoshiko endures to keep running off with you, Boy. Then perhaps at last you will cease these games and become responsible."

Without another word she brought the bamboo staff down upon Samuel's left palm, with just as much force as she would to Hoshiko.

Eyes wide with fear, but not exactly shock, Samuel knew what was coming and he struggled roughly against Hoshiko's mother to yank his hand away. He couldn't manage to break her hold on him, but he did move his hand from the path of the switch, leaving it to strike a gash in the soft wood of the bed frame.

"She's not gonna return." Samuel spat as he started to try and twist his way from Hoshiko's mother's grasp. He was proving to be quite the handful, but not so much that she couldn't hit him _somewhere_ on his body. He gasped sharply when he finally felt the sting of the bamboo, but he swallowed the discomfort quickly and dropped the pokéball containing the sabrecat. "Because SHE'S never gonna find out I've been here."

He half-braced himself for some strike to come down on him again, but also expected Hoshiko's mother to be a bit more clever than that. The woman would surely know that by herself with no protection, she couldn't stand against a monster of the huge feline's size. Its claws and fangs were all too long and its hide too thick for it to be persuaded by a strike from a little switch. He'd force her into a pokémon battle.

The cat let out a yowling wildcat roar as the light from the ball filled the room. The beast lunged at Hoshiko's mother. Even if the woman couldn't move aside quickly enough and was caught, Samuel knew the monster wouldn't hurt her without direct orders. But at least it would give him a handle on the situation.

Infuriated and surprised by Samuel's fighting and struggling, it took effort, but no matter what Hoshiko's mother wouldn't let go of the boy. She seemed to have an iron grip on his wrist, pulling the both of them away from his monster as it lunged at her.

Hearing the commotion in Hoshiko's room, the daughters of the family all came to the door and flung it open. The were greeted by the sight of a massive eight-foot-long wildcat bouncing from the walls of the room and trying to get at their mother. The woman deftly moved like the dancer she was to avoid getting swiped by its claws, and when she needed to, she used Samuel as a shield. The beast thundered from one side of the room to the other, upending furniture and gouging the floors and walls. It's saber-fanged mouth hung open as it panted and snarled, trying to find an opening.

The girls wasted no time in protecting their mother. Each one, released their own pokémon. Each one an evolution of eevee. All at once they commanded their pokémon to attack Samuel's monster, and Hoshiko's mother struggled with Samuel to pull the boy to the ground, twisting his arm. She was surprisingly powerful for a woman of her age and yet from her years of training, she was incredibly well-toned.

Once more she struck at Samuel's hand and arm with the staff. "My daughter will know of this. And I will have her back! What a burdensome thing she has been this entire time! I never wanted that child and now the distress she causes is despicable!"

"If you never wanted her, just let her go!" Samuel retorted, still struggling violently. The switch struck his shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly, but he rolled over and out of the way, making the staff it the floor instead of him another time." He grabbed for his second pokéball, and pressed the button, releasing Garuda while the ball still clung to his chain.

The huge eagle swooped down on the eeveelutions that were attacking the cat-like creature, and Samuel continued his own personal battle. Letting go of the ball, he worked his free hand up to Hoshiko's mother's arm. The one with the switch in it. He grabbed at her wrist and clenched it tightly, not particularly worried about bruising her fair skin. He wasn't exactly a gentleman when ladies gave him no reason to be. He wrestled, and finally managed to climb on top of the woman, though she fought viciously and hissed through her teeth at him.

"For your information, she never wanted you either, not the way _you're_ treating her. She deserves a family that's understanding and caring towards her, supportive and stable. You...you're all just some sort of bureaucratic scam. Even your own daughter doesn't matter half as much to you as power and the past. That's a great way to have a family line die out, just so you know!"

Despite the size and power of both of Samuel's monsters, they were outnumbered, and without much room to maneuver in the tiny space, they couldn't match the agility of the numerous little foxlike creatures that swarmed them. The girls were having no trouble keeping Samuel's two monsters at bay. They were all well-trained and experienced battlers.

"I don't care if she didn't want me." Hoshiko's mother clenched her teeth trying to get Samuel to let go of her hand. She still twisted his arm with her other hand and tried to get him to let go of her. "I didn't have to give that little wench life! I was forced into having that child, and I wish everyday I didn't." Her words were harsh and yet full of honesty. "I don't care how much she has to suffer to fulfill this family's wishes! You could never understand! NEVER!" And as if all of the emotion that was in her words had been transferred to her hand and she yanked once more on Samuel's wrist, harder then usual.

Samuel let out a cry, exhausted and in pain from the events of the day, and wearing down all too quickly. He shoved hard against the woman's chest, but tumbled to the side when she brought her knee up into his stomach. Hoshiko's mother continued as Samuel coughed and gasped for breath.

"I hated her wretched father, and she's so much like him it's disgusting! She wasn't born to live her own life! She was born solely for this bloodline. She's a disobedient brat! And if it wasn't for the child within her and the this family's future, I would NEVER have had her! NEVER have spent nine moths to give birth to an ungrateful child. Without ME, that awful little wretch wouldn't exist! Hoshiko owes me her very LIFE!"

"She deserves a better life than anything your sorry hide could give her." Samuel hissed. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You're a selfish, belligerent, blind, old _hag_. And every word that comes out of your mouth only proves that Hoshiko is too good for you." Samuel sounded irritated, but not enraged. He sounded quite convinced, as if he completely and utterly believed everything that came out of his mouth. And he did. He sputtered painfully as Hoshiko's mother retaliated by grabbing at his neck.

"Hoshiko's father is a better parent than you'll ever be." He smacked her hand away forcefully and pressed his knuckles into her chest in a violent shove more than a punch. "A better person than you'll ever be. You only hate him because evil can't stand to be around any sort of good."

He ground his teeth together slightly at the end of his last statement, as he heard something hit the wall in the corner, and the sound of wood splintering. No doubt the monsters were going to wind up wrecking the place. But if they did, he didn't care. It would be better for him anyways. The sound of shattering glass made him smirk, even as the bamboo rod hit him across his cheek.

He lost his grip on the old woman's wrist, but he wasn't about to stop fighting. He grabbed for it again, but this time, struggled to maneuver himself up and behind her before she could pin him, and he snatched her quickly, twisting her arms behind her head and grappling to make an attempt to wedge the bamboo rod against her throat like a bar.

"I don't care WHAT you say. I KNOW what I'm doing; it was what MY mother WANTED! I obeyed her, and Hoshiko should do the SAME. I don't care if she feels that she's too young. And for all I care, her sister can have the baby after it's born." The woman seethed and went to say more but Samuel finally succeeded at pinning her throat with her own staff. The woman choked a bit from the initial shock.

But something even more shocking happened. From its safe hiding place, Samuel's bag gave itself away as a voice crackled to life within. A piece of furniture had broken and pressed the transmit button on the radio.

_"Samuel?"_ It sounded surprised. _"Hoshiko?"_ It was clearly Koichi, and it didn't take long for him to hear all of the commotion going on. "_Are you alright, kids?!"_ He cried out, clearly shocked. _"Please! Answer me!"_

Hoshiko's mother's eyes widened at hearing her husband's voice. She knew he wasn't present but still rued hearing him.

_Damnit, Koichi, shut up._ Samuel thought frustrated. As much as he admired the man, he didn't need him giving away his bag to the enemy. He dared not let go of his hold on Hoshiko's mother, though, and when he was certain she was secure in his grasp, he looked across the room to the daughters.

The sabrecat was down, but Garuda was still fighting, albeit struggling to hold its own. Samuel knew Garuda would not last very long now. He had to step in, lest his monsters suffer needlessly.

"Listen up, Ladies." He growled. "Recall your monsters, if you want me to let your mother go."

All of the sudden, the attention of Hoshiko's sisters was all on Samuel and their now struggling mother. Each one too shocked to say anything wrong or threatening for fear that he'd hurt her, they started with the eldest of the group and began to recall their pokémon.

"Let her go!" One of the girls growled at Samuel after their monsters had returned to their masters. The young woman was clearly distressed at what was happening to her mother.

"Ugh..." The woman in Samuel's grip clenched her fists, frustrated and angered at having lost her measure of control over the situation.

Koichi, for his part, couldn't make any sense of what was going on but at hearing the sound of his wife the man knew better than to make any more sounds. He listened carefully in case he was needed, after all...the last thing either of the youth needed was a run in with Hoshiko's mother. His wife wasn't a forgiving woman.

Samuel held to the bamboo staff and stumbled to his feet, pulling Hoshiko's mother along with him. He slowly began to inch his way towards where he had left his bag. Kicking it out of hiding with his toe, he wedged it between his feet.

"Don't worry, I'll let her go." Samuel assured. "But not until I'm outside. Get out of the way." He nodded at the women determinedly. "And stay in here. Don't follow me out."

He slowly started his way towards the door, awkwardly while dragging his possessions between his heels and leading Hoshiko's mother. He squeezed out between the girls, keeping a tight grip on the bamboo, and working his way from Hoshiko's room to the front door. At which point, he ordered someone to open it for him. The door unlatched, and he started backing out, until he was in the street with his bag.

Letting out a shrill whistle, he summoned Garuda from the house, and in its talons, the exhausted bird managed to tow the sabrecat outside before collapsing. Samuel would have to recall them and get them to a pokémon center quickly. But for the moment, they would be alright. The door closed, and they were alone. Only the faces of some of the girls peered through the window to be sure that Samuel released there mother, and once he did, they retreated to wait for their mother to come back in. They would not see any of the ensuing events.

"I'm going to let you go now." Samuel grunted. "Don't try anything funny." He meant it as a threat, but he knew that, with as many women there were against his lone self, he couldn't hold his ground in an all out fight should they all suddenly turn on him.

All he could do was bluff. Releasing his hold on the bamboo rod with one hand, he pulled the switch rapidly away from the woman's throat and held his hands up in the air, backing up to give her space.

They were outside, exposed and in plain site. But it was still night; the town slept and the darkness gave the woman enough cover that if she wanted retaliate against Samuel, she could. The woman snatched the switch back into her own hands as soon as it let up from her throat and she whirled, lashing out against Samuel with it in quite an assault. He was blindsided. She was completely infuriated by the young man's actions and didn't care how badly she hurt him at this point. She had failed to lure Hoshiko back and trap her so now Samuel wasn't worth anything to the woman.

Even over the radio, inside the bag, Koichi heard the sound of the switch cracking in the air, and the beating, he was quite familiar with it. _"STOP IT!"_ His muffled voice shouted out with a fury that Samuel would never have heard from the man before. But she wouldn't listen.

_"STOP IT! LEAVE THE BOY ALONE!"_ Koichi yelled at his wife. _"STOP LETTING YOUR FEAR OF HOSHIKO TAKING YOUR PLACE GET IN THE WAY OF SENSE! YOU'RE HURTING AN INNOCENT BOY!"_ Hoshiko's Mother didn't care.

_"DAMNIT! NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO TO HIM, ONCE HOSHIKO HAS THAT CHILD SHE'LL TAKE YOUR PLACE AND CAN DO WHATEVER THE HELL SHE WANTS WITH THE FAMILY! YOU CAN'T MAKE HER BEND BY ATTACKING HER FRIEND! SHE'LL ONLY RESENT YOU MORE!"_

It didn't matter to the woman anymore, her blind fury had gotten in the way of her perception, and she only cared to make Samuel pay for what he had done, as if he was her own child.

Samuel didn't have time to react, and with his pokémon collapsed on the ground, the best he could to was try to grab for the bamboo switch every time it struck him. Soon enough though, that became difficult, as the pain grew increasingly hindering every time his flesh split under the sharp blows. The snap of the rod against his skin and bones was deafening in the night, and he stumbled, falling to the stone ground and barely catching himself.

He kicked for the knees of his attacker, but in her rage she scarcely seemed to notice. He tried to kick harder, but missed his mark, instead crying out in pain and disgust. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't up and flee, because he had to recall his pokémon and grab his bag first. He wouldn't leave such things in the possession of that madwoman. It was all he could do to try and get to his knees and stand up. But nobody could fight such an onslaught of stinging, burning fury. He stumbled and fell again, frantically rolling to his side so that he could cover his head and face with his hands and arms.

He cried out again, but this time his shout was masked by another sound, a vicious, guttural snarl. Out of the shadows sprang the figure of what appeared to be a human. But, mid leap, the creature changed shape, its body glowing with the light and power a pokémon's body does as it evolves. When the massive beast came down on Hoshiko's mother, it was nothing less than a huge white wolf, with teeth that flashed in the moonlight and paws that were nearly bigger than the woman's head.

The woman's eyes went wide as she was sent crashing to the ground, pinned by Ace. The bamboo rod went flying out of her hand, and she was left to stare up into Ace's ominous gaze. The ice there could freeze blood solid. All of the confidence and anger bled from the woman's face, leaving her pale and sickly in the low light. At once, all that she was left with was fear as she faced creature that no human would ever want to encounter. And she struggled. Assuming that whomever this monster was, Samuel was its master.

"Call it off!" She begged, her voice hoarse with fear. "I'll leave you alone, I promise!" She practically sobbed out the words, her life passing before her eyes. And although deep down she still felt no remorse for what she had done to Hoshiko, she was reduced to begging. "Please! Let me go!"

When the pain of stinging slaps against his arm ceased and his anguish was reduced to the burning of the welts already present, Samuel lifted his head. Seeing the huge beast startled him at first, but he recognized Ace at once in the faint glow of the moonlight. When he made the connection, he weakly struggled to his feet and called out.

"Your promises are hollow and worthless." Samuel grunted. "And anyway, that monster's not mine, and he does as he wishes." He pointed out, ignoring a thin line of blood trickling down his cheekbone. It was the truth, primarily. While Ace considered Samuel his master, the two of them both knew that the creature still operated entirely of his own free will. "He's not tame by any stretch of the imagination." Samuel continued his warning.

"If you lay another _finger_ upon that boy in anger or with intent to hurt I will _kill_ you." Ace snapped his slathering jaws an inch from the face of Hoshiko's mother, as his words mixed in with a vicious bark that may as well have been rabid. The thick fur of Ace's mane stood up on the back of his neck, making him look even bigger and more threatening. His features were sharply outlined in the silver light of night.

"You have become a scourge of your own family and to the race of man. Perhaps now you will see what it means to suffer."

Every word from Ace's mouth was laced with venom, and as the huge white canine held Hoshiko's mother in place, Samuel staggered over to his bag, recalled his injured pokémon, and slung the sack over his shoulder. He was grateful that Ace had come for him, but there was a strange sensation of fear creeping through him. No good would come of this.

For he knew that Ace was capable of murder without hesitation. He was not shy of blood or pain when he felt it was justified, and were he to kill Hoshiko's mother, Samuel knew that both he and Ace would be in deep, deep trouble. On the other hand, if Ace did not kill her mother...The woman would likely become hell-bent on vengeance.

The shrill sound of fear in the answering woman's voice was echoed in the face of the trapped woman. She was stunned for a moment at how the monster himself was threatening her with spoken words and just how close his jaws had come to her head. It was terrifying.

"I swear!" She coughed out the words fearfully. "I swear I won't touch the boy, ever!" Her eyes were honest, for fear had completely taken any of the venom that had been in her voice completely out of it, and she could only promise the creature what he wanted. "Just let me go! I'll listen to you! Anything you say!" She cried out finally, her body was trembling under Ace's firm hold.

Ace's tongue slid over his exposed teeth, his lips remaining curled back. "Yes indeed you _will_ listen to me." He demanded. "I suggest you cease your pestilent pursuit of Hoshiko and leave the girl to live her life as she sees fit. She is the kind of girl who will treasure her heritage if you give her the freedom to do so, and resist it if you suffocate her. I've seen the marks you left on her body. Believe me... The marks I will leave on yours shall be much, _much_ worse."

Samuel swallowed hard. A cold rock settled in the pit of his stomach and he broke out in an icy sweat. "Ace..." He choked, realizing that if Ace pushed the woman too much she might resist. And if she resisted, that would trigger the predator in Ace. "Maybe we should go..."

"Not until I settle this." He growled fiercely.

The woman's eyes squeezed shut, she wanted to retaliate but without any capacity whatsoever to do so, she couldn't find it in herself to even disagree with the monster, even if the one thing she would never do was allow someone else to tell her how to parent her child. She was dead silent, staring up at the creature, frightened out of her mind. He was making threats and quite hostile ones at that, she was gripped with terror. But suddenly a voice cried out from seemingly nowhere on the ground near them.

"Ace!" It was Hoshiko. The girl seemed to drop out of the sky, but in truth she had ridden in on Hanu. The pokémon near Lake Rage were less than friendly to her, and when Ace hadn't returned with Samuel, the girl didn't want to wait any longer. Not finding her friends at the Tower, Hoshiko knew where she would have to go. But never had she expected to find a scene like this.

Stumbling terribly as the girl ran to where Ace had her mother pinned to the ground, the girl clenched her fists tightly and dove towards the two, managing to wedge herself between Ace and her mother, laying on top of the woman. "Ace I'm sorry." Hoshiko's eyes were filled with tears as she looked up at the Incarnus' face. "Ace...Ace I..." She looked away, obviously torn. She didn't know yet the story of what had happened to Samuel but couldn't watch as the monster attacked her mother.

Ace jerked backwards instinctively. Startled and a bit confused. Too confused to attack. His ears immediately stood up and his ice blue eyes flashed at Hoshiko. He stared at her sternly, but not threateningly. It was clear that, while he was extremely protective of Samuel, and even Hoshiko, he was less inclined to kill a human being than he was a pokémon. Nonetheless, he did not back away.

"Hoshiko, she needs to change her path now or it will never change. Remember what she has done to you and see now what she has done to Samuel." He nodded his head in the young man's direction. "What mercy does she deserve when she has shown no capability of offering the same? Has she freed _you_ when you begged and pleaded?"

Hoshiko didn't think of anything except for Samuel as soon as she heard that he had been hurt by her mother. The girl's whole body went tense and she looked over at Samuel. She saw him, hunched and bleeding over his bag. His face and arms were striped with blood, and his clothes were ripped and stained. Pain swelled in Hoshiko's eyes of a brand neither Ace nor Samuel had ever seen before. Samuel had been hurt. Her mother had done the same to him as she would have done to her, and it tore Hoshiko up inside.

"You hurt him!?" Hoshiko's voice was angry towards her mother and she wanted to run to Samuel and embrace him, to try and make some of the pain she knew he was in flee. "Samuel! Samuel I'm sorry!"

The remorse in her voice was that which her mother should have truly felt for committing such an atrocity. And the pain she was in, Ace reminded her of it. Now she remembered how merciless her mother had always been to her. But the memory that she recalled the most was how much it had hurt her to be refused mercy. How she never wanted to be like her mother...how she wanted to be compassionate towards people.

"...Ace...I...well...no..." Hoshiko answered hesitantly. "No, she's never shown me any mercy...not even when I begged..." Her eyes narrowed and more tears escaped. "But I...I can't dole out judgment without mercy like my mother has." The girl practically gasped for air. "How many times I pleaded for her understanding! How many times I asked for forgiveness of things I didn't do! All the times I cried and begged not to be punished! All the pain! The punishments! All the times I had to wash wounds! How I didn't understand why when I did something wrong I would be hurt. How my sisters were never punished. I remember so clearly how young I was when I discovered exactly what blood was, because I had to wrap my own bloody hand!" Hoshiko's voice cracked under the pressure of remembering all the painful moments. "I can hardly walk...my whole body is trembling in pain. And it makes me feel so horrible I don't even have a word for it..."

Looking up at Ace's blue eyes with her own amber ones, Hoshiko bit her bottom lip. "Ace, I can't be like her...don't you see? If I stood back and watched this...I would be no better than my mother...I can't justify letting my mother's blood be shed because I've had to see my own so many times..."

Ace's eyes narrowed coldly. Although he was touched by Hoshiko's compassion, the dark heart buried somewhere inside of him shadowed the trickle of light that threatened to warm the steel. He had no compassion for Hoshiko's mother. Only disgust. His only compassion was for his master and for Hoshiko.

"Your kindness is wasted on a creature whose hate for you will never be softened by your protective words towards her." Ace warned. "She has made no commitment to set you free. Even if she does not resist me now it is only because she knows what I can do to her. But while her lack of mercy towards you was evil incarnate, any lack of mercy she receives from me is karma. As I will face my end for the things I have done and must do, she must face what she has done. If she does not, she will never change. You do not have to be the cruel hand who deals this game. No. I am already a demon of destruction. I will never change that fact, and I will use it where I must to help atone for my sins of simply being what I am. Justice is a cruel thing where grace is not. You are grace. But I... I am justice." He bared his teeth, although it was just a warning, and had no malice behind it when directed at Hoshiko. "If she will promise on her own life not to pursue you again, under punishment of death, then I will set her free."

Samuel clenched his fist. That was what he had been afraid of. Hoshiko didn't know what to do, her heart was absolutely torn to shreds, and yet as much as she had wanted to protect her mother despite all of the things the woman had done to her, Hoshiko knew that now the decision wasn't up to her. It was up to her mother and that made her frightened beyond words. At least Ace was offering a chance.

"Please! Please agree with him mother!" Hoshiko begged the woman, but she didn't get a response. No, her mother was too stubborn and blinded by her hatred towards Hoshiko that she would never agree with the child, even under threat of death. She had been afraid and had made promises not to bother Samuel, but Hoshiko? "Mother! Please!"

"No!" The woman growled at her child. Hoshiko's eyes widened as her mother would give her own life to oppose her.

"No please! Please! Don't be blinded by your pride, Mother! Please! If you can't give mercy, at least take it when it's offered to you!" Her eyes poured out tears as the young woman begged her mother to listen.

"I will _not_ agree to let you live the scandalous life you've chosen, Child!"

"But it's not!" Hoshiko tried to convince her mother, but knew it was in vain. "Please, please. I know you hate me and I know you think I'm not worthy to be a Kimono Girl. But...but...please, just agree with Ace. "You don't have to come after me! I'll come back. I swear I'll come back! Not right now, but I'll return and fulfill my duty! I promise!" Hoshiko tried to coax her mother.

"You will stay with me now..." Her mother said coolly, her eyes burning a hole in the back of Hoshiko's head.

The girl's eyes grew wider at this and she choked back a sob. It had been her mother's decision but the woman had turned it around and handed it to Hoshiko knowing that the girl wouldn't know how to hand her mother over to Ace.

"I...I..." Hoshiko struggled, feeling as if her air had been constricted and it was getting increasingly harder to breath. "...I...I...Please...I...just...I..."

"You can know at least that you did not stand by." Ace growled in the back of his throat with a dark overtone of finality. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Samuel suddenly ran forward. The boy knew him all too well.

With one sweep of his paw, he knocked Hoshiko off of her mother and would have sent the girl tumbling, but lucky for her, Samuel was there to catch her and wrap his arms protectively around her. The force with which Hoshiko hit him was enough to knock the wind out of his lungs, and he slid backwards several feet, but he absorbed the brunt of the force. Hoshiko was well protected.

"Hoshiko..." Samuel choked, his fear and dismay obvious.

Now Ace loomed over Hoshiko's mother, unrestrained. "Pity that you should not accept the one opportunity I have afforded you. I am a fair judge, but not a kind one when refused." Ace's voice was suddenly filled with murderous hatred again. "Beg for mercy now, the way your daughter did. Every. Time. You _beat_ her!"

And with his last word, Ace's jaws flew open, sending threads of saliva across the old woman's face as the tips of his white teeth flashed like stars and dimmed when they sunk into the flesh of her shoulder. In nothing short of cruel brutality, Ace spared her throat and any major arteries...for now. Instead, he decided to let it sink in just how helpless she was against his power.

He jerked his head back, without removing his heavy paws from her body, letting his claws tear through her clothes and skin as he pulled her up by the cracking shoulders and tossed her up in the air like a rag doll. Joints dislocated, teeth sank deeper, severing tendons and cutting through muscle.

Samuel, mortified by the emergence of Ace's dark nature, cried out in horror despite himself, and he grabbed Hoshiko's head, trying to turn her face into his shoulder so she would not see what he had.

"Ace, no!"

Although spared seeing what Samuel had, as he held her head securely in his shoulder, Hoshiko could hear her mother's cries of agony. No matter how much pain she had been caused by this woman, it was impossible for Hoshiko to forget that this was the person who had given her life. Even if the woman had refused her love so many times and had taken anything Hoshiko had truly loved away from her—and most importantly, her freedom—the desperation at hearing her suffer felt like a noose tightening around Hoshiko's neck.

The girl's hot tears soaked Samuel's shirt as if they would never stop. She coughed and choked on the sobs that kept getting caught. Hoshiko felt as if she might suffocate. All she could do was cling to Samuel for support as if her very life depended on it. There was nothing she could do. Not a thing she could have said. Ace wouldn't have listened to her, even if she had agreed to stay with her mother. She knew that in her heart.

"Samuel! Oh, Samuel!" Hoshiko's voice managed to break between the sobs. She felt so bad for his pain also.

The pain her mother had caused him. Just like her own. Just as it had always been. And Hoshiko trembled violently in Samuel's arms, unable to control the onslaught of emotions within her. Hoshiko's mother might have begged for mercy as her daughter once had so many times before had her voice not been altered with cries of pain and anguish.

"Please stop!" The woman finally managed to get out a strangled cry. She hadn't been able to imagine the pain that could be inflicted upon a person...and somewhere deep inside of her the woman did have some remorse for how she had treated Hoshiko, even if it seemed to be too late for redemption.

Samuel joined in the pleas of Hoshiko's mother, although he could barely force the words out through his complete horror. He knew what Ace was. He had always known what Ace was capable of. But knowing the power he had was so different than witnessing it when he took his wrath out on a human. It was even worse, even more terrible than when Samuel had seen the blood of pokémon staining every pillar and the every stretch of floor in the convention center.

"Please, Ace, please!" He begged, "Don't do this! Don't kill her!" His stomach tied in knots and his hands were sweating and shaking, but he held onto Hoshiko tightly as he could, unwilling to let the poor girl see anything. He tried to cover Hoshiko's ears too, but he could not manage completely. "Let her go!"

Ace ignored Samuel entirely, and caught Hoshiko's mother by the by the leg as she tumbled down through the air. He snapped his jaws shut hard around her calf, until teeth met bone. And horrifically, the hard resistance he encountered did not stop him from biting harder, until the resistance shattered, crunching and grinding between his jaws. Unforgiving, he shook his head roughly, mercilessly until his teeth tore all the way down through the woman's legs and past her heels, peeling the very skin from her legs and stripping it all the way down to her ankles so that her foot slipped from his mouth and she was sent skidding across the stone street. Although Ace could have let her go at that, he did not.

As soon as she stopped tumbling, he pounced on her, letting his crushing weight squeeze her lungs and crush her ribs underneath him as he grabbed for her other arm and bit down on it, jerking hard enough to dislocate the woman's shoulder and elbow, twisting them into grotesque positions. He yanked her from underneath himself and released his grip as she reached the peak of his toss, just letting her fly and hit the upper branches of one of the trees shading the front of the neighboring Dance Theater.

This time, he did not move to pin her immediately. Instead, he walked slowly over to her, his muzzle stained red and his blue eyes piercing the mother's very soul. He loomed over her, threateningly, eying her and waiting to see if she could move.

"Foul, treacherous _wench_." Ace snarled, unabashed at letting words fall as sharply as his claws and teeth. "Worth only as much as the single cell you contributed to Hoshiko's life. The one, single cell you gave to make her is the only value you ever had. And when she left your body your value was gone." Ace growled deeply, "Remember that you gave only a small portion of life to Hoshiko. She received as much life from her father, and while your body nourished her, she could have received just as much nourishment from a tube in a lab. And the tube would have had more of a soul."

Everything in Hoshiko's ears had been drowned out by the terrible, devastating cries of her mother, and even though Samuel had her held securely in his grip and was trying to block her ears, there was no way to completely avoid the horrific event that was taking place only a few feet away from her. But it wasn't too long that the screams turned into silence...

Pushing her face even farther into Samuel's shoulder Hoshiko could hear Samuel, she was absolutely petrified. Her body had gone cold and the all the trembling felt like it would never go away. How could she even look at Ace again? How could she ever come back to Ecruteak? The memory would haunt Hoshiko for life.

"Oh...Samuel..." Hoshiko was clearly having trouble breathing, getting caught dangerously on her sobs. "My...my...chest..." The girl had gotten too distressed, her body put through too much emotional pain. There was a constricting feeling deep inside her chest. "...The...pain..." She tensed, although she didn't stop trembling. After all, the realization of the silence she had heard from her mother had set in...there was only on conclusion.

The woman lay in front of Ace, unmoving. Her breath, ragged and uneven, gurgled in the back of her throat, as bloody froth leaked from the corners of her pale lips and streaked down her jaw in thin trails. Somehow she managed to hold on just long enough to hear Ace's speech, although it didn't mean much to the woman in all of her agony. She couldn't make a sense of his words or in fact anything he said. She was delirious with pain and too close to death to even have the energy to make effort in anything. It wasn't long before the woman's eyes closed, her body limp, no will left. Hoshiko had lost her mother. The woman was dead in a tragedy caused by Ace. One that Hoshiko would never forget.

For Samuel, the moment passed so slowly that he could see every small movement, hear every tiny noise, all stretched out over a period of time too long to even measure. Ace let out a loud puff through his nose, the little droplets in his breath catching the moonlight as they settled. He opened his mouth and slid his tongue along his teeth, the licking, smacking sound loudly pelting Samuel's senses more than it should have. The huge canine shifted his weight, his fur making a rustling noise, his claws scraping the ground. His jaws fell open and his tongue lolled out, as he began panting, long, heavy breaths that may as well have been drum beats to a slow death march.

Samuel strained to hear any sound from Hoshiko's mother. Any tiny gasp of breath, but even if there was any, Ace's seemingly insignificant movements and sounds completely drowned them out as effectively as the ocean drowns out the breeze. Looking at the old woman on the ground, torn mercilessly, her body twisted in ways it should not have been, laying in a collecting pool of her own blood, Samuel felt his stomach clench and had to swallow hard to prevent the bile in his throat from rising.

When he could finally talk again, his own voice was deafening to him. "How...how could you?" He stammered.

Ace turned to him quickly, bright blue eyes gleaming with measured ferocity. His voice rolled out like thunder. "Long ago I accepted the veil of villainy and realized that my duty to kill bore certain consequences. I am willing to accept this foul deed as my own responsibility. The blood is on my hands, and as my life is forfeit, I have spared you and Hoshiko the painful decision later on. She would not change, and she would have tried to kill both of you eventually. The problem is... Neither of you would have had the strength of will to stop her. So I did it myself."

Another wave of nausea hit Samuel as his gaze traveled back to the crumpled bloody form of the woman. Her skin stretched away from her leg like a trailing ribbon. Several bones were broken and exposed through bright red muscle. Samuel fought it hard, and clung to Hoshiko, trying to comfort her. He regretted seeing her suffer, and he regretted that she had to see how cruel Ace really could be. Even he, who knew what the beast was capable of, was sickened by the reality of what now lay before them. He could only imagine Hoshiko's pain.

"She's never going to forgive you!" Samuel snapped.

Ace just looked at his master and nodded. "At least I will know I can rest easy, understanding that she is at long last, free."

With that, Ace slowly turned back to Hoshiko's mother, and he gingerly picked up the woman's body in the jaws that, before, had struck with such force as to tear through flesh and bone. Now he held her as gently as he would a newborn pup.

"Where are you going?" Samuel choked.

Ace only looked back and did not answer. The look in his eyes told him he had better stay with Hoshiko and make sure the girl was taken somewhere safe where she could rest and restore herself from this trauma. Ace was not yet finished with his own mission, and he did not want Hoshiko to know what would become of her mother. Not yet. Besides, he needed to draw the evidence away from Samuel and Hoshiko, so that it would be clear to anyone investigating that both children were innocent and that the death—when it was discovered—would be deduced as one caused by a monster. He, hunter, killer, predator that he was, was prepared to take every ounce of blame there was to be passed.

Hoshiko couldn't control herself, her tears stained every ridge of her cheeks and soaked the collar of her shirt and Samuel's. Her lips were sticky and her mouth dry, while her head was in so much pain that it was hard to think straight. Everything whirled around her in flashes of color, and even though she hadn't seen her mother's dead body, she could imagine it, and that image was almost as merciless as the real thing. She raised her head, but refused to look back. Instead, after glancing at Samuel's face and seeing the trickle of blood that had ran down his cheek, the young woman raised a trembling hand and wiped it away gently with her sleeve.

The teen's eyes were bloodshot and swollen, purple around the lids. There was so much pain in her expression that it made it hard to even look at her.

"...S-Samuel..." Her voice cracked and she sounded hoarse. But she couldn't even look at her best friend long. Instead the young woman placed her head on his chest, resting her head there she trembled violently, her sobbing renewed.

Hoshiko was completely overwhelmed. Taking one of Samuel's hands, all she could do was tend to her friend with her incapable mind and totally worn body. Slowly she wiped his hand with her sleeve. She coughed and choked, and gripped at his shirt, as if holding onto it could help her hold onto the things that slipped away from her now—her mother, her past, her last shred of innocence.

* * *

For a difficult time, all Samuel could do was stare helplessly at Hoshiko. He barely registered even her touch against his skin, and even though he was alert enough to stagger to his feet, grab his bag, and carry Hoshiko in his arms, he was clearly in shock. He barely had the wherewithal to even know where he was going. He didn't want to stay in Ecruteak for long... But he knew that they had to rest. Traveling tonight was not an option.

In a daze, Samuel carried Hoshiko like a child until he reached the pokémon center. Slipping inside, into the sterile air and colorless lights, he slowly made his way to a couch and laid Hoshiko down, where he at last allowed himself to collapse on the floor next to her. He looked up at the ceiling as he rolled over onto his back and moaned in discomfort and overwhelming emotion. The images, all too clear, kept playing and replaying in his mind. He was only glad that Hoshiko had not seen the worst of it.

Staring up at the ceiling as the couch under her back sagged under her weight, Hoshiko had no idea what do to or think. She held onto her chest with on hand and glanced down at Samuel. All she could picture was the pool of blood that she had seen as they had left the scene and could only imagine where Ace had vanished to. She thought of her mother...

Could she have done more? Even a little bit? Maybe if she had agreed to stay the woman would have been spared. It made Hoshiko's stomach turn and her entire body was still cold and shaking.

"...Samuel..." She said, her eyes starting blankly upwards. Her head swam. "...Pinch me...p-please...please pinch me. I...I-I'm having...t-the worst nightmare...of my...my...l-life..." Her voice was shaking and so full of sorrow that she could hardly put words together. Slowly the woman, Hoshiko pinched at her damaged badly lacerated hand. One of the thin wounds reopened, and blood dripped lightly down to her wrist.

"...I...I won't wake up...and...my chest...I feel...like...I...like...I can't...breathe anymore...S-Samuel..."

Samuel finally snapped out of his own daze, shaken by Hoshiko's sobs and pitiful cries. He sat up abruptly and forced his sickness down as he laid his hand on her cheek.

"Close your eyes, Hoshiko..." He stammered. "Close them and don't think of anything... Not a thing..."

He stumbled back to his feet and went to the front desk, requesting an armload of blankets and a pillow for Hoshiko's head. The nurse obliged, and he returned with his prize, kneeling beside the young woman and lifting her head up off the couch cushion.

He slid the pillow under the back of her neck, and then grabbed the corners of one of the folded blankets, giving it a shake so that it unfurled. He laid the blanket over Hoshiko, and then very carefully tucked it in all around her, so that she was tightly cocooned in it. He laid more blankets on top of that one, and sat on the floor once more, resting his chin on his arm at the edge of the couch.

"This will help you stay warm..." He murmured weakly. "Just keep your eyes closed and breathe slow, deep breaths..."

The girl did as Samuel instructed and slowly closed her eyes, but it didn't make all of the bad things go away. However, her tired body did take the opportunity to savor the moment of rest even though her heart was still beating erratically.

"...Samuel..." Her voice was weak and tired, she had no idea what to do with herself, but she knew one thing and one thing only. Wiggling one of her hands free, Hoshiko reached her trembling hand out to Samuel.

"I want to...feel...your hand...Samuel...I'm so...scared...I just...w-want...to...f-feel your...hand..." She then listened further to Samuel and started to breath slowly, taking in as much air as her worn lungs would allow and she was still crying. And she kept her eyes closed tightly as if trying to keep out all of the things that were going through her mind.

Cool and trembling fingers slipped slowly in between Hoshiko's own and folded firmly around her hand, gripping her with strength despite their hidden weakness. Samuel breathed a hard, shaky breath and bit his lip.

"I'm, here, Hoshiko... Don't be afraid... It's going to be okay..." He swallowed and the image of Ace's teeth gnashing and the haunting echo of his snarls reverberated in Samuel's brain. He forcefully shut them out. "Go to sleep... When you wake up, everything will be okay..."

Hoshiko was silent but her grip on Samuel's hand was as firm as it could be in her deplorable state. She listened intently to what Samuel said and then slowly spoke.

"...I...believe you..." The young woman said, shuddering. After that she fell silent and although she maintained a grip on his hand, over time the tightness eased as she succumbed to her exhaustion and slipped towards sleep. She had been tired at the tower before, but could never have imagined then just exhausted she could be. Never before had the girl felt like this. Every ounce of energy was gone, both emotionally and physically. She had nothing left to give, and so sleep quickly overcame her.

She felt secure enough with Samuel by her side. Her dreams were filled with horrific nightmares but her mind would have to suffer for the sake of her worn down body. Worst of all, the thing that even her sleeping mind feared the worst was how she would be able to face the future with these memories. How would she forget everything that had happened to allow herself to move on?

...How would she be able to life now? How would she ever face another day?


	25. Father

**Chapter 25: Father**

The leaves on the forest trail leading to the old Bell Tower tumbled across the path with a soft gust of early dawn breeze. Twigs crunched under large white paws, stained with dirt and blood. The Incarnus, tired, filthy, and eager to clean himself of the stench of last night, made his way to the steps of the towering pagoda, and he finally came to a stop and sat down in front of it. Turning his face to the sky, he could see the sun sparkling on the edges of the silent gables.

"The time has come, Ho-oh, for you to abandon your platform of peace and love between humans and monsters. It is a treacherous path that you create, and will bring death to the human race. I will not have it. But now, I have scorned you, sealing your bell and squelching the funnel of power that dwells at the center of your abode. Now I have come to leave a symbol of my own."

Slowly, he lifted his paw and pressed it to the wooden door frame, so that his bloodstained claws dug into the soft material. He dragged his foot downward, carving a bloody mark along the grain of the wood.

"Let this be my platform. By the blood shed of a human, may it soon be that humans are able to slay their foes once and for all. That my sins will not go unpunished, and that yours will not enable the Demon King to gain a foothold among the people of this city, or of this planet. Hate me all you want for the blood that I mark your door with now. This tower no longer belongs to the darkness. It is mine."

Having left his claim on the Tower, Ace made his way to the narrow waterway that fed Lake Rage. He waded into the icy cold spring and let the flow of the water wash the blood and the dirt from his white coat. He'd spent the night dragging the body of Hoshiko's mother into the forest, seeking a burial spot. He buried the woman in a shallow grave near the opposite side of the lake, laid out carefully at the end of a trail of bloody paw prints so that the Kimono Girls would find her easily. The authorities would be able to determine that no human had killed her. The numerous claw marks and lack of human evidence anywhere around would exonerate Samuel and Hoshiko of any wrongdoing, since he was sure that the Kimono Girls would first try to lay blame on them.

Ace himself would not return to the heart of Ecruteak until long after the woman was properly laid to rest. Now all that remained was to tidy up, so that he would be presentable in public, though he didn't plan on making an appearance anywhere near this place.

* * *

Early morning broke and the Pokémon Center was nothing more than a hush, even the low humming of the machines that healed creatures seemed to be much quieter than usual. The waiting room lay mostly empty, except for a few trainers in the corners. Nobody talked.

Slowly, Hoshiko's eyes opened and observed the still, sterile surroundings. White ceilings and walls partnered with shining gray, peach, and sand colored tiles on the floor. At first she was a little confused at where she lay, imagining that what had happened only hours ago in fact had been a dream. But the warm blankets that surrounded her up to her chin reminded Hoshiko of how Samuel had so carefully wrapped her up before she had fallen asleep.

He had told her that when she woke up that everything would be okay. But inside of Hoshiko it wasn't okay. She felt too stunned and shocked as reality and memory came flooding back through the fog of first awakening to properly weigh everything, but she knew instinctively that it was not okay. The reality of what Ace had done exploded back into her mind and crushed her heart under the weight. It was hard to feel anything at all.

Peering over the side of the couch, Hoshiko saw that Samuel was still asleep. Or at least he looked like was to her. Wriggling out of the cocoon of blankets around her, Hoshiko slipped off of the couch and quietly went past Samuel to the table of food and drinks that had been prepared for trainers who would arrive at the Center later in the morning. Looking down at her hands, Hoshiko could see that she was still trembling. Pushing that fact aside, the young woman poured drinks for both her and Samuel, making sure that the cups weren't too full so that she wouldn't drop the hot drinks on herself. She placed the cups at the table beside where Samuel slept. Hoshiko went and got them some food too, although when she set it out for herself, it suddenly seemed terribly unappetizing. She reached for two of the cups of hot water she'd gathered.

Sitting down on the floor beside sleeping Samuel, Hoshiko stared down at her foam cup. The steam drifted lightly up around her cheeks and curled soothingly against her swollen eyes. Looking at herself in the reflection on the water, she wanted to cry. She didn't look good at all. Her eyes were red, her cheeks were red and her expression was sunken and unbearable.

Taking both the packages of herbs that her father and grandmother gave her, Hoshiko first poured the morning sickness blend that her father had given her into the water and stirred it. Taking slow and tiny sips. Hoshiko shifted closer to Samuel, she needed the security of being as close to her friend as possible. Hoshiko was an emotional mess...and still didn't know what to do.

Samuel was still asleep, with his head resting in the crook of his arm. The slight movement and sounds of Hoshiko stirring roused him, however, and he blinked his eyes open sleepily. As soon as the light hit him, the memories came crashing back to him, a thunderclap of images that tore through his mind and flooded it with too much violence all at once.

He blocked it out, and rubbed at his face vigorously to clear his head, bringing himself forcibly back to the here and now. The place was pretty empty. The few trainers that were here had either spent the night or were early birds who had just arrived and were very quietly sipping coffee and tea. Samuel rubbed his eyes, and at that moment he realized that he was looking at Hoshiko, and the girl had brought him something to drink and laid food upon the table.

"Thanks..." He said hoarsely, reaching for the foam cup and breathing in the steam. It smelled like apple cider, with thick spices. He took a sip, and the hot liquid felt sharp against his tongue. He swallowed quickly, and it burned all the way down, but the lingering taste afterwards was sweet and numbing. He took another sip, swallowed it, and cleared his throat. "Morning." He set the cup down, remembering something vital.

Getting up, he left Hoshiko for just a moment, going up to the front desk and placing his three pokéballs on the counter. The nurse came up to him, and he smiled weakly, pushing two of the pokéballs towards her. "I need you to heal these guys... And I was wondering... Is there any place close by where..." He gulped. "Where I can have a pokémon buried?"

I'm so sorry..." The nurse reached out and placed a gentle hand on the counter as she pondered Samuel's question. "The only place I know of as a resting place for pokémon is the tower in Lavender Town...but that's in Kanto." She was going to continue but the heard the machine behind her beep in an indication that the healing process was over. She retrieved the two healed monsters first, handing the pokéballs back to Samuel. "...I'm really, really sorry..."

Samuel took a deep breath and nodded, fighting back the shaking in his voice. "Thanks..." he said kindly to the nurse. "I'll have to make a trip to Lavender Town soon." He chewed his lip and chained the pokéballs back onto his belt, glad at least that two of his monsters were still alive. "We've had a rough few days..." He turned from the front desk and made his way over to Hoshiko, sliding in on the couch beside her and casting a sideways glance.

Hoshiko was still trying to down the herbs her father had given her, choking a bit. She had no appetite for the food she had brought over for her and Samuel, but knew that if nothing else, the baby needed the nourishment. Hoshiko only hoped that she could keep the food down for the sake of her growing child. She sat in silence as she struggled to drink and tried not to dwell on anything but keeping from getting sick.

"Hey..." Samuel said gently, lifting his bag into his lap and reaching inside.

"...H-Hi...Samuel..." She muttered near silently, trying to practice and make herself sound a little more bearable. "...So...did you...s-sleep...well?" She continued on with her practice conversation but it was hard to speak without wanting to cry or simply throw up.

Samuel just shook his head. "I know it's very early but... Would you like to contact your father? He tried to reach me but I...well I couldn't pick up. We should at least let him know you're alright..."

Hoshiko was quiet for a moment, watching as Samuel pulled the radio out from his pack. The girl managed to down the rest of the herbs and slowly took a sip of her cider before saying to Samuel, turning so she was looking at her friend.

"...He did?" She sounded surprised at the fact that Koichi had tried to radio them, but then again she wouldn't have noticed even if he did. The poor girl hadn't really taken too much of anything in. "Y-Yeah...we better talk to him..." Raising her hands, Hoshiko fiddled with the dials on the radio until she got a fuzzy crackling sound. She meekly spoke into the receiver. "...Koichi?...Koichi, are you...there?" Hoshiko said, although halfheartedly, leaning on Samuel's shoulder, glancing at him apologetically for being so needy.

It was a matter of seconds before they got a response, as if the man had been waiting beside the radio. _"Hoshiko!? Hoshiko, are you alright!? I got cut off last night."_

"Um...y-yeah...I guess. I got...p-punished..." Hoshiko wasn't too sure what to say. "Samuel and I...um...I...had a run in...w-with...my m-mom..." Hoshiko's eyes closed tightly and without wanting to hurt Samuel, Hoshiko found herself gripping onto Samuel's arm. She couldn't say anymore, it was too painful.

_"...How badly were you two hurt?"_ Koichi asked, but didn't get a reply from the girl. _"Hoshiko? Hoshiko!? Are you there?...Please, if you two are hurt, come here. I'll take care of you!...Hoshiko?"_

Samuel gently took the radio from Hoshiko and pulled her close against his side. He couldn't make her talk. Not about this. Wrapping his arm around her, he held the radio up to his face and spoke with a slight break in his voice.

"We're alright... I have a couple of nasty welts and gashes, but nothing that won't heal in a few days... Hoshiko's hands and feet are pretty badly torn, and we might take her to you for treatment so she doesn't get an infection. Other than that though...we're okay."

His voice trailed off at the end of his sentence as he remembered all too clearly that the one person who had not made it out alright was Hoshiko's mother herself. How would he tell Koichi? Could he even do it over the radio? Right now, it didn't feel like he could. Every time he went to open his mouth, the horrifying images ripped through his mind, the sounds so clear it was as if he was reliving the moment again.

Koichi could tell from the tone in Samuel's voice and Hoshiko's sudden disappearance from the channel that there was something more then what they were telling him. Instead of pressing the youth over the radio though, the man simply went along with what Samuel said.

_"...Please, the two of you come here. I'll take care of Hoshiko and make sure she'll be alright...we don't want any medical complications, especially considering Hoshiko's condition. And I'll take care of any wounds that you happen to have too Samuel."_ The man continued on.

Hoshiko looked at Samuel and could tell that he was no more prepared to talk about what had happened last night anymore then she was. Maybe this wasn't news to share with her father over the radio. Maybe they did need to go to him.

"Yeah...y-yeah we'll come..." Hoshiko said softly. Koichi could hear the weakness in his daughter's voice and it made him feel distressed. "W-We can take...Hanu. It..shouldn't take...too...long..." Hoshiko added with a half-hearted sigh.

_"Okay..."_ Koichi sounded hesitant. _"Please. I'll prepare a spot for you guys and everything. Don't worry. I'll all be ready. I...I'm so glad you contacted me..."_

"...Thanks...Koichi..." Hoshiko finished, putting her face back into Samuel's neck.

Samuel slowly turned off the radio and put it away. He afforded Hoshiko a gentle hug and rested his head on hers for a moment as he tried to imagine how things might go. What could he say? He figured he'd just have to do it when the time came.

"Alright..." He said quietly after a few moments. "I know this is tough, but we should get going right away. The sooner we get to your father, the sooner you can really get some real rest. He'll dress your hands and feet too... It will be better than walking around the way you are now."

He held Hoshiko up as he led the way to the door, and they stepped outside, meeting the dim morning light. Everything was blanketed by a faint tone of pink, and the air was sweet and fresh, but somehow it didn't seem welcoming at all.

His eyes wandered, and he stared at the buildings lined all in rows. He wondered, vaguely, where Ace had gone and why... But he couldn't let himself dwell on it for too long, and he didn't dare to mention Ace's name to Hoshiko. They could leave without the monster. Samuel knew Ace would find them eventually. He hoped that when he did, they'd be ready to see him again. Right now he wasn't sure he could handle that.

A large part of Hoshiko hadn't wanted to even leave the pokémon center and face Ecruteak, but it was the only way that the two of them could move on and it was certainly better to brave this than to stay there for the rest of her life. And there was something else the young woman forgot and it wasn't too hard to miss either.

As soon as the two had exited the center they were greeted by the face of Hanu, Hoshiko's loyal monster. He had waited outside all night long for the girl to come back out from the Pokémon Center. Her face flushed red and she went right up to Hanu gently wrapping an arm around his thick body as best she could.

"I'm sorry..." The girl whispered gently to receive a warm breath that made her hair messy. It was clear that the pokémon didn't mind.

With some help from Samuel and Hanu, Hoshiko was able to mount the creature with Samuel behind her. "...Hey, Hanu...can you take us...to Blackthorn?" She asked quietly.

The pokémon obliged with a friendly growl from the back of his throat.

Samuel smiled at Hanu, his eyes tired but his gratitude obvious. "Thanks, Hanu." He said softly, nodding and moving to help Hoshiko stay steady on the monster's back. Only when Hoshiko was secure did Samuel hop up and settle in, ready to go. He couldn't wait to be back in Blackthorn...away from Ecruteak. The city was beautiful, but to Samuel and Hoshiko, it had been tainted. It wasn't long before they all rose off the ground and started to fly towards the hometown of Hoshiko's father.

* * *

By midmorning, the sun was high enough to send its warming rays to bake the cool earth. Ace, clean of the stains in his fur but not of the stains the assault left on his heart, walked the outer streets of Ecruteak, avoiding the roads leading deeper into town. His fur was still damp, but he'd shaken it out good, and looked a great deal fluffier than usual. The warm sun felt good after soaking in ice cold spring water, but Ace did not cherish the heat.

No, he walked with his head low and his nose to the earth. The scent of Samuel and Hoshiko was still strong and led towards the pokémon center. But Ace refused to go back into town. He continued along the perimeter of Ecruteak until he caught the scent of Samuel and Hoshiko drifting down from the air. He lifted his head and breathed in deep. The freshest scent was faint, and led away, off into the deep, blue sky. They'd already left, without him. His ears fell in disappointment, but he knew he couldn't blame them. Not after what he had done. No sense in staying around, then. It was best for him to leave and quickly.

* * *

The flight passed in complete silence between the two youth, but it was a loud sort of silence that proved to the two that they were there for each other. It meant much, much more then anything Samuel could have said to Hoshiko. The fact that he held her there securely was comforting in itself and when all was said and done, Hoshiko wouldn't have been able to speak anyways.

Soon the familiar trough of Blackthorn came into sight, the quaint little cabins settled deep into the rocky valley. Hanu started to descend in front of the apothecary, Hoshiko had fallen asleep with Samuel holding onto her, and even as the two were approached by Koichi who had been waiting outside, expecting them, the girl still didn't wake up. Koichi looked up with weary eyes, when the dragon settled. He had been nervous for both the young people and couldn't help avoiding the feeling that there was still something he didn't know.

"Samuel..." He spoke gently to the young man, and felt pity simply at seeing the gashes all over his face, neck, and bare arms. "Thank you for bringing Hoshiko here...we'll get you two inside and get you taken care of..." The man eyed his daughter for a moment, noticing that she was still only wearing the inner garment of her yukata. "Looks like Hoshiko could use a change of clothes too..."

"She could." Samuel agreed, easing Hoshiko down and literally handing her to her father. He didn't want to force her to walk anymore, and knew her dad wouldn't mind carrying her inside. "But I really think that the most important thing is to tend to her wounds. Her hands and feet have been injured something terrible..." Samuel hung his head, feeling terrible that he'd forced her to come up the ladder and pushed her so hard when she should be taking it easy. "Good news is...she's been taking her medicine, just like you prescribed..."

Taking Hoshiko into his arms, Koichi held his daughter gingerly and turned to lead Samuel back into the apothecary. Thankfully his mother was out and wouldn't be able to fuss the way she always did upon laying eyes on Samuel.

Sighing heavily the man laid his daughter down onto the couch in the main sitting area and knelt down beside it, pulling a chair over awkwardly for Samuel to sit down in. He had already placed his medical box beside the couch in anticipation of the two young people. Reaching first for one of Hoshiko's feet, Koichi took one of the bandages and gently went to unwrap what Hoshiko had put onto her feet. It stuck because of the dried blood and Hoshiko's eyes quickly shot open.

"AHHHHHH!" She cried out, her feet had already taken enough damage that even a light touch made them twinge with razor-edge pain.

Koichi bit his lip out of reflex and tried to soothe Hoshiko. "It'll be okay..." He gently assured the girl, but it didn't make the pain go away. And so Hoshiko cried while he undid all of her soiled bandages.

Once the wrapping was off both of Hoshiko's feet it was clear just how much damage Hoshiko's mother had done. There wasn't any healthy or undamaged flesh left on her feet and the wounds hung open, flayed and deep in the tissue. It tore Koichi up inside to see. The woman had gotten too angry at their child.

Samuel winced. He hadn't seen the real damage that had been done to Hoshiko's body. He'd only seen the blood-stained bandages and assumed that, while painful, they'd heal.

"Samuel, do you mind helping me? I know this is terrible to ask of you but my mother's out of town, otherwise I'd just ask her." And taking out a bottle from his case he held it out for Samuel with a cloth. "I need you to wipe that on Hoshiko's feet while I wrap them. That way it'll stay in and get rid of any infection there could be. I want to make sure everything is completely sanitary."

Looking up at Hoshiko, Koichi looked regretful. "This'll hurt really bad Hoshiko. A lot...but...it's worth it. If your feet hadn't gotten tended to soon...well...you..." He shook his head. "You could have lost them to infection or even gangrene. Going around with your own bandages on open wounds doesn't work. I don't want to scold but...I just want to make sure you're safe. Because I love you Hoshiko..."

Samuel took in a sharp breath and nodded, as if to affirm that he cared for Hoshiko too. It would be hard for him to see her in pain and to know he was contributing, but he'd have to get over it. In the long run it was for her good. Shoving aside his nervous misgivings, he reached out his hand to take the bottle and the cloth. He popped the bottle open, and the smell of the liquid, like cleaning fluid, stung his nose sharply.

He poured it into the cloth, soaking it thoroughly, and then he reached for Hoshiko's nearest foot to wipe it clean. In the pit of his stomach and the palms of his hands, Samuel anticipated the pain as if he would be the one feeling it, but he tried hard not to hesitate, and did exactly as Koichi instructed him, wiping away the dirt and dried blood with a few firm but gentle passes of his hand.

Koichi went to work immediately. The very moment Samuel would wipe a spot of the girl's foot, he started wrapping it right away. It allowed the solution stay on her foot, and the cloth bandage absorbed it slowly and would make the effects last longer. In a way, Koichi wished that he had four arms so as to not make Samuel assist him. He could tell from the look on the boy's face that it was a difficult task. The two men worked awkwardly around each other at first, but as Samuel learned what Koichi was doing, he managed to become more helpful, until they had a rhythm to their efforts.

Sadly, despite Hoshiko's strength of will, she wasn't able to make it any easier. As soon as the solution touched her raw foot she jerked back, trying to retract her foot from Samuel. But a firm grasp from Koichi's hand on her ankle prevented escape. And so instead, the girl started to wail in pain. The stinging and burning was unbearable. Her piercing cries drowned out any all sounds, so Samuel and Koichi couldn't talk to each other to make the task more coordinated. They had to go simply on watching one another. Even once both of her feet were wrapped tightly, Hoshiko was still left whimpering in pain.

"...You did good, Hoshiko..." Koichi tried to be reassuring and looked to Samuel. "You too, Samuel, I don't know how I would have done it without you..." His gratitude resonated strongly in his voice. Moving up towards Hoshiko's upper half he took her hands and sighed at removing the bandages to find the same condition as her feet. He looked at Samuel sadly and shook his head. "I'm...sorry Samuel. Could you please help me, just once more?"

Now closer to Hoshiko's face it was easier for him to see the pain his daughter was in. And yet with her cheeks cherry red and tears streaming down her face, the girl managed to look at her friend with gratitude in her eyes, grasping Samuel's hand with her own unwrapped hand, ignoring the pain it caused her to the best of her ability.

"Samuel...T-Thank you..."

Pitifully, Samuel returned Hoshiko's gaze and tried to smile at her, but his worry was much more prevalent than anything else. He just wanted her to be all cleaned up and taken care of. He felt bad enough as it was, with everything that had already happened. Torturing the poor girl like this didn't make him feel any better, but he assisted Koichi, and in the end, when Hoshiko was finally and completely wrapped with fresh, clean bandages, Samuel was glad he'd been able to help.

"There..." He said decisively. "Now we won't have to worry so much. But we should still be careful, and you should probably rest for a bit. I don't think you should be walking on your injuries until they've healed up some..."

Samuel sighed a little, mostly to himself, wondering what they were going to do. Resting was clearly important, but even so, Samuel could not forget that there was yet more to worry about. Hart was still out there, and even though the bell in Ecruteak was sealed, who knew what other dangers could lie elsewhere? Somehow though, thinking about the mission they'd gotten themselves involved in made Samuel uneasy. It was hard to think about Ace right now, but for two entirely different reasons.

On one hand he was appalled and disgusted to think about the creature and what he had done, haunted and tormented by the horrific images that burned into his brain. But somewhere deeper than that, he was worried. They'd just left Ace behind, and even though he knew Ace would be able to find them again, he couldn't help but fear that the Incarnus might run into trouble. And if it was trouble like Petra had run into...

Samuel winced, afraid to even think such things.

Hoshiko, although exhausted from the pain, looked at Samuel with caring eyes. He had done something for her that that she herself would have broken down if she had to do the same for him. And she didn't credit even a single second of the pain to what Samuel had done. All he did was to help her.

"Thank you Samuel..." She said softly, voice weak from her screaming.

The girl's brow was covered in sweat and Koichi slowly stood, bending to wipe it with a clean cloth and place a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead.

"You're a tough cookie, Hoshiko." He commended her and smiled at his daughter. "You're my brave little girl. Everything will be alright now." He slowly stood up straight and perched himself on the arm of the couch where Hoshiko lay. And beckoning Samuel over he started to clean all of the young man's wounds. He didn't have to use a solution nearly as potent as the one that he had used for Hoshiko but he did put bandages over the spots that looked like they might bleed.

"And you, my dear Samuel Oak, are perfectly correct." Koichi sighed as he inspected the boy's lacerations across his face and down his bare arms. "You two can and should rest here for as long as you need to. And if you don't mind, Hoshiko, I think this would be a good time as any for another check up a little later. Maybe when you're feeling better."

The girl nodded in agreement but didn't say anything.

"And we'll get those feet wrapped a bit more so that you can walk on them a little easier too, once they've healed some." He finished cleaning Samuel's wounds and returned to Hoshiko, taking her feet gently, to make a padding on the bottoms with extra bandages.

While Koichi was doing this, Hoshiko looked at Samuel and exhaled a tiny sigh. "...Samuel, I'm sorry you had to get involved in...all of this..."

Samuel smiled slightly and waved his hand dismissively. "Aww, it's nothing, really." He gently insisted. "I promised Koichi I'd take care of you, didn't I? And I'm gonna hold true to that promise."

"And take good care of her you have, Samuel."

Samuel sat back and watched as Koichi bundled Hoshiko's feet, and once the girl was finished, Samuel moved forward and offered to carry her to her room. He scooped her up off of the couch and took her to the bed, laying her down and covering her up in the soft, familiar blankets. He tucked them around her shoulders and leaned over her, his eyes full of concern even as he still managed a smile.

"The one who should be sorry for all of this is me, you know?"

The young woman shook her head, smiling up at her friend. "No, you don't have anything to be sorry for Samuel..." Hoshiko said softly. "This time, it was my fault...my...my...Mother did all this..." Hoshiko bit her lip and tried her best not to become emotional at the mention of her Mother.

Koichi appeared in the doorway and leaned against the frame, smiling a little now that he knew Hoshiko was safe and well-cared for. He walked over and let his tiny smile turn into a full and comforting grin as he looked down at his daughter. Koichi couldn't help but stroke her head gently, noticing the bump there. He didn't say anything but the expression on his face said he worried for her and all the trouble she went through. Forcing that from his mind, he stood up straight.

"How about you both take a nap? I'll make you something to eat and whenever you feel like it, Hoshiko, I can give you a good overall checkup. Just to make sure everything is going well." The man would have placed a gentle hand on Hoshiko's stomach but didn't want to bother her for too long.

"Thank you Koichi..." Hoshiko said hoarsely.

Her father ran his hand through his messy hair. "No problem Hoshiko...you guys can stay as long as you want, you know...Not that you...have to or anything...uh...just...well if you want to." He laughed nervously and nodded to Samuel, leading the young man out of the room so Hoshiko could rest.

"You can stay in the guest room Samuel, if you like. I'm sure you're tired." The man said softly, his sadness over Hoshiko's condition much clearer now that he wasn't in front of Hoshiko. "...Um, do you like anything specific to eat Samuel?"

Samuel swallowed hard, sickened by the idea of eating anything. "I'm not...really hungry, Mr. Koichi..." Samuel trailed off, swallowing the lump in his throat again. The image of Ace's teeth tearing through another human being's flesh far too fresh in his memory for his stomach to settle.

"Huh?" Koichi had his back to Samuel now, but the man's confusion was clear as his head raised. "You're...not hungry?" He scratched his head but didn't pursue Samuel's sudden distaste for food and instead turned and took a good look at the young man. He smiled sympathetically.

"No, Sir, But thank you... Thank you so much. We're glad we have some place to turn when things get really hard. I don't know what we'd do without you. Poor Hoshiko...she probably wouldn't make it, because I'm no doctor, and I'm not rich enough to pay a good doctor to help her either. She's lucky to have a father like you... Especially now..."

"I'm...glad that I'm able to do something for you two...but...I'm not the Father I should have been...or...could have been, rather." Surprisingly for a man his age, Koichi hopped up and perched on the kitchen counter, sitting there with his legs hanging down, his head turned down at the ground, ashamed.

"If I had been a proper Father I would have been able to prevent everything that's happened to Hoshiko. She could have lived here and never would have had to meet Osamu and go through any of the things he's done. Hoshiko wouldn't have been punished by her mother and made to obey when her heart longed for freedom. No, Samuel...I'm not the man I should have been. I'm weak, and Hoshiko suffered from it. I listened when my wife made it clear that her family wanted me to leave. She was mad at me, taking out her anger at her mother on me and our child. I told her we could get a divorce...she could go back to the man she wanted to love. But...she only called me a shallow fool. There wasn't anything I could do to change her mind." The man closed his eyes.

"In the end, I listened and now I regret it more then anything." Shaking his head, Koichi glanced up at Samuel. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be putting the burdens of my past on you Samuel." Koichi traced one of his fingers along the rough wooden counter. "...Please, tell me...if you don't mind...How did all this happen? What happened that my wife managed to get a hold of you two?"

Samuel grunted slightly at the thought. He didn't like reliving any of the recent past. Slowly, painfully, he retold every detail as it was fresh in his mind. He knew he couldn't keep things from Hoshiko's father, although when he finally got to the telling of the death of Koichi's wife, he balked.

He winced sharply as the memories started to blaze red in his mind. He was scared to mention what Ace had done. Even though he was mortified by it, and angry with Ace for committing the murder of Hoshiko's mother, there was still something, deep down, that was very protective of the monster. Something that told him Ace would not have done it if he did not feel the pressing need. Something that told him he should be grateful that Ace had been there to save him from the fury of Hoshiko's angry mother. His eyes began to sting as his emotions clashed, confusing him. He wanted to hate Ace for this whole thing, but his heart wouldn't let him.

"We...We won't have to worry...about Hoshiko being whipped by her mother any more..." His voice grew very quiet, and cracked hoarsely.

* * *

Step by step, the crisp leaves crackled under big, white paws. Rounded pads left deep prints in the soft soil leading up to the cold, icy mountain pass leading to Blackthorn. A chill wind blew from the North, down over the peaks, and the air smelled sharply of frost and frozen earth.

In between the crystal feathers of ice wafting in wind, Ace caught the smell of the two humans he was following, trailing down from the sky. It was hard to track them on the wind alone, but he knew that they'd ridden on Hanu over the mountain. He assumed it meant that they retreated to the safety of Blackthorn. After all, it was almost like a home for them now. The closest thing they had, anyway.

Lifting his face to the wind, letting it blow through his thick fur, he stared up at the peaks and the glinting sun over the crest of the rocks. He could easily make his way over the mountain were he to fly, but he wanted to take some time. He wanted to give Hoshiko and Samuel just a little longer to heal.

_Day by day you draw closer and closer to my side, Incarnus._ A thick, heavy, and unyielding thought brushed him.

He felt an intense presence of elemental energy and darkness, and under the weight of it, Ace tensed. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end, and a snarl welled up in his throat. The icy wind swirled in front of him, hail and snow dust whipping up like a twister and spawning the haunting figure of an age-old enemy. The dark shadow loomed above Ace, graceful and poised on four long, slender legs. The white, equine body flexed powerful muscles just by shifting weight. A long, graceful neck curved like an S as the demon looked down upon the smaller Incarnus.

Wind whipped through a long, flowing mane sprouting from the back of the creature's head, and swirls of darkness, like smoke, billowed out of the skull-shaped face in long trails that accentuated the flowing lengths of hair. Eyes burning like coals set deep in the hollow sockets of the eyes pierced Ace's soul, and elemental plates floated around the evil entity in a wide circle. Ace's claws dug into the earth as he crouched low, anticipating an attack.

"Arceus. You dare to confront me about such things?" He growled furiously. "I did not do what I did for you."

_No._ Arceus agreed with a laugh. _But you still killed a human being. You are not so different from I. You will kill humans for the sake of those you love. It just so happens those you love are a pair of very stupid young children, and those I love are the monsters that I have created. You wish to create a paradise for those you feel deserve it, and so do I. But our ideas of who deserve paradise seem to clash. I have a feeling they will not for long._

"You know nothing of me!"

_Oh, Incarnus, that is where you are wrong. I created you. I made you into a monster, and now you are forever mine. Don't forget that. There are some things you can never root out of your soul._

* * *

"I see..." Koichi said, looking at Samuel a bit curiously but still too reserved to press the boy for anymore information. Instead he slid off of the counter and stood in front of Samuel, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. He felt grateful towards the young fellow. After all, he had been the one that could give Hoshiko exactly what he hadn't been able to.

"...Well, I'm sorry for everything that happened to both of you..." He said quietly. "I'm sure you need some time to rest after an encounter like that. Like I said, you two are welcome to stay as long as you like. It's the very least I can do for you both." Koichi nodded as if to confirm his own statement.

Deep inside he wondered why Samuel could assume that they were safe from the threat of his wife but didn't feel comfortable with making the young man speak anymore.

"Has there been any changes to Hoshiko overall?" He asked quietly, in case the girl was awake and could still hear him. "You know, because of...well...because of her condition. If I was around I could monitor that better, and I know sometimes Hoshiko could either forget something or is maybe even too embarrassed to tell me if she's too tired sometimes or in pain or whatever the case may be. Girls are very self-conscious after all. Since you're around her constantly, I figured you would know best, Samuel..."

Samuel looked off into the corner and nodded distractedly. "She's been tired, but heck, so have I. It's been really rough. I'm just glad she's okay. Hoshiko's a lot stronger than I ever gave her credit for." Samuel paused.

"I would like to take a nap if you wouldn't mind... But... If Ace comes back...please...don't let him in... I don't want him to be around Hoshiko right now..."

Samuel wanted to see Ace himself. He wanted very badly to. But he wasn't sure why. Perhaps having Petra die so recently had made him more concerned for all of his monsters. Although Ace wasn't technically his, it didn't really matter. Ace claimed Samuel as his master, so Samuel supposed it was so.

"Oh, of course." Koichi looked guilty for keeping Samuel. "I'm sorry; I should have been a lot more considerate..."

He apologized and ushered Samuel to the guest room. It was cozy and rustic like the rest of the cabin with one window on the far wall to let in warm sunlight. A nice comfortable bed with lots of soft, warm blankets on it boasted a hand-done diamond quilt atop the rest of the covers. Koichi pulled the curtains so that the thick material would block out the light so Samuel could rest easy.

"...I'm really sorry, Samuel. I got caught up in asking you questions when I should have just let you rest...Please, take as long as you need. If you want, I have some of my own pajamas in that closet over there. They're clean and warm, and I don't mind if you use them. You can rest easy that I won't let Ace in if he arrives...I'll tell him that he'll have to wait for you." He nodded slowly, considering why the white-haired man he had met the morning they left wasn't allowed around his daughter.

Slowly, the man left the room and gently closed the door behind him, heading back to the kitchen to sit down at the table and poke at the medicine that he had been mixing earlier, no longer interested in it at the moment. After a moment, he gave up and buried his face in his hands, quietly mourning his daughter's suffering.

Samuel fell against the bed as the door closed behind Koichi, and the young man pressed his palm to his forehead, groaning loudly and kicking off his shoes and changing into the warm pajamas. He felt completely helpless and overwhelmed, but the soft bed against his back felt so good that even as tears started to flow down his cheeks, his mind was already beginning to numb itself, desiring nothing more than a long, quiet rest. He barely had time to crawl under the covers before he'd passed out, and the welcome blackness of a dreamless sleep swallowed him.

* * *

Ace's paws scraped at the rough rocks as he grappled with the mountain, his claws giving him only enough grip to keep from slipping and plummeting down the mountainside. He could have gone through the ice pass, but he didn't want to. That was the road that humans took, and with Arceus following him so closely in the trek, the white monster refused to risk it.

The mighty god monster stayed only a step to the side of Ace, just out of reach of gnashing teeth and slashing claws. Arceus knew that Ace was tense, and did not personally enjoy the thought of slipping into the canine's bite zone. Ace was liable to lash out at any moment. Arceus knew him well enough to know that while he was patient in many respects, when his patience wore thin, he was a very dangerous animal.

_Human bloodshed by the monster who vowed never to attack another human—_

"Another INNOCENT human. As Baramos I made the mistake of attacking the very people who could have stopped you, but they showed me how wrong I was to follow you unquestioningly. They showed me the depth of the destruction you could place on a world, and I was not willing to allow it again."

_Still, you killed a human being. The people you've sworn to protect. And for what? For only __one__ other human?_

"You presume too much. The human race is better off without the vile woman I have slain."

_You were protecting that boy. I suppose it is only right, since he's pulled you from the jaws of my henchmen so many times before._

"It isn't about Samuel."

_Oh isn't it?_

"It's about the pain that that woman has brought upon her family and everyone close to her. I gave her another chance, and she refused it. Her heart was too hardened to change even for her own sake. Much like _yours_ is."

_And unlike yours._ Arceus thought, narrowing his eyes, unamused. _You're going soft, Incarnus. That boy has done something to you, and that girl isn't helping. You're no longer defying me for the principle of it. You hated humans as much as you hate monsters before, but you grudgingly opposed me to prevent me from destroying another world. But now..._ Arceus began laughing coldly. _Now I can feel a change in you. It's in your heart. It's weakening your objectiveness and holding you captive. Don't think I don't know it._

"You don't know anything about me." Ace snarled threateningly, still focusing on the climb but feeling a growing urge to sing his teeth deep into Arceus' flesh.

_I am your sire, your creator, the breath of your life. In a greater sense than even a biological parent could ever have. I gave you your body and I gave you your soul. I know how you think and how you feel. I know __what__ you think and __what __you feel. And I know that your feelings for that little human girl are stronger than your resolve to be objective. And your feelings for that boy...are ridiculous._

Ace's muscles tensed and his shot an icy glare at Arceus. A rock gave way under his foot and he had to leap to a rocky shelf to keep from sliding all the way back down the slope. "As I said, they have _nothing_ to do with my killing that horrible woman."

_You can't lie to me._ Arceus mocked. _I see your mind and your heart even now. I see that your protectiveness for the girl has grown to levels rivaling her human father. You did what he never could. You see yourself as her protector...her guardian. And the feeling has only grown, hasn't it?_

"Shut up."

_You want her to accept you as her champion and defender. You want her to see you as the one she can hide behind when she needs a place to hide. You would put yourself between her and anything. Just to hear her say that she trusts and believes in you. Just to know she sees you as her hero._

"Shut UP."

_And Samuel... He broke your heart didn't he? Even saying the few, insignificantly hurtful things that he did back at the tower. Shattered you. He has a power over you like nobody else has. You've even claimed him as your master because you cannot stand to tear yourself from his influence. You subjugate yourself to him as if he's bound and tied you. You subjugate yourself to him like the weakest monsters subjugate themselves to humans, and even more than that. He __has __bound and tied you. He has a hold of your heart and you can't escape, can you? You actually tell yourself that you love h—_

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Ace suddenly whirled around, facing Arceus and baring his sharp white teeth. "You don't understand half of what you're saying! You presume to know so much about me, but you're just prying and trying to find some sort of weak spot. You make things up as you go until you think you've hit a nerve, and you run with it! You don't really know me!"

Arceus just laughed. _If I don't know you... Why such a strong reaction?_

Ace froze, and didn't move for a moment. He just stared at Arceus, anger and hatred boiling in his eyes.

_Yes, you would love to see me dead, wouldn't you?_ Arceus sneered coldly. _But I have a little secret for you..._ The dark entity's eyes narrowed to slits and his voice became cold as ice. _That is __never__ going to happen._

At that, Ace lunged at the much larger monster, fully prepared to tear him apart, or at least attempt to, even if it cost him his life. Fortunately for him, his recklessness was only rewarded with a small twinge of pain, as Arceus disappeared from his path and sent him tumbling, head over heels, down the rock mountain. Every stone he hit on the way down was knocked loose and tumbled with him, until at last he hit a boulder too large to break free, and was pummeled by every other stone that had not stopped his fall. He did not see Arceus again, but he heard that same, wretched voice in his head.

_You are going to fail. Even worse than Lamia did._ And then, Arceus was gone.


	26. Differing Angles

**Chapter 26: Differing Angles**

Even though Hoshiko loved the scenery of Blackthorn and for the girl it brought her good memories, she wasn't able to find it in herself to go outside. Instead she stayed in the safety and isolation of her father's family home. She had been relieved after her checkup when Koichi told her that the baby was doing fine and even added more of his own herbal cream to the bump on her head. She still had a hard time walking on her feet from pain, even after bed rest for a few days, but Koichi changed the bandages regularly and kept them very clean. Within a matter of about a week they started to show improvement.

Most of the time, Hoshiko spent days on the couch in the sitting room, keeping her feet up. She usually kept a paper and pen to write or a pencil to draw. Or the girl would spend time folding paper into bird pokémon or flowers. It was hard to pass the time without thinking about what she hadn't told her father yet. Of course Hoshiko spent time with Samuel too, trying to help them both forget about the events in Ecruteak and slowly move on.

Samuel seemed to be doing better. If he was still haunted by that night, he didn't show it much, aside from being more quiet than usual. His injuries healed within a few days, leaving only minor scars that eventually would go away on their own. The boy spent his time helping Koichi as needed, both around the house, in the garden, and when working on medicine. Samuel learned a little bit about basic medical care, although he knew he'd never know as much as Hoshiko's father. Koichi showed Samuel a local grave site for monsters, laid out of the way so that tourists from Blackthorn wouldn't disturb it. It gave Samuel a chance to lay Petra to rest without having to make the long trip to Lavender Town. Now and then he visited he grave. The rest of the time he spent with Hoshiko or taking walks outside to give his monsters a chance to stretch and his mind a chance to wander. Yes, he was doing better, but it was very hard for Hoshiko.

In this particular moment, Hoshiko couldn't sleep. So, she slipped out of bed, late a night when both Samuel and Koichi were supposedly asleep. The girl sat by the light of a lantern and drew to ease her mind, a hobby she had as a child but had abandoned until now. She spoke to the child growing in her womb softly and told the baby of all the things that she loved, how important the baby was to her and how she wanted to be the best mother in the world.

"...I promise." Hoshiko spoke, her head close to her stomach whispering. "I'll be as good as I can, and I won't make you make difficult decisions or take away your freedom. I'll love you no matter what..."

The dark of the night felt like a blanket around Hoshiko, and the warm glow of the light on her paper felt like a piece of hope in the darkness...hope that she so desperately clung to.

A sound thump from somewhere outside broke the peaceful silence of the night before fading into quietness just long enough to bring its reality into question. Then it sounded again. Louder than before, it seemed to be coming from the kitchen area entrance. A heavy scratching sound and a rustle of movement from outside seemed to slip inside, until the hollow sound of heavy breathing came from the kitchen so clearly that there was no doubt something had actually entered the small home and was lurking in the shadows.

A shadow, faint but dark and formless shifted across the floor before vanishing. Another very loud thump rang out, as if something had been dropped, and then everything fell eerily silent.

Hoshiko jolted from the solitude of the darkness as she heard the noises in the kitchen. It wasn't Samuel that was for sure, and it couldn't be Koichi. The girl gasped in spite of herself stood from her bed. Her stiff limbs barely wanted to move, but her curiosity and fear wouldn't let her stay put.

Biting her lip, Hoshiko took a sharp breath in and reached for a pokéball from within her bag sitting beside her. Pushing herself up, Hoshiko slowly crept towards the kitchen. Fear gripped her, but she didn't want to alert Samuel or Koichi and so she would try to handle this herself, at least to the extent that she could without getting hurt.

Without wanting to, the girl whimpered from the pain in her feet and tried to make out the shadow in the darkness of the kitchen but couldn't. But the moonlight that shone in from the side window revealed the girl to whomever the shadow belonged to. She wore a short night shirt that revealed her wrapped feet. There wasn't too much of a difference in her looks but Hoshiko seemed paler in the moonlight, her eyes were red from crying on and off for the past week.

"W-Who's in there!?" Her shaky voice called in a loud whisper. "I've got a pokémon and I'm not afraid to use it!" She threatened, although still not too loudly so she wouldn't wake anyone else. "So you better get out of here, whoever you are!"

Off to the side of the room, out of the way of the main doorway, something moved suddenly. A pair of glinting eyes caught a hint of moonlight, reflecting it back at Hoshiko in an instant. Not a response answered though, at least not for a long, long time. Eventually, however, a hesitant voice rose from the darkness. It was deep and rich. If color could have described it, it would have been like dark mocha.

"Hoshiko..." He whispered. "It's just me..."

Hoshiko froze completely; it was like her body had been stunned to a point where the girl was immobilized. Even the pokéball that had rested in her hand dropped out of her grasp onto the floor. She hadn't expected Ace, and although it wasn't an intruder she couldn't say that she felt any more comfort from her discovery.

The girl's mind raced as she tried to get her body to mobilize and her amber eyes showed the difficulty with which she was struggling to find in her mind what she could possibly do. Here she was faced with Ace, a friend but a monster who tore apart her heart only a week ago. Somehow Hoshiko's voice managed only to say Ace's name which came out with such a degree of difficulty you would think that the girl had never spoken before.

"...A...A...A-A...A-Ac...e...?"

Her form shifted, and Hoshiko managed to force herself forward so that her distressed face was revealed closer to Ace and her tiny frame too, her stomach bump hidden by how large the night shirt was.

"Yes..." The warm voice replied, as gently as if he had never even considered bringing harm to another living creature before. It was an unsettling tone, when weighed against reality. "Do not be afraid..." Ace coaxed, his own voice shaking ever so slightly. "Please...the lights..."

He nodded towards a lamp on the wall, although his gesture was difficult to notice in the darkness. Only the occasional glint of his eyes gave away his position in the corner, close to the floor.

Hoshiko was completely silent at first, still in complete shock at how Ace was in fact right in front of her. What frightened her further was that he was just the way he had always been, aside from the wavier in his voice. It made Hoshiko both Ace on the whole, and whether the event with her mother had just been a nightmare.

Swallowing hard, Hoshiko obeyed and took the lamp off the wall, lighting it and bringing it over towards the creature, closing the distance between them that Hoshiko felt was her security. She was terrified as she drew near and the lamp spilled its warm, golden glow over the white, unarmored body of the monster.

There in the lamplight, Hoshiko's eyes stared at Ace. They were bloodshot and the amber in them seemed brighter and more luminous than usual from all of the tears she had cried. Even if she had wanted to avoid crying any more that evening, looking into Ace's eyes brought her back to the moment where she had stared up at Ace and begged him to spare her mother.

A lump caught in Hoshiko's throat as she fought to keep the tears back, only find her effort in vain. Her eyes twinkled and the edges glistened, until the tears finally spilled and ran down to her chin. She cried quietly, unsure of what to say to Ace or if she even wanted to look at him anymore.

Ace's brows knit in concern, his eyes widening slightly and reflecting nothing but sadness at Hoshiko's state. His ears folded back submissively, and he lowered his head, looking away. A little whimper, the helpless cry of a wounded dog, cut through the silence with its mournful tone.

Ace was lying on the hard floor. It was clear that he had collapsed there, but not immediately clear why. Yet, as the lantern light flickered across his body, it became more obvious that he seemed battered and torn, especially around his paws. Mats of blood collected around wounds cut into his hide by sharp stones. He looked very tired, but just as sad.

"Hoshiko..." He whimpered softly, laying his chin on his large front paws and looking up at her sorrowfully. "I know you must be very upset with me... and I do not blame you... But you must know that I would do nothing to hurt you..."

Hoshiko would have said something to Ace, her mouth had opened but before a word could escape her lips the girl took full account of Ace's injuries. Biting her lip hard, Hoshiko was torn. Her heart wanted to help Ace, but another part of her was so hurt by what had happened that she wanted to run away and hide. In silence Hoshiko went off with the lamp towards the front of the home where her Grandmother sold her wares. And reaching below the counter she went to find something.

The darkness swallowed Hoshiko, and it seemed as if she were gone for so long that she may as well have ran away from Ace completely. But slowly the girl reappeared into the dim light. She was dragging her Father's heavy medical case with one hand and still holding the lamp with another. Grunting in the pain and discomfort the actions brought on her feet, Hoshiko stopped once the case was in front of Ace and carefully dropped to her knees.

Popping open the case, Hoshiko used the lamp to locate what she needed. Pulling out the bottle of solution that Koichi had used on Samuel, a cloth, ointment and bandages, Hoshiko glanced at Ace for a second before pouring some of the liquid onto the cloth. She wasn't her father when it came to medicine, but she had seen him work on her long enough now to get a good idea of what to do. Wiping the wounds first on Ace's front paws, Hoshiko bit her lip imagining what might have happened to him to put him in this state.

"...I..it'll...sting..." The girl commented quietly. She didn't look back up at Ace but did speak to him in her weak little voice. Hesitation followed, as she seemed to mull over a thought in her head before finally speaking of it.

"...I...I...n-never...t...thought...you would...h-hurt...m-me..." Hoshiko's voice trembled with the sadness that being so near Ace caused her. That fact alone hurt her, that she couldn't be strong enough to even speak clearly near him.

A loud whimper, on the verge of a yelp, escaped Ace's throat the moment the cleaning liquid touched his bleeding wounds. He didn't pull away though, and held surprisingly still. At least, as a monster, he had a tolerance for pain. In fact, after he got over the initial start of the cleaning cloth brushing his tender skin, he closed his eyes and gently began to lick Hoshiko's arm in gratitude. He avoided touching her bandages, or anywhere that was obviously wounded, but his expression of appreciation was obvious.

He allowed her to clean his paws completely. They had been torn from climbing the rocky mountain pass and fighting with Arceus in his self-inflicted journey. His body too was damaged from the battle. He did not want to tell Hoshiko the details unless she asked, but his fight with Arceus had continued over the course of several days, intermittently. It always started with the demon's goading, and then turned into a physical tussle on the mountain sides. Then, Arceus would vanish, leaving Ace to stumble on alone. Later, he would reappear, taunting, tormenting, and provoking Ace to anger once again.

By the end, Ace had been fed up with the demonic creature enough that he had not even waited to be taunted. Instead they just sprang immediately into a fight...one that Ace had lost. It was a miracle Arceus had left him alive. Ace still wondered to himself why Arceus had abandoned the fight, right when Ace was clamped in the jaws of defeat. But then...perhaps Arceus really did believe that Ace would fail in his mission. And the demon knew if Ace failed, that would be a fate far worse than death to the Incarnus.

Presently, Ace stopped licking Hoshiko, allowing her to examine his face and clean the wounds around his muzzle. He whined a little bit, but it was so faint that it was almost imperceptible. He still managed to remain completely still. Only when Hoshiko finished completely did Ace move much at all. He thumped his tail softly against the floor, leaning forward to lick Hoshiko's face. He wanted to say something to her, but he was afraid that anything he could say would only make her pain worse.

Looking at Ace's face as she finished cleaning the scrapes around his nose, Hoshiko's eyes were glassy. Images of Ace looming over her with his harsh words, she vividly remembered how warm his breath had felt with his face so close to hers. Just as close was it was right now...but in such a different way. Hoshiko couldn't find the good memories buried under the horrible ones to avoid picturing Ace for the murderous creature she had last seem him as.

Yet there was enough in her heart tugging at her to make sure that he was safe and taken care of as well as she could possibly manage. She had just gone to reach for the bandages to wrap Ace's wounds when he licked her across her cheek. Hoshiko froze in place but it wasn't long before her hands were trembling. The same mouth that had killed her mother had just so lovingly expressed gratitude and affection. She looked over and tried to see the white teeth that had done the dirty deed, but found that they were covered and Ace's mouth closed. Swallowing a sob and fighting a fresh onslaught of tears, Hoshiko turned to Ace, placing a hand on her cheek where Ace had kissed her.

"...You're so irresponsible, Ace..." Hoshiko muttered softly, taking one of his paws and starting to wrap it. "...Going out there and...and...getting hurt...without...me around..." Hoshiko bit her lip, trying to hide her tears. She only reprimanded him because she didn't know what to say, and even though being close to him tortured her, it pained Hoshiko to see him hurt.

Ace smiled, in a very wolfish way, and although his eyes still reflected a vast amount of sadness and pain at knowing how he had damaged Hoshiko's trust, he was only grateful that it hadn't been so badly damaged that she'd driven him out. His tail thumped harder on the floor and he cried again, but this time it was a whine of relief and gladness that at least she could accept him and not despise him.

"You're right." He responded after a moment, his voice quiet and low. "I am a terribly, terribly irresponsible creature." He looked up at her gently. "But I know at least where to return when I am in need of help." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Hoshiko... you have only ever aided me. Although we have our differences, it is clear to me that without you, I would be in a very sore state indeed. I know I have betrayed your trust, my dear..." He opened his eyes, and they glistened like icy glass in the lamp light.

"I did not do what you asked of me, and I know it hurt you..." _But I just wanted to see you safe...safe and free..._ He thought the last words, but they could not escape his mouth. He was afraid that they'd be too hurtful...too remorseless to share. Because while he was sorry that he had emotionally scarred young Hoshiko, he was not sorry that he had killed her mother. And he never would be.

Hoshiko didn't look up as she wrapped Ace's paws, and even though she was listening to him, it took a long time before Hoshiko could say anything. She reflected on his words, and she could tell from his tone that there was more he had wanted to say. It was fairly easy for Hoshiko to put the pieces together, just from knowing the creature. By the time all of the wounds that could be wrapped were, Hoshiko knelt once more in front of Ace's face, taking his muzzle into her hands and examining it carefully in the light to make sure none of the wounds were going to bleed anymore. And then letting Ace's muzzle rest in her hands she looked down at him, her eyes were glassy but she wasn't crying anymore.

"Don't let me be like her..." Hoshiko said weakly. "...Please...please. Don't ever let me...be...that hard-hearted..." It would seem a strange thing for the girl to say, but she had been reflecting on her Mother's choice over the past few days. "...Please...make sure...that I'm forgiving...and...that I don't hurt...anyone..." The realization that Hoshiko had that same potential as her Mother's daughter had dawned upon her and with the child within her, Hoshiko was frightened at the reality.

"...Please...Tell me...you...won't let me...make that...same mistake..." Hoshiko's head fell onto Ace's muzzle in her head and wet tears fell upon his fur. "Promise me! Promise me Ace!" The girl begged weakly.

Ace closed his eyes and softly pressed his forehead against Hoshiko's. Her words pierced his heart, and he could not believe that this kind-hearted lover of life would ever be as cold and brutal as her mother had been.

"You can never be completely certain you will not hurt anyone. But hurting someone intentionally is something that must be prevented, and it is something that your mother did not have the restraint to prevent. Or perhaps she did, but perhaps she did not wish to restrain herself. Nonetheless, for as long as I live by your side, Hoshiko, I will not let you bring harm to those you love intentionally. And even unintentionally, if I can stop you and show you what you are doing, then I shall..."

He opened his eyes and let his ice-gaze follow the very close contours of Hoshiko's face. "But you do not need to worry. When I look at you, all I see is purity and gentleness. Kindness and love. Do not hesitate to share such things, for the more you spread them, the more they grow."

Hoshiko was silent, listening to. Her sobs were the only noise that she made, although the girl tried to stifle even those. Ace's words comforted her in her uncertainty, and even though she had been hurt so badly by the monster, he was able to be there for her in the emotions that she was too self-conscious to share with Samuel or Koichi. Those fears had hung over her head the whole time she had been here.

"...A-Ace...I...I will. I'll...share everything I can. I p-promise..." Her arms slid down from his muzzle so that they hung around his neck, her cheek resting on the top of his head. "T-Thank you...I...d-don't ever...want to...hurt anyone...especially...t-the b-baby..." Hoshiko's whispers were weak and desperate. "...I..w-want to do...everything...right. It's...my only...chance Ace..." Her eyes closed slowly, but Hoshiko's arms tightened around Ace's neck, her fingers lacing into Ace's thick fur. "...I have to...d-do this...right..." Being so close to Ace, it would be easy for the monster to feel her body trembling weakly.

"...A-And...I think...I know where to...start..." And Hoshiko would do something she had never imagined before, but it was so against the path of her mother's way. Leaning in close so that her face was right beside Ace's ear, Hoshiko whispered softly. "I...forgive...you...Ace..."

The high-pitched whine deep in Ace's throat escalated to become very audible. Perhaps, in his human form, he would have shed tears of joy. As it was, it was clear that he was overcome with emotion, even if he could not express it exactly as Hoshiko would. He let her hug him, letting his firm strength provide her something safe to cling to. He was large, but now, rather than being terrifying in his size, he'd become a great support. His size meant that Hoshiko did not have to be afraid of her own weakness. There was strength enough for Ace to share.

Yet, even in his strength he was not stoic. His whimpers were obvious, and when Hoshiko's face pressed against his cheek and she spoke to him, he rubbed his face against hers and licked her neck, delighted to be loved, accepted, and ultimately forgiven.

"You are a model for us all..." He said gently, heaving a heavy and relieved sigh.

When Ace licked her neck, Hoshiko seemed to stop trembling a bit and started to relax more. Her eyes opened and she watched Ace for a moment before her weary eyes closed once more. The girl let herself go limp, although her arms were still around the Incarnus' neck. Her head had slid down into the spot between Ace's head and shoulder, her head in his warm, luscious fur.

"I'm no...model...I'm...just...trying my...best." She was exhausted, from taking care of Ace's wounds, from the encounter with the Incarnus, and simply from being pregnant.

"I-I've...been so...tired..." Hoshiko whispered to Ace, yawning deeply despite her greatest efforts. "This...baby...is...making me so...sleepy..." Hoshiko nuzzled her head deeply into Ace's neck and she let herself go limp against the canine creature. "...I can...hardly...stay...awake..." Hoshiko's eyes slowly started to close, but she fought the sensation of falling asleep. "...I don't mind...though...I have to...accommodate...the baby...right? That's what...good...mothers do...isn't it?"

Ace chuckled softly and lowered his head so that it again rested on his paws. He smiled a toothy grin, and closed his eyes.

"Hoshiko, that is exactly what good mothers do." Curling himself around the young woman, he wrapped her in his thick, fluffy tail, so that her shoulders and body were protected from any chill that might blow in through the old seal on the windows. "You are a delightful mother so far." He said sleepily, a soft noise of contentment giving away his satisfaction. It wasn't long at all before he himself fell asleep.

* * *

When morning came, Samuel was up very early, feeling restless and unable to sleep any longer. He wandered into the kitchen to get himself a cup for water. His mouth was completely dry and his stomach was growling, because he hadn't eaten much of anything the past few days. Filling his cup with clear, cold water, he leaned on the counter to look across the kitchen while he drank. What met his eyes almost made him drop the cup on the floor. Eyes wide and face white, he saw Ace, but he did not see Hoshiko, who was very carefully protected by the oversized beast. The monster took up a good portion of the kitchen, and it was fortunate that he hadn't knocked anything over on his way in.

"Ace!" Samuel hissed, angry and surprised at the same time.

The monster didn't wake up. Instead, he continued sleeping, very deeply. Samuel made a face, and set his cup down, going over with every intention to kick the dog to wake him up. But when he got there, he stunned even himself by dropping to his knees and gently stroking the creature's forehead.

"You stupid idiot..." He growled at Ace, leaning against the big creature. He was surprised just how good it felt to be so close to his friend again. "You shouldn't have come here, don't you know that?"

Sleep had never been so comfortable. With Ace there to keep her warm, Hoshiko found it easy to sleep all night through, and she felt secure with the creature beside her. She had been sound asleep, and even when Samuel approached Ace, Hoshiko didn't awaken.

Nor would she have, if it wasn't for the overwhelming sick feeling that filled her stomach so much that it made the girl's eyes groggily open to a world of blurry colors behind her tired eyes. Ace's fur felt so warm and comfortable that she still didn't want to get up. So instead she snuggled more into the creature and complained with gentle groans.

"...My stomach..." Her voice was small, muffled by how she had buried her face in Ace's fur, but her groaning complaints were a little easier to hear and the loud gurgle of her stomach also gave away to just how the girl felt.

Startled by Hoshiko's voice, it was Samuel who noticed her first. He sat up straight all of the sudden, and pushed Ace's tail out of the way. Sure enough, there amid all the fur, sat his friend.

"Hoshiko?!" Samuel gasped in surprise. This time, his voice was loud enough to startled Ace awake, and the wolfish creature lifted his head, ears pricked. His eyes met Samuel's and he let out the most pitiful whine you ever did hear. Samuel would have normally been delighted to talk to Ace, but he was too worried about Hoshiko to pay much attention to the white wolf, which made Ace's ears droop sadly.

Samuel reached for Hoshiko and gently pulled her to her feet. "What are you doing out here? Are you alright? Have you taken your morning sickness medicine? I can go get it for you."

Hoshiko stumbled as Samuel brought her to her feet, feeling a chill right away from the clear difference between Ace's fur and her tiny nightshirt. She could hardly figure out what was going on, and it was clear from the look on the girl's face. But before she could say anything she was bent over with her hands clutching onto her stomach.

"N-No..." She stuttered. "I didn't take...it yet..." Hoshiko explained and it was clear that she wanted it badly from the sick look on her face. "B-But...I was sleeping...Samuel." Indeed, the girl wanted to go back to the warm retreat of Ace's fur, but now with reality striking her it was impossible to avoid the overwhelming sickness that had overcome her. "...Ugh..." Cheeks going bright red the young woman's eyebrows tilted sympathetically at Ace, Hoshiko's knees practically caving in on her as she tried to stand but couldn't because of the nausea. "...I...feel like...I'm gonna be...sick..."

Samuel gently led Hoshiko over towards the sink, then left her standing against it. "I'll be right back. I'll go get your medicine and fix it up."

Samuel hurried from the room, and Ace sighed. He laid his head back down and watched the door expectantly, only brightening up when the boy returned. But Samuel kept ignoring him, focused on mixing up the medicine in a cup for Hoshiko to drink. He made sure it was stirred into water well, before handing it over to her.

"Here.." He said quietly. "This will help settle your stomach."

By the time Samuel got back to Hoshiko, the girl had already been sick once. When he held out the cup to her, Hoshiko took it with a limp looking hand and slowly started to down the herbs and water in the cup. Her cheeks were a red as cherries and it was obvious so see that it was because of mix between self-consciousness and sickness.

It didn't take Hoshiko too long to finish off the drink and set the cup down on the counter, especially when Samuel watching her with such expectancy and concern. He seemed to be doing that more often in these past days. He was ultra sensitive to Hoshiko's condition and making sure that she was alright. Of course, Koichi was the same, but being a doctor he knew when to worry and when not to. Samuel just seemed to worry over any little thing Hoshiko mentioned. But the girl really appreciated Samuel's genuine concern. He was her best friend after all. Right now though, best friend or not, Hoshiko was still exhausted.

"T-Thank you..so much..S-Samuel..." And so after leaning over to give Samuel and gentle hug for his help the girl stumbled sleepily back over to Ace and knelt down once more to curl back up in her warm spot within the Incarnus' fur. "I-I'm so...sleepy...Samuel..." The girl complained, taking Ace's tail herself and gently bringing it back over herself as if he were a blanket. "...W-What...time is it?"

Samuel's eyes widened when the young woman approached the Incarnus again and curled up with him as if he was just a big fuzzy blanket and pillow. Rendered completely speechless and confused, he stared for a long time, his mouth wanting to ask if she even knew what she was doing. Did she even know where she was? Did she have any idea that this was not a blanket and she was not in bed? Was she delirious?

Ace interrupted his thoughts after the boy opened and closed his mouth for the hundredth time.

"Come on, Samuel, don't just stand there." He whimpered helplessly. "Come sit with me..."

Samuel's dumbfounded attention turned to Ace, and he was still so stunned it was hard to even stammer. "Y-you shouldn't even be here! What are you doing?!"

Ace blinked. "I'm keeping Hoshiko warm. It's cold this time of year in the mountains..."

"Yeah but—"

"Are you just going to make me beg? Come on, lie with me." Ace's eyes glinted with a mixture of hope, sadness, and that familiar mischief that seemed to be testing the waters.

The mild innuendo was wasted on Samuel. "But...but I... Hoshiko?"

Hoshiko was still tired and cranky if not from that but just from the mood swings her pregnancy was giving her. And so looking up from her place in Ace's fur and giving Samuel a bit of an annoyed look that he was still talking, the girl's lips pursed a bit irritably.

"...Samueeeeeeeeeeeeeeel." The girl whined, shaking the end of Ace's tail at him. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleeeeeeep." She hadn't really taken a good look at her friend though as he stood looking at her so dumbfounded, and she hadn't truly realized that he wasn't part of her and Ace's heart-to-heart last night. But after a moment, she opened her eyes a little wider, and it became clear that Samuel didn't understand what was going on.

"...Um...Samuel..." Hoshiko wasn't sure how to say it but it was better then him not understanding at all. "...It's okay..." The girl snuggled more into Ace after saying this simple phrase. "And besides...Ace is right. It's cold in the mountains this time of year...and this nightshirt isn't cutting it to keep me warm." And after draping Ace's tail over herself again, Hoshiko looked as if she might go back to sleep once more.

Samuel still stared, bewildered, but his eyes darted from Hoshiko to Ace. The huge dog just smiled sheepishly at him, and refrained from wagging his tail, only so as not to disturb Hoshiko.

"Come on, Sam..." The measure of affection in the creature's voice was mind-blowing. "If Hoshiko can forgive me... Surely you can too..."

After blinking a few more times, Samuel's shoulders just slumped and he let out a long sigh of defeat. He didn't know what to think now, but staring at Ace's pitiful expression and knowing that somehow Hoshiko was okay with Ace being there, Samuel had no argument. Hesitantly, he plopped down beside his large, furry friend, and was greeted with an over-excited licking and a lot of whimpering.

"Oh stop it." Samuel growled, trying to shove Ace's head away from his face.

Ace only kissed him more enthusiastically. Almost asleep, Hoshiko was stirred by the slight commotion, and the girl peeked over Ace to see Samuel there. She offered him a tired smile. She understood his confusion. She herself barely understood just what had happened during the conversation with Ace last night, and was a bit surprised herself. Honestly, part of Hoshiko wondered at what she had done and if it was morally right. Most humans would have told her no. But somewhere in her heart, Hoshiko couldn't find it to hold a grudge against Ace.

Eventually, Samuel seemed to come to the same conclusion, and his grumbling and shoving turned to laughter and long, lingering hugs. At last, he too huddled up against the big monster.

"...It's much nicer when things are like this." Hoshiko said softly, just watching Samuel. She laughed at the two of them. "...We could only be apart for so long. The three of us, we need each other. And I couldn't stand seeing any of us miserable anymore." It didn't mean that Hoshiko's pain over the loss of her mother was gone, not even close, but it did mean she was learning how to move on. "I couldn't be Ace's judge... After all, I never wanted to be judged myself."

Ace smiled softly and looked over at Hoshiko, his shining blue eyes lit up with such brightness that Samuel had never seen him so pleased before.

"Thank you, Hoshiko." Ace said gently. "And you are right. Things are so much better this way..." He licked her cheek and then left her alone, knowing she was very sleepy. His head turned towards Samuel and the large monster smiled affectionately at his master. "Don't you think so?"

Samuel blushed slightly. "Well... I..." He swallowed and tried to make his mind function properly, so that his mouth would speak for it. "You're not supposed to care for humans... If everything you say is true, and that a human bond with a monster is really as dangerous as you say it is, caring about us completely counteracts everything you work so hard for..."

Ace's ears drooped slightly, and he looked away. Samuel didn't know how much those words went along with everything Arceus had tormented him with over the last week, but hearing it from Samuel was somehow worse.

"Maybe it does. And truly I shouldn't be putting either of you in harm's way...This mission should be mine and mine alone. But the two of you have persistently remained with me. I tried to fend Hoshiko off. Tried to make her not come, but she wants to. And you..." He grunted and looked back up at Samuel, frowning ever so slightly. "I tried my best not to get attached to you." He sighed deeply.

"I should have known that working side by side with you would be my undoing. But at the very least, you've made my mission all the more real to me. You've fully renewed my faith in humans. Now it's not just about saving the people to stop the darkness from consuming another world... Now it's about saving the people...to save the people."

"How can you save the people, if loving them is what brings the darkness deeper into their lives?" Samuel raised an eyebrow.

"I'm still trying to figure that out..." Ace whimpered, laying his head down and looking off into the corner. His expression was so forlorn that Samuel couldn't help lifting the beast's head into his lap and stroking Ace's long, tufted ears.

Despite being exhausted, Hoshiko was listening and quite confused by how Samuel was having a much harder time accepting Ace than she did. After all, the incident had been with _her_ mother. Raising an eyebrow at her friend the girl shook her head as if to try and clear her thoughts.

"That doesn't sound like you, Samuel..." Hoshiko said meekly, resting her head on Ace as she kept her eyes on the young man. "I thought...well, I dunno what to say really." Her eyes narrowed, genuinely confused. Because when Hoshiko forgave Ace there was indeed a little part that did it for Samuel's sake. Because she knew that if she never forgave the Incarnus that Samuel would feel torn between the two. "...Samuel, what's wrong?"

Samuel looked over at Hoshiko, his eyes somber and reflective. "I just...I was thinking about what happened back at the tower... Everything that we said."

Ace whimpered sadly. It startled Samuel, who looked down at him in confusion.

"I'd rather forget the tower." Ace said, his voice clearly shaken. "Samuel... Just because you're not the Chosen doesn't mean I don't want you two with me... You have no idea how much it hurt me to hear you say the things you said..."

Samuel frowned a little. "Yeah well... You should be more considerate. Why are you so stubborn and cold-hearted anyways?"

Ace whimpered again, and he didn't look at Samuel this time. "I didn't mean to hurt Hoshiko's feelings. I only said what I knew. And I have seen many things... I know Hoshiko's traditions are valuable to her, but I cannot help but protest when I know the deep history of certain monsters..."

"Still as stubborn as ever..." Samuel grunted.

Ace swallowed hard and tried not to sound distressed, but he did a very poor job. "Why are you so angry with me, Samuel? What have I done to irritate you so?"

"I don't understand you, Ace, that's what. You say one thing, do another. One moment you're calm and warm, the next you've turned into a...a-"

"Monster?" Ace laid his head down on the floor and cried pathetically. "Is that what you hate about me?"

Samuel was stunned by the tone of Ace's voice. He sounded anguished, in a manner Samuel had never imagined he'd ever hear Ace suffer. Even being beaten to a pulp or near death had never made Ace cry in pain. A strong feeling of guilt blindsided Samuel and left him speechless.

Now Hoshiko was torn, she felt freed by her forgiveness towards Ace but Samuel bringing up their differences, especially how harsh Ace had been to her in the Tower made her feel a little hurt towards Ace once more. But she hid it, once again for the sake of Samuel. And climbing out of her little makeshift bed, Hoshiko crawled over so that she could be beside Samuel, ignoring the cold.

She wasn't sure what to say or if she could even say anything at all to fix what had happened or the emotions that Samuel was experiencing. After all, she couldn't tell him that he was wrong and that everything was alright with Ace, because no matter how many times the girl could forgive him it would never change who Ace was. He had killed her mother. He had disregarded her emotions when she helped him even in the light of her own overwhelming pain.

Samuel was right and it was impossible to deny. And so instead to saying anything, Hoshiko simply made her supportive presence clear, wrapping an arm around Samuel, she just let her silence be louder then the words she couldn't ever find to support either of her friends. Samuel put an arm around Hoshiko gratefully, but as Hoshiko moved away, Ace flinched visibly. Slowly, the large creature pushed himself to his feet and looked out towards the window with a deep shudder.

"I understand..." He choked, feeling suddenly isolated, despite the fact that both Hoshiko and Samuel were sitting right beside him. "I deserved that." The huge canine closed his eyes and turned around slowly, his long white tail flowing behind him as he moved towards the door.

Samuel stared after the wolf for a long time, trying to think of something to say, but completely at a loss. Ace nudged the door open with his nose, and as he started to slip outside, Samuel finally managed to find his tongue.

"I don't—" The door closed behind Ace with a click as the Incarnus stepped out, before Samuel even had a chance to finish speaking, "...hate you..." Samuel hung his head.

Hoshiko's expression crumpled into sheer and utter sadness Hoshiko's face as she watched, knowing that she couldn't help but wanting to mend everyone's broken hearts. There was nothing she could offer but more tears, and even those flowed lightly after having cried so much already. She slowly reached and embraced Samuel tighter, trying to give him any support she possibly could. But it was hard, knowing that there truly wasn't anything she could do to help him. The brisk morning air that had blown in while the door was open still lingered, causing Hoshiko to shiver against her will. She leaned her head close to Samuel's ear so that she'd be able to speak softly and soothingly.

"...Samuel...I'm sorry. Ace...he...he's so very harsh sometimes. I...don't understand him either. My heart is torn between who he can be and who he has been to me...Samuel, Samuel, I'm so very sorry. I wish...I could say something and make it all better...but I...I just can't. I wish I could though. I wish I could...for both of us...but...but for you..." Resting her head on the young man's shoulder, his friend cried softly.

"But I'm here, I'm here for you Samuel...I won't ever leave you alone or be harsh to you. You're my best friend..."

Samuel bit his lip and stared at the door, trying hard to blink away the tears that were stinging at his eyes.

"I know you're here for me." He said, somewhat shakily. "That was never the question. But Ace... No I don't understand him, and yes he can be extremely dangerous. But I know he wouldn't hurt _us_. Not intentionally. Not if he could help it. I just don't know what to do... It's all so confusing. Him, the way he acts, this mission... I don't understand my feelings about any of it. I have mixed feelings... So many mixed feelings. And they make my head hurt if I try to think them out. I want to help Ace, but I don't know if helping him is the right thing at all..."

* * *

A cold wind blew through Ace's fur, and he was glad that his thick coat protected him from it, largely. But he was still cold. He felt sick in his stomach, and his heart ached more than it really should. More than his meager wounds that had already been treated bothered him by far. Slowly, he made his way away from the apothecary and collapsed under a tall tree. His eyes wandered over the mountainsides, at the green pines and the gray, slowly lightening sky.

_The pain of rejection is too much to bear, isn't it?_

Ace laid his head down and let out a defeated growl. He didn't have the strength or the will to confront Arceus now. "Why are you following me?" He asked, bitterly.

_For the same reason any predator stalks wounded prey._

"You comfort me so." Ace grumbled.

_Your broken heart will kill you before I do, I surely hope._

"Nobody dies of a broken heart." Ace muttered through his teeth, without lifting his head. "Unless they kill themselves. And believe me, I'm not that stupid."

_Oh...What a pity._ Arceus finally appeared where Ace could see him. The long, elegant body belied the dark nature of the demon. A nature which was revealed only by the creature's devilish face. _You know, you could just abandon this nonsense and return to me. I'll easily forgive your past transgressions if you swear your allegiance to me._

"As I suspected, you don't know me at all."

* * *

Hoshiko hadn't wanted to cry and make Samuel emotional. She just couldn't help herself, it was too difficult to avoid the truth and on top of all the things that had happened between her and Ace, now Samuel was feeling truly hurt and confused by the Incarnus. In a strange way this hurt Hoshiko even more than some of the things Ace had said to her or how coolly he would act towards her emotions.

"Samuel...I wish there was a clear answer." She mumbled softly. "But there isn't. Everything is so distorted and confusing right now. It's impossible to see a clear path anymore." Closing her eyes, Hoshiko wasn't sure if she would regret her suggestion or not.

"Maybe...we just need to see what some of the other paths hold for us?" She asked softly. "I...I don't want to abandon Ace, but maybe we'll find where we're happiest if we search for it instead of deciding on one thing. Especially since being around Ace recently as been...so...so very hurtful." Opening her eyes and glancing at Samuel, the girl was hesitant to see what her friend's response would be.

"If we stick together, we'll be okay. But maybe we need some space from Ace right now...and...maybe he needs some space too."

Samuel didn't move. He didn't even flinch. But the tears in the corners of his eyes spilled over and ran down his cheeks as he stared blankly at the wall. He felt like he had to protect Hoshiko. The girl certainly didn't deserve the things Ace had done to her. But on the other hand...

Ace had set Hoshiko free, albeit in a very cruel and devastating manner. He had released her from a lifelong prison, and now Hoshiko didn't have to be afraid of her mother anymore. On top of that, Samuel knew that Ace was only doing what he felt was right. Nevermind that Ace had weaknesses. Samuel knew Ace had never meant to care for him, but judging by the pain in Ace's voice when the Incarnus had left, he had broken his own rules. For Samuel.

_"You will always be MY master."_

The velvet voice whispered from the deep recesses of his memory, reflecting images of everything they had gone through.

"Ace is a monster..." Samuel murmured, still staring at nothing. "He's always been very clear and firm about that... Even if the rest of his ideals and attitudes confuse me to no end, he's always been absolutely sure that I understood what he was. He doesn't sugarcoat it... He doesn't pretend he's anything that he's not... It's just...Sometimes it's hard to remember what he is when he..." Samuel suddenly swallowed hard. "...When he stands beside me...behind me. When he shows that even a beast can be gentle..." He trailed off, and his voice cracked, but he cleared his throat suddenly to try and hide it, "When I close my eyes to go to sleep and I hear his heartbeat."

Samuel suddenly laughed a hard, sob-induced laugh, and lifted his hand to wipe his eyes. "Hearing his heart beat always makes me believe he has one. But I can't decide if he does or not." Samuel choked. "If he doesn't, then it's not so bad. It all makes sense and I don't have to feel this attachment. But if he doesn't...Why did he leave?"

Samuel hid his face in his palm, overwhelmed by guilt as he remembered standing on Infant Isle, years ago now. Facing the stone in the shrine where he was to take the Scout's Pledge before his second tournament began. He'd been ready to swear his honor in using monsters for battle, that he would never use them cruelly or for evil. And as he finished the pledge, that familiar voice called out from behind him, warm and friendly.

_"Ah! There you are! I've been searching high and low for you. I thought you would wait for me back on that island, but you left..."_

Samuel recalled the pang of guilt he had felt at that. Ace had said he'd be back, but Samuel hadn't known in how long. He felt bad for leaving Tartarus...but at least the Incarnus had known where to find him.

_"Hm, are you surprised to see me again? Remember, I never said farewell. There are many battles ahead of us, friend. I want to fight by your side again."_ Ace had said.

_"You will always be my master."_

* * *

"Get out of this town and get out of my head. Get out, and NEVER return." Ace snarled, still not moving from where he was laying. "You're not welcome here, Arceus."

_I see. Well then, it will be as you wish. But keep my offer in mind._

"You can shove it." Ace snarled.

_Don't say I didn't give you a chance, my friend. I've been very, very tolerant of you, despite your persistent defiance._

"That sounds like your problem, not mine."

_Suit yourself, but I have some friends on their way here, and this time around... You may not be so lucky to escape with your life. You see, I'm willing to spare you, but Dialga and Palkia. Well, they just don't want the competition. I suggest you hightail it out of here before they find you. It could get bloody. Especially since Samuel doesn't want you anymore._

Ace tensed and lifted his head. "Regardless of what Samuel thinks of me, he would never betray me!"

_We'll see._ Arceus laughed, looking out over the mountains at a black truck winding its way up the narrow and rugged road from the south towards Blackthorn. _Something tells me they don't feel like killing every single pokémon in the world to further your little plan._

Ace opened his mouth to say something more, but Arceus was gone...and the black truck was coming in on the edge of town.

* * *

"I think...I think maybe he left for two reasons..." Hoshiko offered weakly, painfully watching her friend suffering. "Maybe for the same reason he tried to make me stay away so often. He loves you so much that he doesn't want you in danger Samuel..." The girl said softly, trying to be soothing with her words.

And then there was a long awkward silence from Hoshiko as she pondered whether or not she really wanted to continue on with her explanation. But Hoshiko had to be honest with Samuel. "...M-Maybe he felt...bad..." Hoshiko bit her lip hard, regretting right away that she had said it. But there wasn't much of a chance to take it back now. "Ace might have felt bad because you...you didn't seem all that happy to see him, Samuel...he's so used to you...opening up to him so easily around him...I know that you have to be true to your feelings, and I don't understand Ace's mission any more than you do, but..."

Samuel swallowed hard, and it agonized him to think he'd hurt Ace's feelings. The clash of emotions inside of him only intensified, and he wondered to himself—was he happy to see Ace? The answer was yes. All he wanted to do right now was be with him, hold him, listen to his voice and feel his warm breath against his cheek. He felt empty, but confused. How could he fight for what he had once disowned his father for believing in? And how could he know whether Ace was right or wrong?

Hoshiko saw the conflict in his face, and just as the girl was about to say something more, her cold hand gripped firmly onto Samuel's. Her head raised.

"Huh? What's that sound?"

The silence of the cold mountain morning gave away even the tiniest of sounds, so the engine of the black van approaching the edge of town echoed loudly enough to demand attention, even from behind cabin walls. Not wanting anymore unpleasant surprises, Hoshiko's hand gripped harder onto her friend's hand. She was nervous about almost everything nowadays. It was rightly placed, this time.

Hoshiko's nervousness got to Samuel too, and the sound of the truck reverberating in Blackthorn's little valley made him uneasy. Stumbling to his feet, Samuel held tight to Hoshiko's hand and pulled her towards the window at the door, peering outside and freezing when he saw the black van drive slowly down the street and park a distance away, in front of the pokémon center.

"Oh no..." Samuel whispered. "It's Hart..."

Hoshiko's jaw dropped as she heard Samuel's announcement. Her whole body tensed, and for a moment of sheer and utter horror the girl didn't have an idea of what to do or how to respond. Hart was dangerous. Too dangerous to ignore, for unlike any of her family Hart had no reason to keep her alive.

"...He...he can't be here." Hoshiko's voice shook at the very prospect. But the girl slowly slipped her hand away from her friend's, and she went back into the room where she had been staying. It only took her a matter of seconds to get switched from her nightshirt into a dress, but her hair was clearly much messier than usual, and she looked overall as if she had just woken up. Hoshiko was holding onto her bag as if for dear life.

"...S-Samuel!" Her eyes were weary but terrified. "W-What...what about Ace?" She choked on her words.

Were Ace to encounter Hart, things could get disastrous. Samuel knew that Ace was more than willing to fight the man, but he was also aware that Ace was wounded. He'd seen the bandages, and was fully aware of the possibility that Hart could very easily have Palkia and Dialga with him. The memory of Dialga blazing through the thunderheads and brutally assaulting him and Ace violently blazed through Samuel's mind, and the still fresh pain of seeing Petra, dead, brought terror to the forefront of the young man's mind.

Dialga and Palkia wanted to kill Ace. And Samuel was sure that Hart had no love for the monster either.

"We have to get out there." He said quickly, reaching for his red scarf and bag as it hung on the coat rack by the door. He tied the scarf swiftly around his neck and grabbed the latch, popping it open to step outside into the bitter chill of the early morning mountains.

* * *

Ace's ears pricked up, and he lifted his head when the truck pulled to a stop near where he was laying. He watched, ready to jump to his feet in a moment's notice, as Hart hopped out of the passenger's seat and waved to someone else in the van. The van turned and started driving down the road again, apparently looking for a better place to park, as Hart walked right towards the tree where Ace was resting.

The Incarnus folded his ears back and bared his teeth, getting to his feet but keeping crouched very low to the ground and hurriedly backing up to get behind the tree.

Surprisingly, Hart did not notice him, and slipped into a nearby building.

Ace lifted his head and his ears again, and sniffed the air, before letting out an irritated snort. He turned on his heels, his tail flowing behind him like some feathery sash. Hurriedly, he made his way around the back of the building, eager to find a way inside that was not as obvious as the front door.

* * *

Nodding quickly, Hoshiko chased after Samuel, snatching her own father's coat off of the rack and pulling it on as the two escaped out into the cool morning air. A breeze hit Hoshiko right away, and even though she had Koichi's jacket around her the girl's cheeks flushed under the bite of the wind.

"Hart went into the Pokémon Center, Samuel." Hoshiko pointed towards the center, she had seen Hart going in when she peered through the window right as they had left the house. There was no lack of worry on the girl's face as she looked at Samuel for guidance. "What should we do?" Her eyebrows were tilted in concern. "...I could go in and see what he's up to." She offered.

"No." Samuel said sternly as he watched the building in the cold, gray morning. "I don't want you to get in trouble. Hart's a dangerous man. I'll handle him." Samuel insisted, moving on ahead of Hoshiko and tying his scarf tighter. He tucked his hands under his arms to keep them warm as he walked, and when he got to the door of the pokémon center, he pushed it open slowly.

"Samuel, I—" Hoshiko started to protest as she followed not too far behind Samuel, but before she could finish her sentence the young man had already slipped into the Pokémon Center. Exhaling sharply as if to expel her nervousness, Hoshiko watched through the outside window, wiping away the steam once and a while that her warm breath caused on the cold glass.

"Samuel...you had better be careful." The girl whispered to herself as she watched.

Warm air greeted him as he stepped inside, and Samuel could see Hart from the back, standing at the counter. The man was wrapped in a long, heavy trench coat and wearing a hat that covered most of his face. Apparently he was smart enough to know the people here in Blackthorn would recognize him for starting the fight that wound up in Hoshiko getting shot.

Hart retrieved pokéballs from the nurse, and then turned to go towards a table, where a pot of coffee was plugged into the wall and bubbling. He paused mid-step when he saw Samuel.

* * *

Hoshiko tensed, but didn't move from her spot. Instead, she tried to make out what Hart was saying by reading his lips. But it wasn't a very good attempt. Unlike his lips, however, the expression on the man's face was incredibly easy to read. He was anything but happy. Biting down hard on her lip, Hoshiko fished around for in her bag, finding and clutching tightly to Hanu's pokéball, just in case. Shoving one hand into the pocket of her father's coat Hoshiko discovered another pokéball. She couldn't say which of her father's monsters was inside, but Hoshiko had only seen him use his ninetales and so assumed that this was who might be within.

That offered more security, and that was exactly what Hoshiko wanted. Now if Hart tried anything funny, she had the power of her father's pokémon in addition to her own. The last thing they needed was a repeat of their last encounter with Hart in Blackthorn.

"Well, well. What have we here?" Hart frowned. "Insolent whelp. I take it you're just as stupid as always."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Samuel glared.

"You keep on playing your silly little games, when all you're doing is paving the road for disaster, Boy. Now, I don't need you and your lies, or your petty little toys. I'm making plenty of money on my own. Selling pictures of Dialga and Palkia and spreading their legends is making me quite a star, I'd say. But I'm also learning a lot, Kid. And I've been seeing just how misguided you really are."

"Misguided?" Samuel frowned. "You're the one who goes around causing trouble and hurting innocent people for nothing."

"You and your little girlfriend are hardly innocent. In fact, now I realize that you two are quite the sinister pair."

"She's not my girlfriend, but that doesn't really matter at the moment." Samuel said bluntly. "What matters is that you seem to think _we're_ the ones causing problems."

"Of course you are." Hart waved his hand dismissively. "I heard about what happened several weeks ago, months, maybe. At the pokémon convention at the Indigo League. Sounded like quite a massacre. More than a hundred innocent monsters, slain by a large, white beast as the reports say. Sounded suspiciously like your little pet."

"He's not my pet. You're not good at judging relationships, you know that?"

"Whatever. You still don't care to deny what happened, do you?"

"No..." Samuel grumbled.

"So...why do you follow him, huh? Don't you see that everything I told you in Pewter was the _truth_? That...that monster is out to destroy _everything_? He wants to see the blood of billions of pokémon spilled mercilessly. And he wants to see the destruction of this planet."

"That's nonsense. He wants to protect this planet." Samuel protested.

"Oh. You haven't asked him about that yet, have you?"

Samuel's face went white, and Hart only sneered. "You don't know as much about that demon as you think you do. He's out for blood. He's out to destroy his creator, regardless of the life the god has bestowed upon him, and he completely disregards any other monsters...or worlds in his way."

"He is _not_ a demon!" Samuel snapped. "H—he..." Suddenly he trailed off. "He's a..."

"Monster." Hart laughed. "And the most cold-hearted, relentless, vicious, cruel, and untamable monster there ever was."

The thought of Ace slaughtering Hoshiko's mother, with no regard for anyone's please ran through Samuel's mind, sending a chill up his spine.

"Don't you think it's a bit rude to talk about someone behind their backs?" A thick and smooth voice rose from somewhere behind Hart. Apparently Ace had indeed found a way inside, but while he had intended on keeping a low profile, he didn't appreciate Hart's efforts to sway Samuel.

Hart whirled around, hand on his pokéball, but Ace turned to the side disarmingly and started walking along the wall. "I would think killing hoards of innocent pokémon is worse." Hart retaliated.

"Innocent is a term people like you don't understand." Ace snorted gruffly. "Probably because you yourself are hardly innocent, though you claim to be. Do you have any idea that Arceus is trying to use you?"

"I've been learning things from Arceus I've never known before." Hart shook his head. "_You're_ using that boy." He pointed to Samuel.

* * *

Samuel was there, Hart was there, and now so was Ace. Hoshiko felt her throat tighten, she couldn't stand being outside any longer and waiting for something to happen that she could do nothing about. So, cursing herself quietly under her breath, she pulled the hood of the jacket up to try and hide her face Hoshiko and slid into the Pokémon Center quietly, hoping not raise Hart's ire.

She stayed back enough that the three might not even notice her, and with the hood veiling her face, Hoshiko hoped that Hart wouldn't think much of the girl in the corner, if he did happen to see her. Taking her father's pokéball out, the young woman pretended to look at it curiously. She tried her best to look like a new, inexperienced trainer just wandering around. But her ears were more then wide open, wanting to find out what was going on.

"He's free to follow me or not." Ace continued. "I'm not using anyone."

"Fine. But I still think you owe it to that brat to tell him what you're up to." Hart insisted.

Ace just glared. "He knows what I'm after."

"Does he? It seems to me you've left out a few critical elements of your plan. You might want to discuss that a bit more, so he knows what he's getting himself into—"

"Now is neither the time nor the place for that."

"Why?" Hart laughed cruelly. "Do you have something to hide?"

Ace seemed startled at that, but he just frowned and bore his teeth. "Not from Samuel. But the rest of the people here don't need to know what I'm up to. Least of all _you_."

"I already know." Hart chuckled. "You wretched, murderous, _heartless_ basta—"

"ENOUGH!" Samuel shouted. He stared hard at Hart. "Whatever testimony you have is wind past my ears. You've been hunting me for months, and I don't have any reason to believe you're out to protect me now."

"I'm not protecting you at all, Boy. But I am warning you. Because your association with this..._creature_... is going to affect the entire world. I suggest you think very carefully about what you're doing, because if you keep on this path that you're on, I will stop you. And not because of anything I want from you anymore. No. It's because it's the right thing to do."

"Like you know anything about doing the right thing." Hoshiko's voice addressed Hart as the girl pulled back her hood and took a step towards the group. She looked at him with an accusing glare and shook her head.

"Kaiser Hart, I would never believe that you have ever had the desire to do anything truly good, nor do I believe that now you want to do what's right. The only person that you're out for is _you_. Arceus has blinded you so much with you're love of money and selfishness that you'll believe any lie he tells you just to get another dollar!" The girl took a step towards the man and narrowed her eyes and him.

"But you know what, you can only go on like this for so long, Hart. You're a glutton for Arceus' lies and the lust of money you have will drown you some day. You are going to kill yourself with your sins. You mark my words, Hart. And you've already got yourself in so deep that you can't even see the forest through the trees."

Hart laughed when Hoshiko stepped forward, and he reached a hand out, putting it under her chin. Hoshiko flinched, but she didn't pull away from him as her reflexes demanded. Instead the girl let herself stare into the man's eyes, hoping that the fire in them would prove to the man how steadfast her convictions were.

"It's funny, how you accuse me of lying and believing lies. When neither of you have ventured to ask your companion here if I am lying or not." Hart glanced at Ace. "Isn't that right?"

Ace frowned but looked away. Hart continued. "You see, you readily call me a liar, but you have no proof. The Incarnus won't even defend himself because he knows what the truth really is. Why don't you ask him? Right now. He'll tell you I'm no liar."

A low growl rose up in the back of Ace's throat. "I know what you're trying to do, Hart, but it's not going to work."

"I'm just trying to get them to ask. To investigate for themselves. They don't have to take my word for it. But they'll take yours." He sneered. "And you wouldn't lie to them now, would you?"

Ace glared, but sighed in a defeated breath. "Of course I wouldn't lie to them."

"There, you see?" Hart laughed, turning to Samuel and Hoshiko. "Ask and see if I'm telling the truth or not."

When Ace wouldn't fight against Hart's verbal attacks against him, the girl's head drooped quickly, and she bit at her lip, desperate not to question her loyalties. She fought all of her motives to interrogate Ace. Was there truly doubt placed in her heart? Indeed as frightening as it was, there was a part of her that was afraid of why Ace wouldn't tell them and why he didn't argue with Hart. She had a right to know. After all, she had lost much by traveling with Ace, and in a way he did owe her a favor, even if she had forgiven him.

"...Ace...Ace please...please tell me...he's wrong...please tell me...you're whole plan." Hoshiko struggled greatly with each word but knew it was better for her to ask, it would have been too painful for Samuel to have said.

A twisted smile etched its way across Hart's face as the man turned his attention to the Incarnus and watched the creature close its eyes and hang its head. So powerful and solemn was the nature of Ace's actions that Hart almost immediately felt justified in his accusations, but he waited patiently.

"We need to talk..." Ace said at last. "But not here... Not in the pokémon center. Let's go outside, somewhere quiet, where people won't overhear, even on accident."

Hart laughed. "Suit yourself, Incarnus."

He put his hands on Samuel and Hoshiko's shoulders, reveling in the sickly look on Samuel's face. The boy looked about ready to pass out. It was delicious. Together, the group was shuttled outside by Hart. Hoshiko didn't want Hart touching even her shoulder, but remained quiet and submissive as the small group exited the Pokémon Center and followed the dusty road towards the edge of town. The girl's heart was beating out of her chest, and she felt as though she might be sick and not for the reason she had over the past months. This time it was because she couldn't stand the tension of the moment.

The road narrowed to a one-lane drive, and branching off of it was a footpath, where tall pine trees grew around a hiking trail that snaked over a little rope bridge and down the mountain.

Ace stepped onto the bridge, ignoring the slight sway of the platform, and he sat down. His long white tail hung down over the side. Hoshiko stopped and looked at the creature nervously. He averted his gaze. Sitting down upon the solid ground beside Samuel, too tired to stand any longer, Hoshiko looked at him sadly. She turned back to Ace, watching with the same distressed look on her face and listened.

"Wh-what's going on, Ace?" Samuel asked, plaintively.

"The things that Hart tells you are...true, by and large. Although some of his words have been twisted by Arceus slightly to have a different effect, they still remain the same in meaning, if not tone... You already knew my goal to destroy the monsters...and you know why it must be done. The power contained within them provides far too much energy for the demon king's ready access. He is not defeatable at present. But that can be changed..."

"...But Ace..." Hoshiko struggled with herself, wringing her hands tensely as she tried to think of the words to question Ace.

"...How...would that be done...?"

A cold breeze went across Hoshiko's body, and she shivered, shifting closer to Samuel to try and stay warm. There was a certain sense of desolation on the girl's face that she wasn't sure what to do. Ace took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly, the wind blowing in his face, the rushing sound of the stream below forcing Ace to talk above it.

"You've know of my search for the Chosen. The Chosen is the one who shall execute the mission under my guidance. The Chosen must be of strong character and firm will, one who will not waver even in the face of difficult decisions. One who will understand the consequences of not taking action and who will put the safety of this world's humans above the ignorant desires of others and their own selfish wants."

As Ace spoke, it was very clear that he had given this extremely careful thought. As he went on, his voice grew a little deeper and more decisive. "The Chosen must also be an outsider: a soul from another dimension and world aside from this one. Humans who have grown up in this realm have been too exposed to the darkness for too long, and have had too much time to grow attached to pokémon. They will not be capable of standing their ground when the time comes, and at the last minute would fall. The Chosen will not display such weakness, even in the face of harsh criticism from other humans. When I find him, he shall be bestowed with the Master Trainer Medallion."

There was a pause, and Ace lifted his face to the sky, ignoring the cold mist that clung to his fur in tiny, shimmering beads. "The Master Medallion is deadly for any human soul remotely related to the darkness. Being filled with the essence of the Demon King himself, the object can take possession of a human being that has grown up in this tainted world. An outsider, who has not been affected by darkness, will require a great deal more time for the medallion to overpower. Thus the Chosen will be able to hold and use it, without risk to their immediate life. The Master Trainer Medallion can be used to control any pokémon, wild or tame, steeped in darkness or young and relatively untainted. With the Master Trainer Medallion as an aid, the Chosen will be able to eventually gain control over the pokémon of this world...And send them to their death in the pit of Gaia."

Taking a moment to listen to Ace, Hoshiko wasn't impressed by his explanation. Her heart was torn, his words hurt her. He was harsh and it reminded Hoshiko of when he refused to listen to her pleas to save her mother. How he had been so harsh towards her when she had helped him in the Tower, much to her own loss. Swallowing hard, it was difficult to listen on. The things he said, how he seemed to value his Chosen over anyone else. Hoshiko couldn't help but feel as if he was pegging her into the same category of the ignorant selfish people he was referring to. Possibly into a worse category, because of her beliefs and traditions.

Inside it was too much to take, and Hoshiko felt as if her heart couldn't take any more of this from the Incarnus. It was terrible, even if Samuel was her best friend and she tried to accept the monster for his sake and part of her wanted to do it for her own sake, to accept Ace for who he was. But it was becoming too difficult to manage. Pulling her Father's jacket closer around her, Hoshiko went to stand up, her eyes filled with regret as she turned away from the group.

"...I...I'm sorry..." The girl apologized gently, her voice was raspy and weak. "...I-I'm...too cold out...here..." She lied, starting to slowly take a few steps away from the small group. And even though they couldn't see it from behind her, Hoshiko was crying once more.

Samuel watched as Hoshiko walked a short distance away from the group, and he closed his eyes tightly, fighting his own emotions. He'd known Ace's intentions with the Chosen for a long time. But it always bothered him how casually Ace suggested that he was certainly not Chosen material. Yet, whenever he challenged that, Ace always had an answer.

_"You wouldn't be able to destroy monsters. You couldn't even watch your father do it."_

Samuel took a shaky breath and looked back to the large canine. "Okay, fine... So...let's assume everything is fine with that, because Hoshiko and I already knew what you were planning in that regard. Though you've gone a little more in depth for her now than you did before, you're just reminding us. What I want to know is... What is Hart talking about...you destroying this world?"

This was where Ace paused the longest, and he hung his head slightly, his ears folded back and his eyes half closed. A gust of wind stirred his fur coat slightly, but he sat firmly against it, unmoving.

"This planet has long been a target of the Demon King... He's always wanted this world as his own. There was a time when he did not have so firm a grasp on it...but now..." Ace cringed slightly. "He's made himself at home in the very earth we walk on. Spread from the monsters to the land like a disease...his evil now festers in the core of this planet like a cancer. Getting rid of all the pokémon is no longer enough. There was a time when it would have been...but the man who was meant to finish the job back then failed...and so the disease continued to spread. Now we reap the seeds he's sown. And he has passed his burden to us, and it has grown tenfold..."

Hoshiko, even if she had walked away, couldn't find it in herself to leave completely and so stayed behind a nearby tree. Once Ace had finished speaking the girl took a few steps towards the group once more, unable to control her emotions.

"So you condemn a whole planet for the damned ideals of some stupid person who didn't meet your standards!?" Hoshiko seethed. "This is where you and I will never see eye to eye, Ace. You're always so right. Always so justified. Everyone needs to thank you for what you do, whether or not it's hurtful because you never do a bloody thing wrong!" It was impossible for her to hide her frustration, no matter how much she wished she could stay composed for the sake of Samuel.

"Your mission is the only thing that matters. Well you know what? If your self righteous plan is to destroy this world, then why don't you just let it kill itself and butt out?" Her eyes narrowed. "I'm sick of your self righteous attitude. So you say you'll die for your mission. The part you decided to leave out was that _everyone_ would. Well then, you're doing an awfully good job playing the bloody martyr when at the same time you're the bloody murderer too. I'll never understand you, Ace! Never! Because of Arceus you plan on destroying everything. Is your hatred for him so strong that you'll sacrifice everyone just to best him? What's this really about Ace? Protecting everyone only for them to die? Or to settle a score with your enemy?"

Hoshiko was left breathing hard, her cheeks bright red and eyes distressed. She didn't know what to do and refused to look at anyone in particular after her speech. There was part of her that now throbbed with rage and even the bitter taste of hatred.

Ace, for his part, looked hurt by Hoshiko's words, his ice blue eyes glistening slightly, arched and widened with sadness.

"No!" He shouted at first, but then he toned his voice down to a much shakier, very quiet "No..." He watched as Samuel clenched his fists and walked towards him, getting right up in his face.

"What is it then?!" Samuel demanded loudly, storming forward and raising his hand as if he was going to strike the Incarnus. Surprisingly, Ace flinched, even though an actual strike wouldn't have hurt him much. His eyes squeezed shut and he ducked his head, pulling his tail close to his body and folding his ears back. Only when he realized that Samuel had actually withheld the hit did Ace actually open his eyes, looking more devastated but feeling obligated to further explain.

"I would absolutely not jeopardize you or any other humans. What purpose would that serve? Do you find me so stupid that I would not realize the pointlessness of such a pathetic plan? No... There are ways to remove the humans from this realm and dimension and send them to another... A place where they would be safe... Where they would be able to live, free of the threat of the Demon King forever. But to do that, the pokémon must first die. They can't make the pilgrimage with them, or they would bring taint to their new haven and start the cycle over." Ace's eyes began to shine, and even though he could not cry as fluidly as a human being, in this form the tears still dampened the fur around his eyes.

He looked at Hoshiko first, and then locked eyes with Samuel. "Do you think I would condemn you to death? You or any other human who did nothing to deserve this fate the demon king is placing on everyone? If only you could see what has become of the worlds the Demon King has already taken... If only I had a way to show you that would not endanger your lives... You would know it is worth it to be rid of the curse, and send the humans away, leaving the planet to die. And it must be done, for if it is not accomplished, the infection will spread yet again...and the only place it has left to go is to the humans. Once it goes that far... There is no hope for humanity. This is our last chance...we've used up all others... I won't stand by and let it pass... I want to see you and Hoshiko live on. To see your children, and your children's children... May there be no end to the human race here, as it has ended in other realms so tragically. I've watched it with my own eyes. I pray this will not go on. I cannot watch it again."

Samuel's hand slowly fell to his side, but his eyes stayed cold and scrutinizing as he studied Ace. "Have you really seen so much?" He glared.

"I've told you haven't I? I have lived and died...many, many times." Ace whimpered slightly at the end of the statement. "Over the course of many thousands of years, I have taken on many forms, and watched many things unfold. Before I ever knew the power of the Demon King in depth, I was not even a monster... I used to be a much more noble creature..."

Samuel's eyes widened slightly at that, and he straightened up. "What?"

"Before I was a monster... I was much, much more..."

Samuel blinked, staring expectantly at Ace and waiting for further explanation.

"And I alone am not the only creature to take many forms... In fact Arceus took a far more sinister form long before he ever invaded this world. In a realm consumed by darkness—now known as Alefgard and ruled only by corrupt and wretched monsters—Arceus as you know him first consumed the world that was my home." Ace paused, ears held back as he fought back the fear of revealing his past. A past turned twisted nightmare, when all that he knew and beheld with undying love was washed away and warped into a vast wasteland. A sea of lush green, his to command, in an instant became awash with sand and deathly heat, by the hands of selfish and foolish humans.

"I was of a powerful and regal species known as Entelexeia to the humans we shared the realm with. We regulated a powerful energy that was known as Aer to the people of Terca Lumieres. Unfortunately, the humans of Terca Lumieres were fools, and along with their sister race, the Kriteans, created tools called Blastia. Blastia could take Aer and convert it to energy and mechanical functions useful to their everyday lives... But it came at the price of causing the world's source of Aer to overproduce the energy to compensate for the Aer taken away by Blastia." Ace's eyes focused on Samuel with great intent. "This influx of Aer became overwhelming, and corrupted many Entelexeia. Slowly they were warped into something more twisted, and deadly. After a while the corrupt Entelexeia lost their shape and form, and amassed as one dark and twisted being that sought to destroy and consume all.

"The people of Terca Lumieres named the oncoming darkness the Adephagos, and that was the birth of the demon king. The Adephagos had one purpose, to consume the world and fill it with Aer. To accomplish this, it converted what Aer it could get a hold of into monsters, and used them as vessels in which to store it's power so that it may recall it at a later time." Ace lifted his head and focused intently on Samuel as he leaned in. "Monsters weren't designed to hold much Aer, and the more Aer that was present, the more monsters were created. However the constant use of Blastia, especially newer more efficient Blastia that could convert Aer much faster... Many monsters became filled with too much Aer and became corrupt. Their lust for blood was heightened, and their violent and destructive tendencies amplified as they resembled their creator, holding a higher percentage of the power that he was comprised of."

Ace lowered his head and looked at the ground quietly as the memories continued to flow, sealed away from thousands of years time past. "... Humans too stupid to understand the powers they were messing with and tapping into... hunted us Entelexeia, blaming us for the problems with the monsters, and labeling us as such they were. We combated the expansion of Blastia technology, and our attacks were confronted with hostility and interpreted as malice.

"Little did they know their own presence was the birth of the problem. As a result of their meddling, Aer could be produced rapidly and accelerate the Adephagos' ability to consume the world, along with my very soul. The King of Demons himself—you know him as Arceus now—stole my soul, and I was transformed into a monster and the vanguard of his evil army. The darkness that Samuel witness used by Dr. Snap in a time past on the Green Islands is the very same essence of evil energy as corrupted Aer. Arceus reincarnated me as a monster after consuming what remained of my being, and the once glorious world of Terca Lumieres was turned into the dark world of Alefgard. "

Ace continued, solemnly as he unveiled the details of his past life, from a world long gone that seemed so far away even though he could return at a moment's notice. "... Some humans managed to escape and rebirth their race in this world... But now the Demon King seeks to add this one to his collection. Perhaps, had it not been for a number of humans that faced the Adephagos in the final hours of Terca Lumieres, I would not care for the fate of humans. They managed to learn the secrets of the mistakes of their ancestors, and atone for their sins and buy enough time to save themselves, their children, and the Entelexeia... It is from my respect for them that I obligate myself to save the human race in their honor. "

Hoshiko felt her chest get tight as Ace spoke, every word making her feel worse about what she had said to him. She had assumed too much, and that was bad enough, but the sadness in the Incarnus' voice when she accused him was enough to make her feel terrible. She should have let him speak before jumping in and inserting her own opinion, and she realized now that this story went far beyond anything she could grasp. As hard as it was to accept, she was ignorant of so much. But Ace's concept was hard to grasp on so many levels. Even if the girl felt bad for the things that she had said there was still a part of her that wanted to deny everything. Well-intentioned as Ace seemed, did that make what he wanted to do any better? Swallowing hard it was a good long time before Hoshiko found her voice enough to say anything. First though the girl came up beside where Samuel was and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, looking at Ace with a forlorn look.

"...I...I..." Hoshiko bit her tongue in spite of herself and winced at the pain it had caused her. "Ace...I didn't...mean what I said..." The young woman looked away, feeling ashamed. But before long she turned her face to Hart, glaring at the man just as she had to Ace only moments before.

"Do you see now the lies that Arceus has fed you?" She practically spat out the words.

Hart took a step back, but his expression remained firm and cold. He slowly crossed his arms. "And what 'lies' are those? It sounds to me like he just affirmed everything Arceus has told me, with just enough of his own twist on it to make you pity the wretched beast." Hart now took a few steps forward, almost coming in between Samuel and Hoshiko, but stopping there. He turned to the girl first. "The truth still remains that the Incarnus has every intention to destroy all the monsters in this world, and the planet as well. Can you really stand by and tell him he's right in doing so?"

It was Ace's turn to answer Hart, and he did so wearily, the expression on his face not much more than a shadow. "The lies that Arceus has told you, are in regards to his own nature, Hart. He tells you my mission, and while he is accurate in that respect, his point of view is vastly different than mine. He sees himself as a noble god ruling over the monsters he has created. It is his dream to create hundreds of worlds that bask in the glow of his power. He calls them 'paradise.' He fails to see that poisoning the land with his dark energy destroys the true beauty it holds. He fails to see the pain his monsters cause to humans as a bad thing. Worst of all, he feels like he does the humans a favor when he turns them into monsters themselves." Ace glanced at Samuel. "You saw what he did to Snap. Arceus poured so much darkness into the man's body and soul that he transformed right before our very eyes..."

Samuel shuddered. He'd never witnessed anything so frightening or hideous before in his life than when he'd stood on Tartarus and watched a man caught up in a waterfall of oily blackness raining down from the gate overhead. He remembered watching Snap's human body twist and writhe, his expression distorted in pain until his body began to glow with a darkness not unlike that which he and Hoshiko had seen in Mt. Arcanine, when Arceus gave himself his new body. Samuel recalled Snap's figure enlarged grossly, shapeless. He had watched as the veil of darkness fell away, leaving a hideously gnarled and dis-proportioned hand, with what remained of Snap's face burned into the rotten skin of the palm and a round, leechlike mouth lined with razor sharp teeth opening up in the belly of the beast. The sight had been so disturbing that Samuel had blocked it from his memory as much as possible... Until now.

"What the demon king did to Snap he has done to many humans before, and will do to many more if we do not stop him." Ace said, looking at Samuel specifically, before turning back to Hart. "In his eyes I am nothing more than a traitor. A betrayer of my own race and creator. And he's right. I _am_ a traitor. But I turned against him because I can see what he's doing is cruel and disgusting. He fancies himself a creator, but he is a _destroyer_. And no matter how many times he kills me and brings me back as his slave, I will forever stand by that fact. I refuse to serve a demon!"

Hart glared at Ace slightly, but he didn't say anything. He didn't quite understand the scenario that Ace had laid out for them, but he was beginning to get the feeling that this creature, whatever he was, was either a really, really dangerous demon himself, capable of winning the favor of humans under the guide of protecting them... Or he was exactly what he said he was. In either case... Hart didn't like him.

"Be that as it may," The man said gruffly, "Who are you to say it's okay to destroy innocent monsters that have never harmed a human, who were born and raised under the care of humans? Who are you to say a monster that loves its master is supposed to die?"

"I am a monster who accepts that very same fate for himself. When the time comes, I will finally give my life up. And this time, I won't be coming back."

"It seems a little unfair, that you accept the fate for yourself, but don't give other monsters the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not their lives will end." Hart remained insistent. "Not to mention that the trainers who love their monsters would have to see their best friends die through no fault of their own."

"It is a difficult and painful situation." Ace admitted. "Full of sorrow and heartache. But when the time comes, the monsters will know what must be done, and they, like I, will willingly give their lives. The Master Trainer Medallion will reveal their role against their masters to them. And any monster that loves his trainer would rather die than serve the demon king. The only ones who will have a hard time accepting that will be the humans. They won't understand... But they don't have to. At least they will be safe."

Inhaling deeply, Hoshiko tried her best to digest everything that Ace was saying. But it was difficult and she didn't want to hear it. The creatures who had been her only friends for so long, Hoshiko could never wish the fate that Ace spoke of on them. Her eevee had been a steadfast and loving companion. Hanu protected her and rescued her as a child at Lake Rage, and her Abra had always made her smile with his cute ways.

"I...can't lie and say I like what you're saying Ace...but..." The girl's eyes closed and she shook her head and before saying anything more to Ace, Hoshiko looked at Hart. "You would best believe what Ace is saying. I've experienced Arceus' power before and he's nothing but pure darkness. He's a creature that you want nothing with. You may be my enemy, but you're another human just the same. And I have a bit more respect than you for our fellow man." The girl crossed her arms in front of herself and then looked back at Samuel and then Ace.

"Ace. I'm sorry...I should have known you didn't intend to do anything wrong...but...this is a tough pill to swallow...I...don't know what to say..."

Ace's forlorn expression seemed to reflect a hint of relief, but it was still torn by sadness. He stood up, but his tail still hung low between his legs.

"I understand... It is not easy. In fact, there are times that I feel greatly burdened by the task that has fallen on me. It torments me at night when I try to sleep, and haunts me during the day when I go about my life. But I will not give up... And I would never, ever want to bring harm upon this human race which I've sworn to protect. Least of all you and Samuel..."

The sincerity in his eyes was powerful, as if his very soul screamed the voice of his heart and the depth of his determination. He turned slowly to his own master. "Do you not know how much you mean to me?" He voice shook a little, trembling and hoarse.

Samuel stared back at Ace for a moment, and then looked away. "More than I should..." he answered hesitantly.

"Perhaps..." Ace leaned close to Samuel and pushed the boy's chin up with his nose. "And I realize that it contradicts my claims that monsters and humans were not to live together. But the reality is that I am trying not to be attached to you..." Ace laughed bitterly. "But I can't help myself..."

Samuel swallowed hard and lifted his hand again, but this time instead of moving to strike Ace, he reached over and rubbed Ace's ear firmly, causing the dog to tilt his head and close his eyes in gratitude.

"You're so stupid..." Samuel said, raising his other hand to quickly mop away tears before they had a chance to fall.

Ace smiled weakly, and licked Samuel's face in one quick motion, startling him, but eliciting a half-smile from the boy. Hart rolled his eyes. Although she wanted to go over and join in the moment between Samuel and Ace, Hoshiko reminded herself that the two had been friends for much longer than she had with either. They deserved the time to themselves. There would be a place where Hoshiko would be able to express her emotions with the two of them. After all, she hated what she had said to Ace. For now, she took notice of Hart's scrutinizing stare and impatient gestures.

"I find this particularly disturbing." He said flatly, then glanced at Hoshiko. "At any rate, I do not believe for one moment that pokémon deserve to die. And, if Arceus is right about the Incarnus, then you two are going to have a lot to answer for. If I were you, I'd weigh the consequences of following that mutt around, very carefully."

For now, Hoshiko would protect the creature's honor. And looking at Hart the girl wagged her finger at him with a solemn look on her face.

"That's where you're wrong. We won't have a lot to answer for. You're the one who will. And I'm sorry to say that, but hurting people for your own selfish means doesn't warrant an honorable award. I don't wish to see any pokémon die; they have all been my friends and companions where I had none other...but I've seen Arceus. How dark his true nature is. Whether or not you want to believe me isn't really what matters to me. I'd prefer to have someone else tell you and you actually believe them. Arceus will do nothing but ruin you." There was a sense of earnesty about her that could have made even hard hearts waver.

Hart stared at Hoshiko long and hard. His loathing of the Incarnus was consuming, but Hart did not truly know what Arceus was and was not capable of. He only knew what Arceus spoke through the two dragons that followed his commands. Thusfar Arceus had done nothing but good for him, but he vaguely wondered if that would change.

"I suppose that I'll have to see Arceus for myself then." Hart grunted. "I don't trust you _or_ your little friend over there. And the Incarnus is a danger, no matter what anyone says." He shook his head and remembered the little deal he had with Arceus. His own quest for darkmatter meant that he would have access to Dialga and Palkia at will, and furthermore, it meant that he would be able to fight against the Incarnus. And regardless of what Hoshiko seemed to believe, Hart didn't feel comfortable with a creature that could so willingly accept murder as a means of getting something done. Ironic, considering Hart himself would have been willing to stoop to that same level, in some cases.

"Well, I hope that someday you'll be able to see the light." Hoshiko said softly, before turning away from the man and going over to her friends. Leaning over Samuel's shoulder, Hoshiko smiled gently at Ace and reached her hand up to play wit the thick fur on the top of his head.

"You know what? I'd say we're a pretty messed up little group." She laughed to herself as she tugged gently at the Incarnus' ear. "But I think that's what makes us work so well together." Hoshiko smirked and tugged at a lock of Samuel's hair too. "Wouldn't you guys agree?" Pausing a moment, Hoshiko didn't wait for her friends to answer instead she spoke once more. "After all, that's why I love you two."

Samuel's cheeks reddened slightly and he looked down at his toes, but Ace grinned slightly. Hoshiko could see it in his eyes. Happily, the large canine leaned forward and licked Hoshiko, wagging his tail a little bit.

"Thank you..." He murmured, looking at her quietly. "I know you didn't have to defend me to Hart... But I do appreciate it... I hope that you really do see good things in me." The monstrous puppy closed his eyes. "All that I see in the two of you is what I wish I could be..."

"Of course I see good things in you Ace. And I wanted to defend you. Hart doesn't know anything. He let himself be Arceus' slave..." Hoshiko said to Ace with a small smile. It was true that part of her did see things in Ace that were frightening and even hurtful to a point, but past all of that was the creature that Hoshiko knew only did what his heart dictated as good. And that alone was a quality that was to be admired, even if sometimes it caused a lack of respect for those around him.

But one thing confused the girl, Ace's statement that he wished to be like her and Samuel. Yes, she could admit that for Ace to be like Samuel was a good thing. He was strong and earnest. Determined and loyal. What was she though?

"Ace...you want to be like...me?" Her expression was perplexed. "Why? I'm...not anyone important or strong. I was weak and I let Osamu and my family push me around. I didn't even have the courage to turn to the police when I could...I wanted to run away. I...let him hurt me and accepted the consequences. I'm no model for anyone Ace..." Hoshiko bit her lip.

Ace tilted his head slightly. "You may not have the courage to defend yourself, but there are things about you that everyone should aspire to. You have a kind heart... One that is able to see past the natures of others and not hold grudges. I think that is a wonderful ability."

Samuel blinked at the two of them, and then smiled at Hoshiko as his face returned to its normal color. "And I think it's cool... How you stand by your friends, even if you won't stand up for yourself."

Ace smirked slightly, "That too."

Hoshiko looked back and forth between Samuel and Ace, her cheeks went bright red not so much from embarrassment but from modesty. It took a second for the girl to say anything but when she did a little giggle escaped before any words did.

"You guys are way too nice." She said with a smile on her face. "I couldn't ask for two better friends. You know that?" Shaking her head, Hoshiko shivered a bit from the cold, but didn't mind too much.

"There's a lot I've learned from you two. And a lot that I've tried to learn anyways. A sense of justice from you Ace, since I grew up without any idea what the concept was. And you Samuel, taught me that I didn't have to be afraid of guys. Because...before that...well, let's just say Osamu wasn't a good representative for the male population..." And then messing with Samuel's hair a bit Hoshiko laughed. "You're like, my brother or something!"

Ace had to laugh at that. "Well I don't really know if _Samuel_ is the best representative either."

"HEY!" Samuel spun on his heels to face his monster. "I'm a better representative than _you_!"

"Well, I'm not a guy, so it's all good." Ace shrugged. "I represent the monsters."

"You're such a dork. The monsters don't want you representing."

"Guys don't want _you_ representing." Ace laughed. "Just think what the world would be like if every guy was like you."

Samuel smirked at the thought. "Guess every girl in the world would have herself a real dreamboat then."

"Yeah." Ace stifled a laugh, "Except that girls freak you out." He grinned evilly. "The human race would be doomed."

"YOU SCARE ME MORE!" Samuel put his hands at Ace's throat but realized that even playfully attempting to strangle the huge wolf was entirely useless when his hands couldn't even go halfway around.

"And rightfully so." Ace snickered, licking Samuel's face to catch him off-guard and then casually knocking him onto the ground with a paw. He pinned Samuel under his foot and ignored the young man's flailing as Hart looked on in confusion and dismay.

_These are the ones who think they can stop Arceus? Hmph. I guess he doesn't have anything to worry about after all._

"Ace! Hey! Ace stop it!" Hoshiko cried out, partially laughing as she dove down to try and lift Ace's paw off of Samuel and release him.

She couldn't help but laugh, even if she should have been more concerned about Samuel than the humor in the situation. Of course she wasn't able to lift Ace's foot away so she had to get creative. Instead of trying to lift his paw, the girl wrenched her hand between Samuel and Ace and started to tickle Ace's paw, laughing as if she herself was the one being tickled.

"Unhand him you beast! Or I'll tickle you to your demise!" Hoshiko had completely forgotten about Hart's presence, otherwise she never would have acted so freely.

Ace's foot suddenly jerked away from Samuel, and Ace batted at Hoshiko next, albeit much more gently than he had struck Samuel. He knew that Samuel wasn't exactly fragile, so he wasn't afraid of hurting him with casual play. But he did have concerns for Hoshiko and the baby, so while he was rather bothersome, he didn't get rough.

Seeing a window of opportunity when Ace let him free, Samuel rolled out of the way and jumped on Ace's neck, wrapping around it with a gymnastic display of dexterity as he tried to weigh Ace down and get him off of Hoshiko. Hoshiko stumbled back to her feet and burst out laughing as she watched Samuel hanging off of Ace. Samuel hung from the dog's neck by his hands and feet, only to eventually annoy Ace enough to make him jump backwards and paw Samuel to the ground.

This time though, Ace lay down, holding Samuel between his two large front feet like a toy or a small animal, pinning Samuel's legs under his heavy chest. Without warning, he mercilessly began to lick the young man, who coughed and sputtered, trying to squirm away, but completely unable.

"Ahem!" The sound of Hart clearing his throat rose above the struggle. "I would suggest you not get too comfortable with that filthy mutt." His comment directed itself particularly at Samuel, but also drifted towards Hoshiko. "He's a danger, and no matter how much you perceive that you love him, his ultimate devotion is to destruction. Never forget that." Hart turned to leave, and a voice drifted into his mind, echoing hauntingly like the song of a ghost.

_Destruction is what the Incarnus was created for. It is his birthright. He will never cease to kill and destroy. But we can harness that power, and transform it into something true. Something useful. Something that will protect monsters rather than obliterate them. This is what we must do._

_Of course..._ Hart thought, wandering into town and disappearing around the corner of some buildings.

Hart's voice interrupted Hoshkio's joy with a sharp reminder that he was still there. As he left, the girl turned to face the man and she called after him with dismay.

"No! You remember who you're working for, Hart! Someday you'll see that what we've been trying to tell you all along is right and that Arceus won't hesitate to betray you in a second once you've done all you can for him! And you know what? I hope you find out the truth before that. Because if you continue on the path you are, you'll be sealing your own demise!" Hoshiko clenched her fists tightly and gazed along the path regretfully.

"I mourn the loss of another human to the darkness...even if Hart's been nothing but heartless to me..." Hoshiko whispered gently to herself, a surprising measure of mercy filling the girl's heart.

Hart just raised his hand and waved it as he walked away, not looking back. Before long, he was out of sight, but Ace had stopped tormenting Samuel, for the most part, and was listening with his ears up. Samuel, though still under his paws, was able to wriggle free and sit up straight.

"I guess this means we're gonna have to find a way to stop Hart from collecting darkmatter still." Samuel said with a frown.

"Yes indeed. Unfortunately. But he's too stubborn and blinded by success to see what he's doing. If he's not careful, he'll wind up exactly as Snap did." Ace warned ominously.

"And that means predicting his next move..." Hoshiko said bleakly, turning to face Samuel and Ace. But slowly walking over to the two, she bit her lip nervously. Worried about what ideas the man might have in his terrible mind, Hoshiko knelt down so that she was beside where Samuel was sitting.

"What worries me more though is what he might be doing here..." Her eyes looked out upon the path that Hart had taken, her body was chilled, but she imagined it was more so because her blood felt like ice over the concern that she had for Blackthorn. Her father's home. He was all she had left in true family and truly the only one she ever really had on her side. "...Samuel...I'm scared of what he might do..." She said scarcely loud enough for him to hear her.

Ace looked off towards the town and nodded slowly. "It worries me too, but if he came here, this town has something he wants. We just have to find out what."

"More darkmatter?" Samuel suggested.

"Quite possibly. Perhaps we should ask Hoshiko's father. He may know enough about the town's history to give us a clue of some sort."


	27. Scare

**Chapter 27: Scare**

Reaching for a book off of the shelf in the living room bookcase, Koichi spoke roughly as he yanked the item from its quiet perch.

"Hoshiko, I don't know what you were thinking, going out there dressed like that. Mornings up here are cold and you could've gotten sick." The man sighed, it was clear he felt bad for reprimanding his daughter but at the same time, he needed to be at least a little responsible for her actions.

"Yeah, I know..." Hoshiko said, a bit embarrassed. The girl sat on the couch with a pile of warm blankets wrapped around herself so that she looked more like a lumpy, quilted wurmple than a human.

"You'll have to get some warmer clothes too. It's not just the mountains that get cold this time of year." Koichi added. Suddenly the man's cheeks went red, as if remembering something perhaps slightly embarrassing. "Actually...there's um...there's some things in the closet in your room. I've been collecting some more clothes for your on my travels. They're all pretty diverse, and I understand if you don't like them or anything...but..."

"I'm sure I'll love them." Hoshiko smiled at her father, realizing how obvious it was that he was nervous of offending Hoshiko by choosing something the girl might not enjoy. "But...um…Dad..." she used the word gently, as if unsure of it but marveling at its wonder. "Samuel and I wanted to ask you something..." Hoshiko hesitated and glanced at Samuel. "About the history of Blackthorn..."

"Yeah?" Koichi asked, looking between the two youth. "What about it?"

Samuel spoke up abruptly so that Hoshiko wouldn't have to ask any more questions. He wanted her to be able to relax, warm up, and just listen. Hopefully, anything that Koichi said would be helpful and not induce a major problem. But even if Blackthorn did have something Hart wanted, Samuel was certain they could stop him.

Leaning into Ace to make himself comfortable, he looked directly at Koichi, ignoring the fact that Ace's presence made the room hugely crowded. It was like having a bouffalant in a laundry room, almost, but Samuel found it easier to pretend that Ace was a couch. That made him seem less intrusive. And, considering the Incarnus was on his best behavior, he was acting very much like a couch, so it was easy to imagine.

"We just wanted to know... Has Blackthorn ever had any history of close involvement with monsters? Like... for example, Ecruteak has the towers, and the legend of Ho-Oh. Is there anything about this town that might lend it to anything like that?"

"I didn't know you guys were so interested in the history of Blackthorn." Koichi raised an eyebrow at the two young people, smiling at them as he stroked his chin considerably. Leaving the book that he was reaching for, the man took out another that seemed significantly older. Its warn leather binding almost looked like it would crumble to dust in Koichi's hands, but it held together. Turning to the three, Koichi held out the book for them to see.

"It's about dragon pokémon." He explained. "Blackthorn has strong ties to the dragon type and was actually founded on land said to be sacred to some ancient lord of all dragons. There's a cave located here that's dedicated to dragons and those that train them. In fact an ancient family bloodline connected to dragons of the centuries built this town. They're traditional, and live by a strict code of ethics that's bound them for generations, like the Kimono Family...but much less harsh..."

Hoshiko looked up at her father and considered him quietly and then turned back to her friends and bit her lip.

"Looks like we've got something to think about..." Hoshiko said with a pensive look.

"Here, you guys can take a look at this if you like." Koichi added, handing Samuel the book. "I don't know much about the Dragon Clan because let's face it. I became part of the Kimono Family around eighteen years ago. And before that didn't get to spend a lot of time here except for when I was a young. Little kids don't care much about history."

Samuel reached for the book and took it in his hands, feeling the rough leather binding and staring at its rich color. He could tell this book had valuable information, and he was certainly glad to have it, but even as he contemplated opening it and flipping through it right now, he remembered the little red-haired boy that he'd seen here before. Vince, he was sure. The boy had mentioned something about being a Dragon Tamer. Maybe the young man would be able to help them.

"A family that focuses on dragon pokémon... How fascinating..." He considered the fact that Dialga and Palkia were dragons of a rare and horrifying breed, and wondered vaguely if Arceus wanted something from this family. He turned to Hoshiko. "Maybe we should find them and talk to them."

"Mmhm." Hoshiko nodded. "That little kid who helped Koichi and I rescue you back in Ecruteak said he was part of the Dragon Clan. Maybe we could pay Vince a visit." She smiled, remembering how energetic and eager to help the little boy had been. "I bet we would like to see us and maybe we can have a talk with his parents, right guys?" She said, watching Ace and Samuel for their take on the idea.

"Yes, they'd be good people to talk to..." Koichi agreed before Samuel or Ace could reply. "But you're not going out until you've changed into something warmer. Got it? You have to keep not just you but the baby warm too." The man smiled warmly and Hoshiko got up obediently. Her blankets tumbled away from her shoulders, and she dismissed herself with a bit of a laugh. Clicking his tongue Koichi shook his head as his daughter walked away. "I worry about that girl sometimes..." Of course he meant in lightheartedly and knew that even though Hoshiko could be absent-minded, she was overall very responsible.

Samuel chuckled slightly. "Don't worry, she's in good hands. Though I apologize for not having her put something warmer on before. I know it's fiercely cold out, especially early in the morning, but I didn't even think of it—"

"As you can see, Samuel is quite the caretaker." Ace sneered, but wound up getting a sharp elbow in his shoulder. The canine closed his mouth and laid his head on his paws.

"I see..." Koichi watched Samuel for a second, his eyes trailing to Ace and then back to the young man shaking his head slowly. "You know, I'm starting to wonder." But after a moment of what would seem like serious consideration or even scrutiny, Koichi started to laugh. "I'm just kidding! I know she's fine. Kids forget about stuff like that all the time." Running a hand through his hair the man couldn't help but stifle back a few more chuckles.

Samuel smiled lopsidedly, but then his thoughts drifted and his gaze ended far away. "We'll definitely have to go talk to that kid and his family. They may know even more about Blackthorn, and they might have valuable information."

"It's a good plan, and we should do it quickly, just in case Hart is looking for them too. If he talks to them first, we don't know what could happen."

"Yeah..." Samuel sighed slightly. "We can't risk it. But we should at least wait for Hoshiko."

Koichi was about to ask who Hart was when Hoshiko came out to greet the group. She was surprisingly wearing much more than usual. A pair of full length black pants hung down past her ankles and puddled on the ground at the cuffs. Comfortable-looking walking shoes peeked out from underneath. A heavy, pink cotton t-shirt with a white, long sleeve top underneath covered her torso all the way up to her neck, showing no bare skin. Samuel's old red scarf peeked from underneath the oversized tee, tied loosely about her waist so that it hung fashionably to the side. A knitted mareep-wool cap topped her head, and her shiny, raven hair stuck out from underneath in fine tufts around her ears. Samuel studied her for a moment, both amused at how quickly she'd pulled an outfit together and surprised at how adorable it made her look. Ace was impressed as well.

"Well that just reminds me that I need some new clothes too." He laughed. When I transformed while wearing that wonderful island shirt, it was lost. I want another one.

Samuel rolled his eyes and pulled out the pieces of Ace's magic armor. "I have this for you to wear. It's probably going to be more useful than a flashy island tee."

"Maybe." Ace wrinkled his nose, letting Samuel start putting on the pieces of armor that magically contoured to whatever shape Ace's body took, starting with the helmet that covered Ace's luscious brow. "But I want to be cute like Hoshiko."

Samuel smirked, but didn't say anything. His ocean-blue eyes twinkled with some strange sort of mischief that made even the normally unfaltering Ace turn away shyly.

"Hey guys." Hoshiko smiled sheepishly, as she came back to Samuel's side and did a quick little spin. Of course she was a little shy herself for the amount of clothes she was wearing. It didn't seem natural for her, and the glances of Ace and Samuel made her feel self-conscious, even though they complemented her. "I like the clothes, Koichi!" She said at last with a gracious smile. "Thank you!"

"No problem, Hoshiko. But one thing." He smirked. "The scarf is for your neck not for your hips." He laughed and Hoshiko quickly moved the scarf to her neck where it was supposed to go. But as she sat down beside Samuel, Hoshiko laughed and whispered to him. "When we get out I'm putting it back on my waist." She tried to be near silent.

"I heard that." Koichi said with a snicker.

Samuel smirked, but he didn't comment. His grin said it all. Soon, finished with adorning Ace with the gleaming pink and gold armor plates on his back, shoulders, and the bracers around his legs, the boy turned back to Koichi. He nodded gratefully.

"Thanks for being here for us, and especially Hoshiko. You take great care of her, no matter what you might think." Samuel smiled.

"True, true." Ace nodded slowly, turning his head to the side so that he could look at Koichi. "You're all she has, but you're also all she needs." The big dog grinned toothily.

Koichi was rendered speechless, although the fact that he was flattered was apparent from the look on his face. The man shook his head as if to try and modestly imply that he wasn't the father he wanted to be.

But Hoshiko wouldn't have it. The girl donned a big smile and leaned over, practically jumping to hug her father and nearly knocking the man out of his chair. He was no longer silent but laughing and trying to make sure that he didn't fall over, mostly for Hoshiko's sake.

"Ace is right!" Hoshiko said, watching her father for a moment before straightening up and turning to Samuel and Ace.

"Thank you." Koichi said with a contented smile as he watched the group. "I need you more than you'll know." He added softly, enough that Hoshiko wouldn't hear it.

"Come on guys! We have to go see Vince. He's probably at the cave Koichi mentioned if he really is a member of the Dragon Clan." The girl nodded eagerly and turned to the door. It was clearer now that Hoshiko wasn't wearing one of her long, loose dresses that she was pregnant, but she hadn't even thought of it. She was somehow energized by how her father was caring for her.

Samuel scratched the back of his neck sheepishly when Hoshiko hurried out, and Ace licked his cheek, snapping him back to attention. He wiped the side of his face with the back of his hand and stood up slowly, laughing a bit.

"I guess that means we're on our way." Samuel chuckled.

Ace sat up slowly, and looked around, wanting to make sure he didn't knock anything over as he got up. He managed to maneuver safely to the door, and Samuel followed behind him, but paused and glanced back at Hoshiko's father.

"We'll try to be back before it gets dark. It shouldn't even take us that long, but just in case, we're taking the radio."

Giving Ace a firm pat on the back as he exited, Koichi smiled warmly at both him and Samuel before the two left. He couldn't fault Hoshiko for her excitement or outgoing personality. He felt reminded of how he had vexed his mother so when he was the same age as Hoshiko.

"See you three later!" He waved. "If you're out too late I'll radio you, and if you need me for anything, I'll have my radio on me." Koichi waved to the small group.

"We'll be careful! We promise!" Hoshiko called out to her father waving from across the street. She slowed down so that Ace and Samuel could catch up with her. When they finally did, Hoshiko grinned; her rounded cheeks already tinted red from the cool air, though she seemed oblivious and unusually happy.

"You know, I'm not even a little cold like this, Samuel." Hoshiko smiled as they finally joined and walked together. "...I can't believe that Koichi's been collecting clothes for me on his travels. I feel...really lucky."

"Well, I'd say you _are _lucky." Samuel decided out loud as they started walking down the street, the sound of their footsteps amplified in the cold morning air. "Your dad really cares about you, and he's doing his best to show it. Not to mention those clothes don't look half bad."

"Yeah, no kidding, these clothes are really cool actually. I would never have expected Koichi to pick something so cool out for me. And the best part is I think they're all handmade. So it's, like, really special." Hoshiko rubbed her hands against her sleeve. "You can almost feel the love people put into making them!"

"You really should get some warmer clothes yourself." Ace suggested to Samuel, trotting along with his head high and his tail curled briskly over his back.

"You're right. I think I'll make a nice white fur coat. Thanks for volunteering."

Ace snapped his jaws just inches from Samuel's ear, startling the boy enough to make him jump. But when Samuel showed his surprise, Ace just laughed. "How about you carry me on your back instead? I'll keep you even warmer when I still have warm blood pumping through my veins."

"Who wants a jacket that complains, though?" Hoshiko added, trying to sound intensely thoroughly engrossed. Of course it wasn't nearly as deep a topic as Hoshiko made it seem in fun, but she reached over and patted the side of Ace's face before tugging at his fur gently. She felt it as if testing its softness and durability.

"Actually, that's pretty smart Samuel. This is some good stuff, and there should be enough to make us both jackets! And one for the baby too. So if we ever get tired of listening to Ace, we know what to do." Hoshiko laughed and moved closer to the furry monster to add to her already comfortable heat.

Ace growled slightly, but it was all in good fun. He kept pace with his two friends and kept listening, though protesting them much more would have been silly. He turned his attention to Hoshiko's clothes.

"It's amazing that people can put so much work into those kinds of things. It shows that different people have different passions, and when the right people are matched with the right job, you get something mighty fine out of it."

"You're right, Ace." Samuel quirked a brow and chuckled. "I'm curious to know what insane person would have the passion to put up with you though. That's a tough job."

"I'm looking at 'im." Ace grinned lopsidedly, purposely resting his huge head on Samuel's shoulder as they walked and throwing his master off balance.

Shoving Samuel playfully in the arm, Hoshiko laughed. "We'll Ace is right about one thing at least: you've got the insane part down, Samuel!" The girl poked him teasingly before walking a step ahead of her friends and then turning around so she was walking backwards and facing Samuel and Ace once more.

"But I put up with Ace too. Not as much as you do though, Samuel. So I think we'll have to give that award to you. I can just be...runner up." Hoshiko laughed a bit to herself and looking around them together. "But there is _one_ of us that takes the insane prize by a mile!" Hoshiko smirked and ran at Ace, grabbing onto his neck and hanging off of it, swinging back and forth while the beast plodded on. "Isn't that right?"

Ace chuckled and continued walking, as if he didn't even notice Hoshiko hanging on him. He actually seemed invigorated by the attention, and his step had an added bounce to it. He let out a playful bark and started trotting ahead of Samuel a bit, until he came to a stop right on the edge of Blackthorn's crystal clear and very deep lake. As soon as he got there, he sat his butt down so that he wouldn't step into the water and accidentally drop Hoshiko into it.

"Crazy is a relative term." Ace decided out loud, suddenly falling backwards, belly up, and catching Hoshiko on his chest. Like any dog asking for a good belly rub, he wagged his tail playfully and flashed his teeth.

Hoshiko toppled into the pile of warm fur with a giggle and a raised eyebrow. She shook her head and reached over until her hand barely touched the water. It was dark and cold as ice. The girl scooped a little up and playfully splashed Ace.

"You have to be more careful with me! I'm in a fragile state!" Hoshiko laughed, rolling onto her back and tugging gently at the fur on Ace's forelimbs. "I'm delicate. Like a doll. You can't play rough with a little doll. I'm not all crazy like I was before." She smirked at the dog and started to tickle under his chin. "Don't you understand, you silly puppy?"

Ace kicked his back foot in the air with rapid delight. "You seem alright to me." He commented with an abrupt laugh. "Don't worry. I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."

Samuel watched and laughed for a moment, reaching his down in offer to help Hoshiko up. "Yeah right." Samuel sneered at Ace. "You're pretty bad, and you're happening."

"Hmph. You're just jealous that's all. I'm being nice to Hoshiko. She knows I won't hurt her."

Taking Samuel's offer, Hoshiko got off of Ace's chest and gave the dog a sympathetic and yet humorous look before turning to Samuel. "Ace is right. I know he wouldn't hurt me. But I don't want to risk rolling off of him and into the water." The girl smiled sheepishly. "I know that I've been crazy and foolish in the past, but I know that I have to be really careful." Hoshiko said, trying to sound as responsible as possible.

"You guys do take good care of me though." Hoshiko smiled and nodded in thanks to the two. "I don't know what I'd do without either of you!"

Samuel laughed gently at Hoshiko. "Yeah, well. We try."

He grinned, but then quickly went back to the matter at hand, gesturing towards the water. Across the deep, abyssal pool, tall cliffs rose up amid thick evergreens. Behind the trees, the shadow of a path opening into the dark woods yawned forebodingly. The front of the trail was marked with two carved statues, each in the likeness of a dragon. Samuel didn't even have to guess. He knew that was the road into the cave.

"So shall we ride Hanu to the other side? Or would you rather crazy Ace carry us?" Samuel snickered.

"You know I'm always willing to give a ride." Ace sneered.

"_Yeah_." Samuel shoved Ace as the beast hopped up to his feet. "That's enough of that now."

"Just saying." Ace laughed.

"Garuda could carry us too." Samuel suggested. "I'll let you decide which is more comfortable for you, Hoshiko."

"Well I guess Hanu wouldn't mind doing it." Hoshiko said, reaching into her bag and taking out the monster's pokéball. She released him, and the huge sea dragon gave a customary roar, but one that was much less moody or angered then a normal pokémon of his type. He turned his head to face Hoshiko and blew a warm breath at her as he looked her over carefully. It was as if to make sure that she was alright and he even seemed to realize that the girl was carrying a child. At least that was how Hoshiko perceived his gentleness.

"Hi, Hanu." Hoshiko smiled and patted the side of his face before climbing onto her pokémon's back with a bit of his help.

The creature was obviously pleased with himself. Hoshiko laughed gently and then looked down at Samuel and Ace. Samuel nodded to her and then made to climb on. Once Samuel was set on Hanu's back, Hoshiko instructed the creature where to go.

Surprisingly gracefully, Hanu slipped into the water like a snake and went along the surface as it he were part of it, despite his oversized body.

"Isn't he wonderful in the water?" Hoshiko said, quite proud of her pokémon companion.

"He is." Ace commented from the side. The large canine floated just above the water, using his power over electricity and the world's magnetic poles to his advantage. His feet near hovered enough to grace the glassy surface, but purposely raised just enough not to.

Samuel, meanwhile rode on Hanu's back with Hoshiko, casting a sidelong glance at Ace. The monster was lovely in the way he barely skimmed the surface of the water, but Samuel felt uneasy, still. The thought of Ace's intent towards monsters weighed heavily on his heart.

"Ace..." He asked, almost nervously. "I know this is a stupid question, but I just feel compelled..." He looked at Hanu and smoothed the creature's shining scales under his palm. "Do you really have to... You know..." He bit his lip. "Not Hanu..."

Ace's ears drooped slightly, and he half closed his eyes. "Hanu will understand when it is his time. But it isn't yet, so I wouldn't worry."

Hoshiko couldn't help catching the conversation, and it wasn't like Samuel and Ace were trying to keep it from her either. It wasn't a conversation that she had wanted to have or even think of...ever. She didn't want to say anything about it; there wasn't much she could. There were plenty of things that she wanted to say to Ace about his response to the question. But they weren't nice. They were mean and emotional, and it wouldn't have benefited anyone in their little group for her to say anything.

So instead, sighing heavily, Hoshiko leaned forward so that she was resting on Hanu's head. She embraced as much of the top of the serpent's head as best she could and held onto him tightly. The creature's eyes shifted up to view Hoshiko, and she could tell he wondered why she seemed so distressed. She didn't make a sound. Rather, she just forced herself to ignore the topic and push it far to the back of her mind, burying it under the long list of more immediate concerns. Still, there remained a clear sadness on her face that made it clear she had heard her friends and processed everything.

A sharp pang of guilt tormented Ace, and the beast couldn't bring himself to say more. He knew that the situation was difficult, and he didn't want to upset anyone more than he already had a tendency to. Quietly, the group moved forward, across the still, glasslike surface of the dragon lake. The only ripples were those left in the wake of Hanu's great, swishing tail. Bright sunlight reflected off of the mirror-like surface, but despite the strength of the sun, the air was still crisp and cold. A magikarp poked its head out of the water and then dove out of sight, leaving a spread of ripples that quickly faded.

When the group came to the opposite shore of the lake, boxed in by towering cliffs of red and brown and the thick cedars that pointed to the heavens like green needles, Ace landed first, then turned in a flurry of fluff to face Hanu as the gyarados dropped off his passengers.

Hoshiko gave a gentle hug of gratitude to Hanu before letting the pokémon go back into his pokéball. She took a good hard look at the object before putting it carefully back into her bag. She reflected on everything Hanu had done for her, and the thought of him perishing much like the pokémon at the convention made Hoshiko shudder. But pushing aside the sickening feeling it gave her, the girl turned around and looked at Ace with a forced shrug of indifference.

"We must be calm and respectful to the Dragon Clan elders." Ace warned quietly, turning to head into the trees and down the path towards the mouth of the cave.

"You say that as if you've done this before." Samuel raised an eyebrow.

"I know the Dragon Clan, though personally they do not know me. Or at least... their family has not seen me in hundreds of years, and they would not recognize me as I am now."

"Well I shouldn't have a problem with being calm and respectful." Hoshiko stated as if it were something second nature for a teenager. "After all, I was raised with both qualities in the forefront of my mind." She bowed as much for a demonstration as it was for humor. "I think Samuel is the one you should worry about." Hoshiko snickered, starting the walk with a bit of a smirk.

Samuel blushed, despite himself, and he looked at Hoshiko suddenly with eyes wide. "Hey now, I'm respectful."

"Yeah sure." Ace smirked just a tiny bit, despite his mind being on more difficult things.

"Besides, if you knew the Dragon Clan, why didn't you just tell us before? We didn't even have to ask Koichi." Samuel fussed.

"I had hoped to avoid confronting them." Ace answered stoically.

He led the two down the short trail, under the long, arching boughs of the pines. The shadow of the cliffs loomed over them, even from behind the limbs, and all traces of the glorious sun faded, deepening the chill in the air. At the end of the trail, the rock wall opened up in a wide but low split. The darkness beyond lay deeper than even the shadows of the trees. Ace stepped through the cave entrance and once inside, the dimness overcame the three of them. Surprisingly, however, it was not pitch black. It was dark, but as they moved forward, a soft blue glow filled the cavern.

The source came from down below. Where Ace and company were standing, they looked down a steep slope in the rocks, eased by a carved stairwell. At the bottom of the stairs sprang a deep, glistening underground lake, and stretched across it was a dark wooden bridge. Their eyes followed the pathway to the other side of the lake, and came to rest on a pagoda-like structure built on stilts in the water, connected to the entrance by the bridge. There were several people sitting in front of it, meditating with their legs crossed and their eyes on the water. Sitting at the end of the meditating group was a young woman. She was clearly older then Hoshiko by about four or five years, she had fiery red hair and seemed to be just as entranced by the meditation as even the eldest of the group.

"Feels like home..." Hoshiko muttered with a sense of discontent, glancing between Ace and Samuel. The sense of the place reminded Hoshiko too much of Ecruteak to feel comfortable, so she shifted closer to Samuel, consequently moving just a little bit away from Ace.

Her eyes fell upon the waiting figures on the deck that wrapped around the solitary dojo. The meditation seemed calming to the girl and she found herself very easily getting caught up in watching the pale, glowing water just like the members of the Dragon Clan were doing. Meditation was nothing foreign to Hoshiko, and she leaned closer to Samuel to whisper something in his ear.

"We used to do that a lot back in Ecruteak." She said. Part of Hoshiko had wanted to ask Ace more about the Clan, after all she was very interested in tradition. But she bit her tongue, only foreseeing an argument in the discussion topic.

Samuel glanced at Hoshiko when his friend drew closer to him, and he smiled ever so slightly, hoping to reassure her. He could tell she was a tad nervous being around Ace, but he didn't want to say anything about it. Ace, meanwhile, brushed past them and started walking down the stairs, one short flight at a time, until he was at the bottom. He came to the first plank of the wooden bridge, and then sat down, looking up the stairs at his master.

Samuel reached the bottom at the same time as Hoshiko, not wanting to leave her behind, and then he looked out across the bridge and back at Ace.

"You...want me to go first?" He asked, confused as to why Ace had stopped walking.

"It is best if I stay here." He said, softly nodding.

Hoshiko didn't say anything as she and Samuel made their way across the bridge. After all, there wasn't a whole lot she could say, and the girl feared breaking silence and interrupting careful meditation of the Dragon Clan. Her steps on the bridge were silent, but as the two crossed the bridge and came upon the outer deck around the building, the reflection of two strangers in the water alerted the young woman at the end of the line.

The girl's head raised and turned, taking in the two newcomers with an almost distant expression. At this Hoshiko bowed slow and deeply.

"Konichiwa." She said softly, but Hoshiko didn't receive a reply. The red-head narrowed her eyes for a moment, and seemed to be studying Hoshiko, as if she'd seen her before. Suddenly, she whispered under her breath. "A Kimono Girl?"

"Ah, children. I'm surprised to see outsiders down here. How did you find us?" One of the other dragon tamers asked, his meditative state slowly trickling back into reality. "You probably should not be down here, you know?"

At that moment, the door to the temple opened, and the bright haired boy that Samuel recognized instantly came out with a mop and a bucket in hand.

"There." He said, slightly peeved. "I finished cleaning the floor. Can I _please_ go no—" His eyes caught Samuel's, and Vincent almost jumped with a start. "Hey! It's you! You came back!"

Hoshiko wanted badly to smile at Vince and bend down to give the child a hug, but in the presence of the Elders and in the light of Ace's request, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead she bowed to the child and turned back to the male Elder who had asked them about their visit.

"I'm terribly sorry for the intrusion. But my friend Samuel Oak and I have come down here on purpose. We've come to ask about the history of Blackthorn and the Dragon Clan." Hoshiko said quite gently.

"What does a Kimono Girl want with the tradition of the Dragon Clan?" The red haired girl asked, raising an eyebrow at Hoshiko. She didn't seem particularly entertained by the girl's presence, and it was obvious to Hoshiko as she saw the girl's eyes lock with hers.

But she wouldn't bend under any pressure. "Thank you so much for the question." She started respectfully. Part of the girl didn't want to reveal Ace's intentions first, so decided not to alarm anyone. "I believe it is important to be educated in all of the traditions of Johto if I am to serve the region properly. I am to become the head of the Kimono family and as such, I wish to make myself as knowledgeable as possible before I take my duties."

Eyes narrowed, the girl didn't say anything but looked at Hoshiko quite ruefully, looking her over with intense scrutiny. Crossing her arms in front of herself, the young woman had a bit of a smug look on her face.

"Knowledge of the Dragon Clan's history is reserved to Tamers and to those few who can beat us in battle. We do not give full and complete access to strangers, I'm afraid. You have entered into our stronghold, and it would be best if you left now."

Vincent glanced over at the older Dragon Tamer and frowned a little. "But these are my friends! They're not strangers at all!"

"If these are your friends who have gotten you into so much trouble lately, it is right for all of us to be cautious."

Looking over at Vince, Hoshiko was surprisingly composed and turned back to the elder. "Sir, if I may." She started slowly, giving him a moment to object although she hated the thought that he might. "I believe that Vincent had followed my Father against his wishes to Ecruteak. In which he escorted him back to Blackthorn himself. I don't mean to be so bold, but Vince did seem to have very noble intentions, and wasn't harmed in the least." Hoshiko offered for a moment before reaching into her bag and taking out a pokéball.

"As I'm sure you're aware, the Kimono Family is also versed in the training of pokémon. If it would please you, I will engage in battle with you. I only wish to respect you, but I would feel saddened if my visit to you was in vain." Hoshiko held out her pokéball for the Elder to view and bowed low.

Instead, it was the young woman who responded. With a smirk on her face, the girl flung her own long, red hair behind her back and shook her head, watching Hoshiko. She didn't particularly like the presence of another girl in the area and something about Hoshiko just seemed to irritate her.

"Why don't you listen to the Elder and leave? I thought you Kimono Girls were brought up with more respect than to just barge in on people. Or maybe...Kimono Girls don't have as much respect as I thought?" The girl raised an eyebrow and suddenly Hoshiko felt quite self conscious. Her cheeks went bright red but she didn't say anything. Was it possible that the girl might have been referring to her pregnancy? Hoshiko hadn't thought it was quite so noticeable.

"I apologize. I assure you, I have the utmost respect for the Dragon Clan." Hoshiko said.

"...I couldn't imagine that with how you just waltzed in here." The red-head looked hard at Hoshiko. "And please tell me, how could a girl of your age take on the responsibilities of the head of your family? Isn't that for older, more mature, responsible girls...ones who bear children for their family?"

Swallowing hard, Hoshiko tried not to make her nerves noticeable. "I am following the laws of my family and bearing a child to continue our bloodline, it is the child of my—"

But Hoshiko was cut off when the red hair girl clicked her tongue. "So they covered up a scandal by letting you take head place in the family? Incredible. How old are you anyways?"

"Seventeen." Hoshiko said hesitantly.

"I'm five years older then you, and I'm not even considering marriage. Here you are pregnant." Rolling her eyes, the young woman smugly commented. "Funny differences between our families. I guess you're allowed to go and do whatever you want..." She looked about to finish speaking, but much to Hoshiko's dismay the girl added. "Some girls just have no sense of morals."

Hoshiko wished she could have defended herself, but at this point the poor girl was speechless, dizzy and practically ready to fall over from embarrassment.

"That's enough." The Elder scolded, albeit gently. "We will not judge her for any choices she has made, but she is not welcome here in the Dragon's Den, that is certain. Perhaps a battle will change that, but we should take it outside, out of respect for the temple."

"One moment, if I may." A voice called out from the bridge behind Samuel and Hoshiko, and when everyone turned to look, they saw Hart, strolling across the planks, looking very confident and calm. "I hate to interrupt this little gathering, but I believe I have something of tremendous interest to the Dragon Clan."

Hoshiko's eyes would have widened, and she would have shown quite a measure of concern if it wasn't for the ill-composed state that she had put herself into so that she would be able to maintain a respectful air around the Clan Members. All of her emotions and fears from Hart's appearance were completely washed out.

"What are you doing here?" Hoshiko asked sternly, but before anyone could say anything the young woman who had just insulted Hoshiko jumped forward with a determined and angry look on her face.

"What're you talking about!" Pointing an accusing finger at Hart, the young woman gave him a sour look. "How dare you barge in her too making such claims!" Reaching into her pocket the girl pulled out a pokéball at shook fist with the pokéball inside of it at Hart.

"Please, don't get into any fights or arguments with this man..." Hoshiko said gently, trying to make the girl shy away.

"You pipe down! I know exactly what I'm doing. You should probably stay out of this. I don't need you bogging me down."

Hart was not in the slightest bit bothered by the confrontation, and he just smiled the warmest, friendliest smile you ever did see. He adjusted the collar of his jacket with a tug at the front of his coat and casually put both hands into his pockets.

"Now, now. Don't get all worked up. My name is Kaiser Hart, and you might have heard that I've been researching some very rare, very powerful dragon-type pokémon rarely seen by human beings. Better still: They've not been seen in Jhoto before. I would think you'd be interested in what I know about them. Have you heard of Dialga and Palkia?"

Samuel gritted his teeth, but he didn't want to start chaos by yelling at Hart and starting a battle. One was already brewing, and he preferred to avoid it at all costs.

Folding her arms in front of her the red-haired young woman gave Hart a dissatisfied and unimpressed pout.

"I don't care what you're talking about. I know everything there is to know about dragon pokémon and the Dragon Clan itself." She spoke indignantly.

Meanwhile, Hoshiko looked back helplessly at Samuel, unsure of what to do. Bringing Hart back to the surface only mapped out trouble, he wasn't likely to release the two gargantuan pokémon inside of the cave, so the longer they stalled him to stay down here until a better plan could be hatched, the better. Stepping forward so that she was beside the young woman who had such distaste for her, Hoshiko surprisingly bowed to Hart. If he didn't want to blow his cover, he would be forced to be kind and agreeable with her or risk becoming angered and foiling his charade.

"Mr. Kaiser Hart, maybe you would care to elaborate for us what you're speaking of. These dragon pokémon you speak of, I wish to understand more of them myself. Any knowledge I may obtain would only further me in serving Johto." Or at the very least serve in confusing him.

"Why don't you bug off, Kimono Girl?" The red-head seethed at her, wanting to push the girl aside. "You're not as noble as you act anyways. Why don't you go home and wait till you have your child and grow up. Pregnant girls shouldn't be traveling all over the place getting themselves into trouble more than they already have. And anyway, you're getting in _my_ way!"

Hart shrugged, hardly even taking the girl's protests into account. Instead he turned to the nearest elder. "I am certain that the Dragon Clan has great interest in my pokémon. But it is very crowded here... Perhaps it would be better if we all stepped outside."

"Hmm... Dialga and Palkia..." The Dragon Master scratched his chin. "I've heard little about them, although I have heard of their existence. Beyond that I do not know much, which must mean they are exceedingly well-protected Legends. What powers, precisely, do they boast?"

"A great many." Hart explained. "But Legend suggests that they have power over time and space itself."

There wasn't much Hoshiko could do. Stepping in on the conversation would prove to be disrespectful to the Elder, and Hoshiko couldn't risk it. Samuel wasn't doing too much to add to the situation and Hoshiko wondered somewhat why he hadn't said anything at all.

But this wasn't the time to worry about that. Instead the girl turned to Vince, crouching so that she was on eye level with the little boy. She nodded to him for a moment and the pointed inconspicuously at Hart.

"Do you remember that man, Vince?" Hoshiko whispered as softly as she could. He's the one from Ecruteak who I stole the case from when I disguised myself. And he's the one who had me shot in the Pokémon Center. Don't you remember spying on him from the tree when I was in the Dance Theater?"

Hoshiko hoped that the memory of Hart was bad enough in Vince's mind that he would start a fuss for her and distract the Elder. And if anyone needed proof...well Hoshiko had a scar from that shot one of Hart's henchmen fired at her. Sure enough, Vince's eyes widened, and he quickly pointed a finger at Hart.

"Hey! You're that bad man!" He cried out. "You attacked Hoshiko! You were trying to do bad things and kidnap Samuel!"

Everyone turned and looked at Hart in surprise and distrust. Hart just smiled at the boy, and the look made Samuel's blood run cold.

"A sadly necessary evil, my boy. If only you understood these criminals and the depth of destruction that they have caused in their wake. I'm no murderer. Just a man of justice. If you don't believe me, I can prove it."

Hoshiko's composed face didn't do justice to the havoc that was going on in her mind. The fact was that Hart could say some incriminating things about her and Samuel, but she had things to say about Hart too. He was an adult though, and as Hoshiko had sadly learned, people tended to choose trusting people who were older over the younger generation. That would turn out sour for her and Samuel. She was backed into a corner and not a very good one.

"Shooting someone and leaving them for dead in the Ecruteak Pokémon Center is not necessary. You kidnapped my friend in the name of monetary gain." Approaching the two, Hoshiko looked to the Elder and nodded slowly. "I'm sure you must have heard of the incident in the Pokémon Center a few months ago. This man took the nurse and staff of the Center hostage. Ordered one of his men to shoot me and then left me for dead with a bullet in my chest. If not for my father I would have surely died." Unraveling the scarf from her neck, Hoshiko pulled the neck of her shirt down just enough that the men would be able to get a view of the scar that had been left behind from the ordeal.

The Elder looked at Hoshiko, wide-eyed, and Samuel stepped forward to support Hoshiko, even though he well knew that Hart could quickly turn them both into outlaws if they were not careful. He just didn't want to leave Hoshiko to stand on her own.

"It's true. Hart attacked us and nearly killed her. We had to rely on her father for medical treatment, and had it not been for him, Hoshiko could have died."

The Elder looked at Hart and scowled, as if demanding an explanation, but Hart was not intimidated.

"It is in the history of man to punish criminals who take the lives of others by taking their own life. It's called justice. And these children are not finished wreaking havoc, but to give you an example of what they are capable of doing, they were deeply entangled in the Convention Center Massacre just months ago. I wouldn't trust these kids. They're quite dangerous."

"I wasn't involved in what took place at the convention at all." Hoshiko stated curtly as she slid up her sleeve and started to unwrap the bandages that Koichi had wrapped on her arm. And once there was enough so show her skin, Hoshiko pointed out the scar that she had received from when Ace had mistaken her for the Teddiursa that she had saved.

"The only thing I did was jump into the fray and protect a little girl's Teddiursa. You can ask the Pokémon Center Samuel and I were brought to. You can ask the doctor there that treated me. I was attacked there trying to _save_ a pokémon. Thankfully I was able to preserve her pokémon. I was clearly not part of any of the killing that took place there." Hoshiko looked into Hart's eyes with a certain fire in protecting her innocence and bringing to light his selfish intentions. "I have never harmed any human or pokémon in my life. There is no justice in harming someone who has done nothing to either you or anyone else. The only reason you attacked me at the Pokémon Center here is because of your lust for wealth." It was true, Hart had no attachment to Arceus at the time when he had her shot. It was only because of his want for Snap's Journal. "You and I both know that."

Hart waved his hand as if Hoshiko's words were nothing. The action infuriated Samuel, and he had to hold himself back from lunging at Hart and taking a swing. As it was, he just clenched his fists. Before he had a chance to add his two cents though, Hart had already started talking again.

"I know a lot about you and your friends, Girl, because I myself have friends in high places. You can try to paint yourself as some sort of hero, but the fact remains that you affiliate with _him_." He quickly whirled on his heels and pointed at the cloud-white figure of Ace waiting back at the base of the stairs, half enshrouded in shadow.

The elder squinted slightly, trying to see. "What in the world? A monster?" He rubbed his old eyes, wishing they would focus more clearly.

"Not just any monster." Hart warned ominously. "The most dangerous monster in the history of man. Untamable, uncontrollable, destructive, and _murderous_."

Hoshiko's throat went dry and she was thankful that Samuel was beside her now. There wasn't much she could say, protecting herself was one thing, she knew that there wasn't really anything that Hart could truly condemn her for. But Ace was a different story. He was everything Hart said he was. The memory of such proof made Hoshiko's blood curl. Part of her wondered what she was fighting for.

Swallowing hard, Hoshiko looked back at Ace as did Hart and the Elder. What was there possibly to say against Hart's accusations? Nothing. That was the exact problem. And so in silence, Hoshiko glanced at Samuel as if he could tell her what to say, the girl's concern was so incredibly clear.

Though Samuel felt Hoshiko's eyes boring desperately into him, the young man just stood, white as a sheet as he faced Hart and cast a sidelong glance in Ace's direction. He was almost afraid to look at the huge creature, as if so much as that would be incriminating. He felt truly sick, because he knew that Hart was right.

No.

He shook his head to clear it.

Hart didn't understand. And even if it was a risky position to take Ace's side, Samuel knew that Ace was trustworthy, even if he had horrific potential. He suddenly glared at Hart.

"Ace is dangerous. Perhaps even the most dangerous monster of all time. And he is untamable, at least in the aspect that he has his own free will and will not be subjugated to someone else's whim. But when you think of it, doesn't man have the same potential? Unfortunately, _unlike_ Ace, man is less likely to serve others outside of themselves. Nothing that monster does is for himself. And that I can stand by."

"Nonsense. No creature is truly selfless, least of all monsters." Hart snarled.

"Ace is a little more than a monster. He is the Incarnus."

Hoshiko wasn't sure what to say, she couldn't add much, but Samuel's words encouraged her weary heart and reminded her of the good in Ace that was sometimes difficult to see. It made her proud that Samuel stood up for his friend so boldly, even when the two of them had had their struggles with the beast. He spoke the truth, hard as it was to see sometimes, and the least she could do was agree with him.

"Samuel is right." Hoshiko nodded. "Ace has always been loyal. Even when it might inconvenience him. His ideals are noble and certainly not selfish. You wouldn't be able to understand that, Hart...after all I doubt you've ever experienced a day without greed." The girl said quite simply, more as an objective evaluation of both Ace and Hart barring her own personal emotions.

But out of the blue, Hoshiko was quickly and strangely silenced, not saying another word. Slowly raising her arms, she wrapped them around herself. The normally present morning sickness gave way to a terrible and almost crippling pain. Regardless, Hart couldn't go back to the surface. There had to be a way to prevent him from releasing Palkia and Dialga. She would stay quiet, and try not to draw attention to herself. However the girl was slowly starting to get more and more bent over and the expression on her face slowly slipped from normal to her obviously fighting off some sort of great discomfort. Concern and even traces of fear bubbled up in her normally bright amber eyes. Samuel noticed Hoshiko's discomfort, and although he was worried, he tried to stay focused.

Hart scrutinized the both of them icily, but after a moment, he just smirked.

"Do you have solid proof of my supposed greed, my friends? I've just been trying to help people out in whatever ways I can, and benefits on the side are my perks."

Samuel flashed a fierce glare at the dark man and turned to the Dragon Clan. "Don't listen to him! He's lying!"

"Last time you called me a liar, boy, I think I proved you wrong."

Clenching her hands into fists until the girl's knuckles turned white, Hoshiko closed her eyes and bit her lip to keep from whimpering in pain or even crying. She tried to stay as silent as possible, but it was getting increasingly harder and from the crunched lines in her brow and around her mouth, it was apparent that Hoshiko was fighting a losing battle. Out of the corner of her watery eyes Hoshiko could see Vince, and strangely enough, despite her pain, she felt bad for the boy witnessing such a terrible argument over such sad things.

The red haired girl from the Dragon Clan however was just as outspoken as ever, looking between Hart and Samuel.

"I'll be honest." She said annoyed, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't trust either of you. _Any_ of you for that matter. If you had one respectful bone in your bodies you would have asked for an audience with the Dragon Clan to begin with. You're tactless. And all you do is come in here to hassle us while we're meditating. I say you're both selfish and greedy." With a huff the young woman glared at both Hart and Samuel as if to prove that by simply what she said she was more accurate and right then either of the two put together.

Although agitated by Hart and the pompous young Dragon Tamer, Samuel recognized Hoshiko's pain now. He still worried about what Hart may have to say to the Clan and what he might do, but he couldn't risk ignoring his friend any longer. Reaching for her hand, he took hold, and started to lead her towards the bridge, glancing back over his shoulder.

"My apologies, but I do hope you'll hear us out when this is over. Excuse me, though, right now I have to take care of my friend..."

Hart snorted. "Ridiculous act, trying to dodge your way out. No matter." He turned to the red haired girl and smiled slightly. "You have a fiery temper, but your rashness does not suit your noble position in the Clan. I think you should listen to me, because I have information on legendary dragons, as I have said, and I am willing to share it with you if you just answer a few simple questions for me."

Although biting back agony, Hoshiko couldn't find it within her left to let Samuel guide her away from the group as Hart was about to ask his questions. This was the information that they needed. What Hart was interested in. And despite the terrible pain she was enduring, Hoshiko pulled back on Samuel a bit and looked up at him, shaking her head.

"Wait...just...just listen for a moment." Her voice grated hoarsely, barely a whisper, but Hoshiko desperately wanted to find out what Hart was going to ask the young woman. After all it was their only hint to his plan.

The young woman, whose fiery temper matched her hair didn't like Hart's attitude. But she wouldn't let her judgment be clouded by her hatred towards any sort of person who tried to make her listen to them. She would prove him wrong, that was for certain. But he wanted something from the Dragon Clan and her job was to protect the dignity of her family. With someone running around trying to barter information, she knew something was off. The Elders, although concerned, allowed the younger woman to handle the situation, if only because they knew it was her responsibility. They were the teachers and the bearers of knowledge, not the diplomats. Everyone had a place, and tradition dictated that they all remain within their roles. Vince watched quietly, although upset and fidgety. He knew his role as well—as a young child, his primary function was cleaning the Temple and staying out of the way of the others.

"What questions do you have?" The red-headed Dragon Clan diplomat finally said, watching Hart's face very carefully.

"I know that the history of the Dragon Clan goes way back, and that they are perhaps some of the most devout trainers there are. I was wondering if I might see this in action for myself. And also..." He paused and smiled coolly. "I would like to see the inside of the Temple. I know I must earn that right first, and I'm prepared to do battle for it, but would you perhaps grant me the passage?" His smile brightened even more. "I'm very, very interested in fully understanding the bond between dragon pokémon and their masters here among you."

Crossing her arms in front of her chest the red-haired girl turned her face away from Hart, unimpressed by his eloquence and even indignant towards the man.

"No." She stated quite simply, frustrated with Hart's personality and pretty much just everything about him. "I don't like you at all, and I don't want people like you near the temple. I don't care what your stupid argument with those other people was about, but anyone who'll attack the Pokémon Center here in Blackthorn is no one who deserves to even come _near_ the Dragon Clan's temple. So why don't you just shove off, buddy?"

Hoshiko bit her lip and glanced up at Samuel. "He...wants something...inside the temple..." She coughed, whispering to her friend so that no one else would hear. "Like...the...bell in...Ecruteak's...tower..."

Hart just smirked at the girl and shrugged her off. "Very well, I'm sure it's not up to you anyway." He turned towards the Elders and nodded slowly. "Will you grant my simple request?"

The old man stared at Hart wearily for a moment, and then sighed. True that diplomatic duty fell upon the young lady, but the ultimate decisions were left up to the Elders. And even though he wanted no part in the talks or arguments, he, and the others with him, were curious.

"I am interested in knowing what you might have learned about these rare and unique dragon pokémon. We scarcely hear legends of...what did you say they were?"

"Dialga and Palkia."

"Indeed. We rarely hear a thing about them, as they're not even native in this region...But if you know something about them, we would love to add such knowledge to our records. We maintain detailed accounts of every known subspecies of dragon, and Dialga and Palkia... We have only their names recorded in our books..."

"Then you would love to know what I know." Hart chuckled. "I'll be glad to share it all with you, if you would battle me and take me to see this temple of yours.

"Hmmm..." The elder gruffly scratched his chin."

"Are you serious?" The young woman looked at the Elder with shock and wide eyes. "You would seriously let this guy into the temple? No! That's crazy. Just look at him. Think about it for a second. He went in and took our Pokémon Center hostage! And someone got shot because of him. There's no way! You don't even know if he's telling the truth..." The girl's eyes narrowed and she took a few steps closer to Hart and clenched her fists at him. "Mark my words, he's trouble." She growled.

Having trouble breathing, Hoshiko leaned on Samuel and shook her head. "...W-We need to...get in there before...Hart can..." She took a sharp breath in bit her lip hard to prevent from crying.

The elder looked at his diplomat with tired old eyes and nodded slightly. "None of these people are worthy of trust, but the truth must be found out. We cannot risk living in the dark if there is more for us to learn. We must honor the Zenith Dragon with our lives and prove our devotion. That is our number one priority. If the man is lying, the entire Clan will turn against him, and he has no might capable of opposing our force of dragons. But if he tells the truth, then it is worth listening. Besides... There is no reason not to at least battle him. If he is not strong enough to defeat us, then we have little to worry about. That was his first request. We'll start with that one."

"Humph, fine." The young woman stated irritably, still not taking her eyes off of Hart. "I'll battle him. He doesn't look like much of a threat to me anyways..." Leering smugly, the red haired girl walked past Hart with her nose held high.

Samuel finally turned to Hoshiko regretfully and held on tightly to her arm. He knew there wasn't much more he could say to change anyone's mind. They'd have to go with the flow and face the consequences.

"Everyone is leaving the caves anyway. We'll have time to look into this later. Right now, we have to get you back to your father." He started tugging her towards the bridge. "You don't have to worry. If anything happens, Ace will be able to handle it..."

Hoshiko wasn't inclined to disagree with Samuel as he started to pull her along, after all the pain felt terrible. The girl could only hope that her father would be able to tell her that everything was alright, even though it certainly didn't feel like it was. Hoshiko stumbled along with Samuel as the two crossed the bridge across the water and started the climb up the great stone steps. Looking at Ace sadly as she passed him, Hoshiko's regret shone plainly on her face. She wished she could have done for the effort.

"I'm...sorry...Ace."

Ace had ducked back into the rocks as the Dragon Clan members followed Hart from the bridge on up the steps towards the mouth of the cave. Only when Samuel and Hoshiko were alone did he stick his head out. His ears drooped slightly when Hoshiko spoke, but he gently shushed her.

"It's alright. I'll think of something. At least you guys tried."

"Yeah," Samuel mumbled as he led Hoshiko on. Ace started to follow them, but Samuel kept talking. "I have to take Hoshiko back to Koichi. I need you to keep an eye on Hart and make sure he doesn't do anything dangerous. Do you think that you can fend off Dialga and Palkia if it comes to it?"

"I'll do my best, but Dialga is a nightmare... Teamed up with Palkia, it is going to become very dangerous very quickly."

"Well... hit their weaknesses, they're bound to have them, right?" Samuel asked, concerned for Ace's well-being.

"Dialga is weak against my human form and my earth form, but transforming now is going to be difficult... I don't have much energy, and I'm so worn down from dealing with Arceus that transformation would likely kill me. Palkia I can handle with electricity, but... I am concerned Dialga will take me out in the struggle... And Hart has a nidoking at his disposal... Fighting that too will be complicated..."

"I'll try to hurry then." Samuel quickened his step. "Just do what you can, alright?"

"Of course."

Feeling very much like a burden, Hoshiko didn't say anything but listened as Samuel spoke to Ace. She didn't want to get in their way. Her dejected feelings however were hidden by the pained expression on her face.

* * *

Once the group was out of the cave, Hoshiko released Hanu and with Samuel's help mounted the creature so that they could cross the lake. The young woman gripped onto the monster and his concern for her was clear by just how swiftly and yet carefully Hanu managed to cross the body of water. Once they had crossed, Hoshiko slid off of the creature and looked to Samuel with tear stained cheeks.

"I'm...worried, Samuel..." The pain greatly concerned her and now that they were reasonably away from the others Hoshiko found it safe to start sobbing.

"So am I..."

Samuel said slowly, putting his arm under hers so that she could lean on him for support. He could see from the corner of his eye that Hart was standing on one end of the glassy lake while the Dragon Tamers gathered on the opposing side. It appeared that a battle had already begun, as flashes of light unleashed the large monsters onto the field. Samuel, however, was relieved. Dialga and Palkia were nowhere to be seen, at least at the moment. The longer Hart kept them tucked away wherever he had them, the longer everyone would last.

"Don't worry about Ace, though... He's tough...he can handle a lot..." Samuel swallowed nervously as he stumbled from the lakefront to the dusty little road leading towards Hoshiko's house. "Right now I'm more worried about you."

Glancing up at Samuel and shaking her head sadly, Hoshiko spoke slowly as they made their way up the road towards Koichi's house. "Ace...isn't the...one...I'm worried about..." She said regretfully. Tears streamed down and dripped from her chin as she practically let all her weight shift onto Samuel.

The path seemed so long and the house so far as she watched the ground pass under her feet, desperate to reach Koichi. Her knees buckled under her, and Samuel had to catch her and lead her on several times. She had been so happy, so lively earlier. Now….

"This is...insane..." The girl muttered.

It wasn't long until the familiar voice of Koichi reached her ears, and the past steps faded into a blurry haze like a forgotten dream. The man had seen them approaching from his window, and now ran outside to meet them in the garden. He closed the distance quickly.

"What's going on!?" He asked in fearful urgency, moving to take the other side of Hoshiko so it would be easier to bring her into the house. "What happened?!"

Samuel shook his head violently, Koichi's reaction making him more and more nervous. "I don't know what's wrong." He admitted. "She seems like she's in a lot of pain, but I don't have any idea why. We weren't doing anything strenuous at all. We were just standing there, talking to the Dragon Clan."

He helped Hoshiko through the door and onto Koichi's table, looking earnestly at the girl's father. "She took her medicine this morning, so I don't understand what could be wrong..." He bit his lip, feeling guilty that he had missed something leading up to Hoshiko's pain. But she had seemed completely fine until only minutes ago. The pain had hit so suddenly that he didn't really know what had caused it. "You have to ask her what's wrong, and you just gotta help her..."

There wasn't much time for Koichi to waste saying anything Samuel, he would have to talk to the young man more later, but right now he would have to find out from Hoshiko exactly what was wrong. Hoshiko's father pulled the girl's hands away from her stomach and placed a gentle palm on the place she had been holding.

"What happened?" He asked softly, trying to hide any sort of urgency that was screaming to escape.

"I...I dunno. A lot...of pain..." Hoshiko said, although from her face and the tension in her body that was already apparent.

"What caused it?" Koichi tried for a little more information.

"...I don't...know. I...was...just standing there..." She said quietly. "It's...a...really...intense...pain."

There was a fear that was too hard to hide for both Hoshiko and Koichi. Although the man know a lot more about the complications that such pains could involve, Hoshiko was deeply and emotionally concerned for her unborn child.

"It's way too early for labor, I don't understand..." He didn't want to say it, he couldn't understand it, but he couldn't think of a lot of different scenarios, all grievous. "We're gonna need to see what's going on, Hoshiko." He didn't have the heart to tell the girl what the most common cause of the pain could be. Koichi only prayed for once in his life that this was something totally unique happening that may have simply been a negative reaction to the way Osamu had treated Hoshiko and that it was nothing more than common pain. Looking up at Samuel, Koichi thought for a second and then spoke.

"Samuel, I need you to keep an eye on Hoshiko's blood pressure for me. Just...keep checking her heart rate." He didn't have time to do it any other way. This would have to do.

Samuel swallowed nervously. Not having any real medical experience beyond bandaging wounds, he hoped he knew what to look for and that he would do a good job. Taking Hoshiko's hand into his shaking palm, he felt around her wrist for her pulse, and when he found it, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate.

"I'll do my best, I promise..." He murmured, as he began to count her heartbeats. "Just hang in there, Hoshiko, alright? Your dad will figure this out, and everything will be okay in no time."

"I know you'll do your best Samuel." Koichi said softly as he placed sheet over Hoshiko. "And Samuel's right, Hoshiko, we'll have this all worked out in no time. You and the baby will be fine." He added before starting his examination, trying desperately to figure out what might be the source of Hoshiko's terrible pain.

Clenching her eyes closed tightly, Hoshiko tried her best to focus away from the agony and instead on Samuel's hand holding onto her wrist. The young woman's cheeks started to go bright red from holding back her cries, and the sheer stress of worry on her body raised Hoshiko's pulse.

"Samuel...go...to Ace..." The girl spoke weakly, opening her pained eyes and watching Samuel as he focused with eyes closed on counting her heartbeats. She truly wanted her friend there with her but knew how worried Samuel must have been about Ace.

Samuel's brow furrowed slightly, and he seemed almost offended. "No way. Ace will be alright, and how am I gonna help your dad if I run off now? You guys need me here more than Ace needs me right now. I'll go to him when he needs me, but I know he'll be alright... At least for a little while..." He stared solemnly at Hoshiko, hoping that she could understand he didn't want to just abandon her if something was really wrong. He didn't want to imagine that anything could be wrong, but he knew it was a possibility. "Don't send me off just yet."

Gratitude peeked through the deep etches in Hoshiko's face, softening some of the lines. Her pain wasn't gone but she felt relieved that Samuel would choose to support her. It was in fact what she had wanted; sending him off to Ace would have been a great sacrifice had he actually chosen to go.

"Thank...you, Samuel..." She said with pained softness. "I...wanted you...to stay...it's really what...I wanted..." Grasping Samuel's hand with her own, which he had been using to gauge her heartbeat, Hoshiko held tightly to her friend's hand, in a great sign of dependence.

Koichi's voice came, he sounded confused and yet somewhat certain. "I can't seem to find the cause of the pain so far..." He said, trying to sound reassuring. "How's her heart rate Samuel?" Koichi asked, looking over at the young man.

"It seems fast." He said with measured certainty. "I think it's just because she's hurting though." Cheeks reddening slightly, Samuel glanced down at his own hand. "I'm not a doctor though, so I dunno how good my word is. But she doesn't seem to be abnormally stressed or anything..." He shifted his weight nervously. "Do you think maybe it's something unrelated to her pregnancy?" He glanced at Hoshiko quietly, acknowledging her gratitude with a weak smile.

"Well that's what I'm hoping." Koichi said with a great sense of hope for the situation to turn out favorably for Hoshiko. He was quiet though after that, so deeply focused on his role as doctor that his silence was almost reassuring, for it meant that Koichi's greatest of efforts was being put to work.

The next few moments were spent in such silence, Hoshiko watched Samuel with her own brand of gratitude and there was hope in her eyes for the life of her unborn child. The minutes felt like hours...

"There couldn't possibly be anything wrong with the baby." Koichi said quite decisively at long last, looking between Samuel and Hoshiko. "So that's as much of a relief as I can offer right now. As for the pain I can't seem to pinpoint any real source. Except for the fact that it's more then likely linked to all the beatings Osamu gave you, Hoshiko. Stress can also trigger pain and even stomach ulcers. It takes a long time for a body to return back to fully normal after so much trauma, and ongoing stress makes the process slower." Koichi said, his examination over. He went over to the shelves in the room and gathered a few ingredients to prepared a drink with herbs to dull Hoshiko's pain. He put them all together and ground them in mortar and pestle, then added them to water and stirred until the liquid was green.

"This should help." He said, offering Hoshiko the bowl as he helped prop the girl into more of a sitting position. "Thank you for your help Samuel..." Koichi said.

Hoshiko, still in pain, took the bowl with one hand and was still holding Samuel's with her other hand, but was squeezing considerably tight as a way to expel her pain. "...T-Thank you Samuel..."

Samuel winced slightly, trying to shove aside the grinding of his finger bones ad picture something more pleasant. But at the moment there wasn't much that was pleasant to focus on. He forced a smile and nodded at Hoshiko.

"Anytime, okay?" He bit his lip for a moment, and then glanced towards the window. If Hoshiko really was alright, and the baby was fine as well, then Samuel had nothing to worry about. Except Ace. Right now the young man assumed everything was okay, considering there was no earthshaking rumbling or sounds of buildings being crushed. Dialga and Palkia probably weren't in the fray yet, that meant.

But what was Ace doing? The beast could be a bit reckless, although he was generally more cautious than Samuel tended to be. Still, the boy worried.

"Do you think she'll be well enough to go back out with me?" Samuel prodded, trying not to sound impatient.

Looking between Samuel and Hoshiko, Koichi sighed heavily and shook his head slightly. "It's up to Hoshiko. She should be fine by any standard to go back outside so long as she doesn't do anything too strenuous. But the pain isn't going to magically disappear. I can hope that the remedy I made will help...but I doubt it'll take all the pain away."

Letting go of Samuel, Hoshiko realized what she had done to his hand and looked at her friend apologetically. And her father too, realizing just how much the man must have been worried. Just as much as she had been, if not more. Now she felt a little silly, if nothing was really wrong, but nobody blamed her. Still, she was embarrassed. "I'll…go with you...Samuel..." Hoshiko said quietly, finishing the remedy.

Koichi hadn't wanted to say anything but leaned against the nearby wall and spoke quietly.

"I want you two to remember how badly you felt when you thought the baby might be in danger. Now, I don't think either of you were getting into trouble, but you have to remember that for you Hoshiko, this first trimester of your pregnancy is the most delicate. The highest rate of miscarriage is in this time." Closing his eyes, Koichi exhaled gently. "I don't want to sound severe but...just please think of it."

Samuel hesitated for a moment when Koichi announced the possibility that he knew was there but never wanted to think of. If Hoshiko lost the baby, Samuel knew that she would be devastated, and he himself would be more than a little upset. It wasn't his child. Not even a relative, and he didn't know the baby at all, naturally. But he still felt attached to it, and even if his pain would never have rivaled the pain of a grieving mother, it still would have been difficult to deal with.

"Maybe you should stay here..." He said at last.

This is where the reality that Osamu had taken away her freedom in a most real way dawned on Hoshiko. In silence, the girl considered what Koichi had said. She looked down, away from Samuel and her Father. She feared that her frustration might show the pain of how she felt so trapped. She especially felt for Samuel, who she knew was so bothered by when she felt caged. And here she was a again, but this time a free bird with clipped wings.

"Go on ahead of me Samuel..." Hoshiko said without looking back up, messing around with her hair to make it cover her eyes a little more. "I...I'll catch up...I just have to...think of some stuff. But don't you dare leave Blackthorn without me." Hoshiko said with a sort of meek determination. "And don't get hurt...because if you got hurt out there without me..." Hoshiko paused, this time having the courage to look back up at Samuel and expose her emotions, how clear her anguish was over her lost freedom. "I'd never forgive you Samuel Oak!"

"Don't worry about me." Samuel smirked ever so slightly to hide his sadness that Hoshiko had to stay behind. "I'm a tough guy. It takes a lot to bring me down. And if you think I'd leave without you, you're completely crazy. You just get better, okay?"

He turned and nodded at Koichi. "Thanks for taking care of her, as always. I know I don't have to thank you, since you're her dad and all... It's just that. I still want to."

Koichi nodded thoughtfully, relieved that the children had made the decision he'd hoped for.

"A-Alright. I just...I'm sorry I can't come..." Hoshiko choked on her words and stared down at her hands. She didn't want to say anymore; it was hard to stay behind by choice even if she knew it was the best thing to go. Giving up her freedom felt more crippling than even the pain she was in.

"I'll be right back Hoshiko." Koichi said gently, wiping his daughter's hair out of her face, but Hoshiko quickly pushed it back down. She was clearly not pleased with staying behind and even seemed a bit angry. Of course any anger was only directed at Osamu, but it was hard to direct that frustration anywhere aside from whoever was closest to her.

Leading Samuel to the front door, Koichi sighed. "She just needs a little bit of time to adjust." He said, understandingly. "And you don't need to thank me. I need to thank you. Hoshiko needed a friend. A father is one thing but Hoshiko needed someone her age to trust."

Samuel lowered his gaze respectfully and tried to remind himself that this was best for Hoshiko, for now. He smiled a little at Koichi, but the expression was forced. He wished to free Hoshiko entirely, but knew that responsibility and the baby's life came first.

"I just want her to be safe and happy." Samuel said, softly.

He tried not to listen to the outcry of pain and frustration coming from inside. Her anguish tortured him, but he tried to pretend he couldn't hear.


	28. Curse and Crisis

**Chapter 28: Curse and Crisis**

A torrent of water from the lake rose high into the air, blocking out the sun and billowing like a sail overhead. The roar of it crashing down was deafening. Water splashed outward in every direction, overflowing the banks and crashing against the few houses that lined the lake. At the helm of the attack were none other than the Dragon Master's monsters.

Hart, backed into a corner upon defeat, had summoned his little contract pets to the field in a last act of desperation. Apparently Palkia had managed a return from the Forest of Beginnings. The two legendary dragons now stood in the water, towering over the surface of the lake and disrupting the entirety of it with every move. The dragon tamers didn't have a huge chance, and Ace knew it. He only had to watch for a moment to know that the might of Hart's dragons was too much, and that the man was going to easily gain access to the heart of the Dragon Clan's temple.

He couldn't allow that. Despite the fact that he'd wanted to keep out of this, he knew that standing around now would only result in Hart getting his way. Someone had to stop him.

Dialga swung its long neck low, close to the surface of the water, letting out a roar so intense it could rip through the fabric of time itself. The shockwave from it sent strange black ripples across the surface of the water, speeding towards the Dragon Master's last standing pokémon. The Tamers braced themselves for impact, faces shielded in the crooks of their elbows.

And nothing came.

With the silence, their heads lifted slowly, and they found themselves staring across the water at a white, lupine creature, floating just above the surface of the lake. His thick fur flowed like a cloud around him, and he faced Hart with an intense stare that cut like the jagged edges of broken ice.

"You..." Hart growled.

"—Uh." The red-haired Dragon Tamer lifted her gaze and looked over her arm to see Ace protecting her own pokémon from the wrath of Hart's monsters. The girl's eyes went wide, and she wasn't sure what to do. Turning to the Elder beside her, the young woman fell speechless, which for one of her personality was a strange phenomenon. "W-What do we do?" She asked him nervously.

"I...I don't know..." The Elder said, as his own gyarados rose above the water, eyes squeezed shut and head low in exhaustion. He could hear Hart's voice on the wind, but only barely.

The lone dragonair remaining from the diplomat's battle with Hart looked back at the girl pleadingly. In her heart, the normally aggressive woman felt a sharp pain, wanting so badly to call her precious pokémon back for her own safety. But she couldn't. It would be dishonorable and fly in the face of the standards of the Dragon Clan. They strove to be the most powerful trainers in the world, to win back the favor of the Zenith Dragon and prove their worth as a people.

"Get out of the way, Incarnus. I'm not here to play around with you."

"Unfortunately, I can't just allow you to do as you wish, Hart." Ace murmured in a low, threatening tone. "Your presence in Blackthorn is a threat to this town. You'd best leave before I have to drive you out, the way I did back on Domus Isle."

"Don't be stupid, Mutt. You and I both know that there's nothing you can do to stop me right now. Besides. These dragon tamers would turn you out if they knew what you stand for, and you know it."

Ace's cold blue eyes narrowed. "Call off Dialga and Palkia."

"And risk you killing me while I'm defenseless? Never."

"If the Dragon Tamers choose to grant you passage, I will join you in the temple, then. But do not cause this town any more undue anguish with these monsters. It isn't worth leveling Blackthorn to prove your point."

Leaning towards the Elder, the young woman shook her head and spoke softly. "If we continue this fight, it is sure to endanger all of us, but if we allow him into the temple of the Dragon Clan who knows what he will do? He is dangerous and truly by my standards evil...I...I don't know what we're supposed to do. We can't risk Blackthorn...but..." The confusion on the poor girl's eyes gave away her childish nature, and she only wished to hide away, not to have to consider such a difficult decision.

* * *

When Koichi had reentered the room where Hoshiko lay in tears, the girl couldn't find it in her to greet her father. Instead the man went straight up to her, helped her up, and led the girl back to her room in silence. His daughter's tears broke his heart and it wasn't hard to imagine the emotional pain Hoshiko was in. The girl was making it all too clear. The raw emotion cut like a knife.

"Hoshiko...please try to calm down...This won't do you any better." Koichi started, getting her to sit down on the bed and draping a comforting arm over the girl's shoulders. "I'm sorry you're so sad over not going with Samuel...but it's only a short time compared to a whole lifetime..." The man tried to reason with Hoshiko. "You'll see him again, probably even today."

Looking up at her Father and shaking her head, Hoshiko leaned her head on Koichi's shoulder for comfort. "...I-It's not that..." Her words were broken. "...I just...I...never got over it yet..." Hoshiko muttered. "I...never got it all out..."

Looking sympathetically at Hoshiko, Koichi was unsure of what to say. "...I...I understand." The man wrapped his arms around Hoshiko, confused but trying to be supportive.

"...He took everything away from me..." Hoshiko breathed out the words sadly. "Osamu took everything, and...and now my body is still in pain because of him...He never goes away. Ever. Every moment something reminds me of him. Loud noises, they scare me...make me afraid. I don't want to be alone. If I am...I don't know what to do with myself...I can hear Osamu's voice. The things he said never leave my mind either. I can't look at people the way I used to...especially guys my age. I just...want to hide from them."

"But you have your friends." Koichi said softly. "What about Samuel? You're not afraid of him..."

Hoshiko shook her head. "No…No I'm not. But...everyone else...I don't like it when they look at me. The things they think. It's not fair. It's all Osamu's fault! And he never had to feel any pain over this! None! I'm the one that suffers. I'm the one that has to feel hurt and ashamed! None of this was my fault...and I...I try to hide it. I don't want to make my friends sad...so I...I try to be happy for their sake. But they don't understand. I don't want them to either. Just how bad I really do feel Koichi...It's like...every part of me it broken. And I don't know how to fix myself anymore. I just want to cry and never, ever stop. I can't sleep without seeing Osamu, I have nightmares of him all the time. All the terrible things...he's done to me..."

Taking Hoshiko against his chest and squeezing her in his strong arms, Koichi cradled her as if she were only a small child, holding onto his little girl. His little broken china doll in all of her beauty and elegance felt like delicate porcelain dropped onto the floor and smashed. But Koichi knew better. He could see the strong qualities of Hoshiko that could rise above her hardships, even if that moment wasn't right now.

And in her Father's silent comfort Hoshiko was able to cry, to sob and release some of the deep and frightening emotions that plagued her soul. All the while she listened to gentle reassuring words whispered into her ear, blocking out the demeaning voice of Osamu that reminded Hoshiko of how he had abused her and crushed her spirit.

* * *

Samuel stood on the bank of the lake, the clear blue water sloshing below his feet as the waves stilled to a gentle rocking. The wind carried the chill of mist in the air, and shrouded Ace in a slight haze of white. The Incarnus was insane, staring down Dialga and Palkia when he was weak and exhausted from fighting Arceus. Yet the white wolf held his head high and noble, as if he had all the strength in the world to back him up. He didn't even look nervous.

Such determination and confidence stirred Samuel and sent a chill up his spine, but there was still a hint of fear underneath his admiration. Ace was in real danger, even if you would never have been able to guess it looking at him. So, Samuel knew he had to do his part to help his friend out. Slowly, he approached Hart, and with a gruff clearing of his throat, he stopped next to the man and folded his arms, looking out over the water.

"It'd be best to take Ace's offer. Spare you the trouble he gave you last time."

Hart jumped when he heard Samuel's voice, turning his head suddenly to get the boy in his line of vision. "Your pet doesn't scare me."

"He probably should." Samuel smirked slightly. "Have you ever gotten a really good look at his teeth?"

Across the water, the Dragon Master turned slowly to his young apprentice and looked at her with steady eyes. "We dare not threaten the safety of Blackthorn. This man has proven his ability by commanding dragons of obscene power. It would be a disservice to our own clan if we denied him entry. We might learn something valuable from him and the monsters that somehow obey him."

The Elder then looked out at Ace and rubbed his chin. "I am not so sure that any of these newcomers are good or evil. But I am bound and determined to find out."

"You're being foolish." The girl hissed between grinding teeth, staring out across the battlefield. "That man will bring nothing but evil to our temple...I simply sense it in him." But biting her tongue and knowing the final decision was not hers, the young woman flung her hair behind her in an indignant manner and called out over the lake with her loud voice, in hopes that Hart would be able to hear her.

"THE ELDER HAS CLAIMED THAT YOU MAY ENTER OUR TEMPLE!" She shouted, angrily. "HE'S AFFORDED YOU A GREAT OPPORTUNITY! PUT AWAY YOUR POKÉMON!" The girl growled, recalling her own Dragonair with a sigh of relief in the back of her throat that no one else could see.

Samuel grinned crookedly at Hart and glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Better do what they say." He warned. "You wouldn't want them to change their mind."

Hart grunted gruffly but called out to Dialga and Palkia, who still refused to budge in their intense standoff with Ace. The large white wolf never wavered or endeavored to move aside for the huge dragons, and it was clear they wanted to rip him apart. But they were waiting for a command from Hart to do so.

"Guys, pack it in. We're going down below." Hart grinned with satisfaction when Dialga and Palkia swung their huge heads to look over at him. They both stared at him with their glowing eyes for a moment, then, around them opened two large holes: one a rip in space and the other a rift in time. The dragons were swallowed by the opening wormholes, and when the swirling masses caved in on themselves, nothing was left behind but the air where the dragons had been.

Ace floated over to where Hart was standing, like some kind of ghost, and hovered near the dark man. "I'll be joining you."

"I don't think so." Hart glared. "That's the choice of the Dragon Master."

"Well then." Ace turned up his nose. "I'll see what _they_ say." He swooped down low and caught Samuel up on his back with a toss of his head. Samuel grabbed his monster's mane and held on as the beast crossed the water back towards the dragon tamers.

Ace was not keen on talking to these people. Everything they were really reminded him of failures in times long past, but he had to put that aside for now, in hopes of gaining access to the temple. He knew they wouldn't recognize him in the form he was now. But he also knew that they would be able to figure out who he was, the more information they uncovered on him. He figured he'd have to make this quick and painless, without revealing too much.

"Greetings, Dragon Clan and Clan Master..."

Staring at Ace with a bit of an annoyed look for all of the talking monster's politeness and formality, the girl showed no sign of astonishment or even intrigue. Instead, the young woman crossed her arms in front of her and groaned quite dramatically.

"All in the same day everybody wants into the temple." She guessed. "Out with it! What do _you_ want _now_?"

* * *

Raising her head, face stained with tears, Hoshiko stared into her father's steadfast and comforting gaze. In that look, she felt a security that would probably never be able to hold up in true adversity. Only because Koichi's only regretful quality was that he was a coward, at the very least in his mind, although he was sure there were other people who would have agreed.

"Koichi...I...I have to tell you something..." The girl said softly, nervously. "...I...should have told you...sooner..." Eyes narrowed, Hoshiko felt her father's hand brush her hair gently out of eyes.

"What is it?" The man asked quite gently.

"...Mother...She's...gone..." Hoshiko bit her lip and watched Koichi's face.

"Gone?" He asked with mild shock, unsure of what Hoshiko meant and not able to conceive what the true meaning behind it was.

"...S...She's gone!...She was...killed by a...creature..." Hoshiko buried her face into Koichi's chest, sobbing even more then before. And in doing so she missed seeing the shocked face of her Father who—despite all of the things that had happened between him and his wife—could not keep tears from the very corners of his eyes.

"Hoshiko..." His voice was weak and difficult to listen to. "...I'm...so...sorry..." He embraced Hoshiko even tighter than before, but Koichi felt a pain deep within himself. Nonetheless, he refused to place the burden of his emotions on Hoshiko, not when she was already strained and fragile. Together they sat for a little while, silent but steeped in mourning for a woman that never loved either of them.

The door to the kitchen from outside creaked open and a gust of icy wind blew in. The hunched-over shadow preceded the entry of Hoshiko's grandmother, and after a second the woman took off her thick coat and slung it up onto a hook in the wall.

She made her way farther into the house and came across her son and, to her complete surprise, Hoshiko. She was about to greet them enthusiastically, when she realized neither of them appeared remotely happy. In fact, her son seemed uncharacteristically sad. Suddenly feeling sickened by a pang of worry, she made her way over.

"What's happening, Koichi? What's wrong?"

Glancing up at the sound of his mother's voice, Koichi could barely find it in himself to look at the woman for too long. His daughter's pain was agonizing for him and mixed with the strange numbness that finding out his wife had passed was overwhelming. Part of him just wanted to be alone.

"The...the baby is fine and...so are Hoshiko's friends." Koichi reassured his mother, feeling Hoshiko's arms wrap more tightly around him and her fingers grip onto the material of his shirt as though it was for dear life. "But..." Biting his lip and holding Hoshiko closer. "Her mother has passed away..." He said gently and felt a pang of guilt at how Hoshiko had started to sob even more at him announcing the news. "...She's also feeling some physical pain, but it's nothing that will truly hurt her or the baby...I think that Hoshiko's emotional stress is becoming a...very heavy burden on her whole body..."

* * *

Ace swished his long ghostly tail and bared his teeth in a strange sort of teasing smile, as if he was thinking something terribly naughty, even though he probably wasn't. Or, as far as Samuel could tell, _possibly_ wasn't. He didn't trust Ace's thoughts to ever really be pure.

"My dear, I know how it troubles you for me to ask, but it really is in the interest of you and everyone else that I wish to enter with Hart... He has the potential to create severe problems. I would truly regret not entering with him only to discover later that he's done something I could have prevented."

Samuel scratched behind Ace's ears to distract the beast for a moment and tried to ask with a slightly more earnest expression than his companion offered. "Please...it really is important."

The red-headed diplomat didn't like the idea, not one bit in fact. Another person and creature—a speaking creature no less—entering the temple only fostered suspicion of back luck in this girl's mind. But there was a thought that was even less entertaining. That man, Hart, as he was called, had done some terrible things and what would stop him from doing such things in their temple also?

But this creature seemed to have some sort of control over the situation, and despite his flirtatious grin, he bore an air of pride and nobility that somehow comforted her. So she was inclined, without the permission of the Elder to permit Ace and Samuel entrance into the temple.

"Fine." She said indignantly, looking away from the two. "Why not just make it into a party?" The girl commented sarcastically, although deep down she was pleased to have someone other then Hart with them, just in case.

Ace smiled crookedly and Samuel's lopsided grin completed one whole smile had it been on one face. Ace swept his head low in a graceful bow, and Samuel nodded respectfully to their host.

"Thank you, this is very, very important." He glanced over at the Elder, who seemed slightly bothered by the nature of the younger tamer, but agreed with her enough not to override her decision.

"Please, retrieve our other guest for us, and we shall lead you to the temple."

Samuel grunted in slight displeasure at the idea of giving Hart a lift, but he knew that he had to be polite and obey the request of the Dragon Clan or risk not being allowed to proceed. Besides, it was Ace's back, and Ace's idea. The Incarnus also seemed displeased, but he made no fuss, sighed deeply and began his way back to pick up Hart. He just frowned when they reached the man, with ears folded back slightly in his annoyance.

"Well?" The dark, lean man tapped his foot impatiently.

"We have been permitted to enter with you." Ace informed Hart. "We've also been asked to provide you passage back across the lake..."

Hart raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is that so?" He suddenly laughed. "Well, I might as well take it."

Ace rolled his eyes and swooped low to allow Hart to climb aboard. Hart awkwardly positioned himself to where he wouldn't slide off, and wore a smug smile as Ace flew back across the river to again meet the Dragon Tamers.

* * *

Aged brows knit together in tight folds, and Koichi's mother stared at him through bleary old eyes. She looked tired, but felt even more so, although she would not let on if she could fight it. She made her way over to Koichi, knowing now was not the time to be brusque. As petulant as she was, Hoshiko's grandmother was a gentle old soul when she needed to be.

"I'm terribly sorry..." She managed in a low whisper, putting a hand on the shoulder of her son and grandchild. "I'm glad that the baby is alright though... Has Hoshiko taken her medicine?"

There was a very deep and sad silence from Hoshiko, and Koichi could feel her deep, warm breath on his chest. She needed a moment to breathe, of course. After all that crying he could imagine that his daughter was more than short on air. Looking up at his mother sympathetically, Koichi wasn't truly able to force a smile on his face, but his gratitude for her understanding showed plainly.

"Thank you, Ma..." He breathed out the words sadly and then lifting Hoshiko's head from his chest gently, Koichi looked into his daughter's red eyes, her cheeks soaked in tears.

"Did you take your medicine yet?" He repeated his mother's tender question, feeling a bit self conscious for not having thought to ask himself.

Hoshiko was quiet and shook he head slowly. Koichi cringed, wondering if his mother would deem him an irresponsible father. Looking to her Grandmother, Hoshiko's expression was much like that of her father's, concerned and defensive, but instead it was quite a bit more pained.

"...I...I didn't take...any of it yet...I didn't eat yet..." She said softly.

The fact that Hoshiko hadn't taken her medicine almost didn't come as a surprise, but it was definitely an annoyance. Somehow, though, her grandmother had one of her rare moments where she managed to hold her composure, if only out of respect for her family's loss.

It wasn't that she liked her son's wife. No, in fact she pretty well hated the woman for snatching his good years away, mistreating him and her grandchild, and never showing any dignity or respect to this small family of the mountains. She'd had high hopes that being married into the Kimono Family would mean a better life for her son. When it turned out to be a living nightmare, she never forgave his wife for it.

But no matter how much she hated Koichi's wife, she'd never wish anyone harm, and even more importantly to her, she was careful of her son's deepest feelings, even if she was a bit rough with everyday ones. Holding her tongue and keeping herself from yelling, she balled her fist and forced a wry smile.

"Well, dear, not eating and not taking your medicine are both inclined to give you pains in the stomach, you know?"

Biting her lip and looking quite guilty over not taking her responsibilities the way that she should have, Hoshiko's eyes directed away from her Grandmother. "Sorry..." The girl apologized. "I guess...I'm just not ready for the responsibility yet." Hoshiko admitted softly.

"No." Koichi said with a reassuring firmness, letting his hand go across the top of Hoshiko's head. "That's my job. Not yours, Hoshiko. You've done everything you can. None of this is your fault. You're just a teenager, Hoshiko."

Looking down, Hoshiko was quiet, climbing out of her father's arms and standing on her own, although shaky. "I...I should probably eat and take my medicine." Hoshiko watched her Grandmother for a second, maybe she would be able to understand her plight better then Koichi could. "...I...I don't know if I…want to go back out there..." Hoshiko admitted, quite off topic. "...I just want to hide in here...away from everyone else. That way...I can't get hurt again and...and people will stop assuming that this is my fault..."

* * *

Greeting the three with an annoyed look as they approached the small gathering of the Dragon Clan once more, the female tamer turned, waving for them to follow her back along the path to the cavern. The Elder followed close at her side, and a few silent, observing Clan members trailed behind. However as they started their trek downwards, the young woman looked back at Samuel for a moment and narrowed her eyes.

"What happened to your girlfriend anyways? No doubt something she's brought upon herself." She said, sounding overly disgusted.

Samuel snorted loudly as Ace's feet set on the ground beside the Dragon Tamer and the huge white wolf began following in her steps towards the mouth of the hidden cave once more.

"You say that as if you know everything, but you don't know shit." Samuel rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Hoshiko didn't ask for what she's going through, and she certainly didn't bring it upon herself. Her family forced her into the situation she's in, and I'm getting her out of it. You might want to check your attitude problem."

"Samuel..." Ace warned gently but quietly, hoping that the tamers would not hear him. "Don't goad our host. As obnoxious as she may be, this is a hard-earned chance to make sure things don't turn sour. Don't ruin it."

Rolling her eyes, the young woman walked with Samuel beside her and shook her head at him. "Oh, I bet you are trying to help her." She sounded sarcastic. "I also bet that's your child she's carrying." Turning her head away in her signature snobbery, the young woman closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Maybe I'll fix my attitude when you and your friend fix your morals."

Samuel scowled, but for once he didn't get flustered at the accusation against him. He was used to it by now, perhaps, or maybe this girl just annoyed him _that_ much.

"Now wait just a minute. You assume _way_ too much. I never laid a hand on Hoshiko in that way, got it? And I won't either, because the poor thing's been traumatized enough in her life. I'd be amazed if she ever got over her own husband raping her." He glared slightly. "When you get into an arranged marriage with someone who beats you, treats you like crap, and forces you into pregnancy, and your family doesn't care what happens to you as long as you give them a child, _then_ you can say something about Hoshiko. But right now you're clueless."

Looking at Samuel and listening as he spoke, for the first time this strange young woman lost all penchants for words and argument. Looking away, she tried to appear hardened towards the story, but by the shock in her eyes it was clear that she had some regrets for being so tough on Hoshiko.

Ace sighed and shook his head, frustrated at Samuel. He knew that his master was only trying to defend a friend, but he wished the boy had more sense than to get into an argument with the people who could have them booted out. Still, he said nothing, and the lot of them went in complete silence into the shadows.

The Incarnus tentatively started crossing the bridge once they got to the bottom of the stone stairwell leading down from the entrance to the cave. The wooden footpath creaked under his weight, and he looked down at the dark waves lapping at the posts holding the bridge up over the water. The dank air was suffocatingly flat. He lifted his white chin and glanced ahead, past the young woman and the Dragon Clan Elder, towards the shrine sitting on the rocky island ahead. His eyes met the Dragon Clan emblem carved over the doorway, and again set into the stone on the ground at the foot of the bridge. A chill shot through his spine, bringing him to a halt as he stared at the ancient symbol of the Dragon Clan's hope and destiny.

A huge bird, etched with wings spread wide, watched over the clan as they started filing onto the wooden porch. It was a face that Ace recognized from times long past. A face that he'd loathed for her misguidance and failures... a face he promised himself he'd never be like. If angels were all as easily felled as this one, better to be a demon as he was than to aspire to new heights.

"Lamia..." He muttered irritated under his breath. "You still wrap these men and women in your lies..." The words were so soft, so breathless, that they were lost, unheard, in the heavy air.

The silence was broken, however, and entirely unexpectedly.

"I'm sorry." The red-headed diplomat said roughly, obviously not accustomed to admitting her wrong doings and only just now able to voice them at all. It had been long enough that Samuel had almost forgotten what she had to be sorry for, until she continued. "...And tell your friend I'm sorry when I see her. I...guess I didn't mean it. She's okay."

Samuel nodded slightly, surprised but grateful for the red-head's change in attitude. It made the corners of his mouth lift ever so slightly, although the majority of his expression remained grim.

"By the way, my name is Leigh." The girl finally offered her name. Facing forward as she proceeded over the carved emblem and past twin guardian statues of some large dragon, the girl cast one glance at Samuel.

"Samuel." He reached down from his perch on Ace and briefly shook her hand.

"How's she do it? Does she love this husband of hers? Is that why she wants the baby?" Leigh questioned. "I mean...I couldn't imagine having a kid at _my_ age, let alone hers. Why doesn't she just...wait. You know, she really could. And then just have a baby when she's ready."

Clearly upset by Leigh's questions, Samuel shifted uneasily in his seat upon his monster's back. Ace, although stunned by the sight of Lamia's emblem, eventually began moving forward again, wordlessly.

"She wanted to wait..." The platinum-haired boy's voice shook slightly when he spoke, clearly displaying his concern and sadness for the fate of his friend. "She wasn't ready...but she didn't have a choice. I already told you her husband raped her. He forced her into it. And no...she doesn't love him. How could she, when he mistreats her and forces her into everything she never wanted? Maybe she could have learned to love him eventually if he had half a heart... But as it is right now I don't see that happening..."

It wasn't fair. Hoshiko deserved so much better than she got. But Samuel tried to force himself to look on the bright side. Even if Hoshiko wasn't ready for the baby, the baby was a blessing, certainly. He supposed they just had to think of that, rather than the difficulty of the circumstances.

* * *

Hoshiko's grandmother looked astonished. Slowly, she lifted her hand and placed her wrinkled old fingers against the smooth skin of Hoshiko's cheek.

"Why, child, whatever do you mean?"

Feeling her Grandmother's gentle touch, Hoshiko's eyes shifted to see the woman's creased and weathered hand so close to her eyes. The gnarled fingers seemed ready to brush away tears. Biting her lip, somehow Hoshiko regretted saying her feelings at that very moment.

"I...I...I'm scared of the people out there. I tried to be strong for my friends; they're so good to me. But it's hard to hide it, not wanting strangers out there around me. It's because of the way people look at me. I can tell they think I'm irresponsible and that they think I brought this upon myself. There was a lady in a store who thought that I was just...some sort of...I dunno, some kind of girl who just runs around...s-sleeping with anyone!" And it wasn't a moment before Hoshiko burst out in tears again, soaking her Grandmother's hand with tears.

"And even a girl from the Dragon Clan, she thinks the same of me! They don't understand! They just don't get it. I didn't want any of this! None of this is my fault! If it wasn't for Osamu I...I...I'd be a different person! I wouldn't be so sad and hurt and scared! People wouldn't think that I was the one responsible for losing my innocence. Better yet, I'd still have it! I would be able to sleep without having nightmares and I wouldn't hear his voice every time there's silence. I just want to hide! This isn't going to get any better...It's only going to get worse as the baby grows! If I think I get looks now, imagine in the coming months! I don't think I can't do it anymore...I just...I can't stand it anymore...Granny..." Hoshiko hiccupped after gulping in a huge breath of air from crying.

The sheer weight of her granddaughter's sadness made the old woman's shoulders sag and her face melt with pity. She knew that Hoshiko was going through things no girl should ever be put through, and it made it worse that Hoshiko was her own flesh and blood. She tried to offer some sort of reassurance, though, placing her other hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Listen to me...don't let what anyone says to you get to you. What matters is that you know the reality behind this. You should be glad you have this baby... I know this is hard, but someday you'll look back and you wouldn't want to change these days for anything." She swallowed her pride and also admitted:

"Your friend...that little devil boy... He needs manners, but he seems to be protecting you well. You should be glad he's there for you. You don't have to face the naysayers alone."

Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh through her tears, even just a little bit when her Grandmother both insulted and complimented Samuel at the same time. Of course, the woman was right, and Hoshiko knew it. She was lucky to have both Samuel and Ace. But it was hard to avoid the pain of rejection and insult along with horrific memories. It still wasn't all that long since she had been in Osamu's brutal, crushing arms.

"...Y-You're right...I...I can't forget that..." Hoshiko said weakly, although tears still came.

Koichi walked over to the two and placed a hand on both his mother's and daughter's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you something to eat, Hoshiko." Part of the man's mind knew that even if Hoshiko's pain was great, the girl was much stronger than it was. He felt that more than likely what had her so emotional were the effects of her pregnancy hormones. Not that it made her emotions any less valid, but he could take some comfort in knowing that such strong pain could be fleeting, and he hoped that, soon enough, it would disappear.

Leading his small but beloved family into the kitchen, Hoshiko sat down at the table and stared down at her hands, focusing on them intently as if there was something greatly important there. Of course, there wasn't, but she wanted to focus away from her current thoughts and how stifling they were.

* * *

Looking down at her hands, Leigh shook her head. "...I...feel really bad for...her..." Closing her eyes, the young woman brushed her hair out of her face, cheeks slowly growing red out of embarrassment.

"I...I've always been jealous of the Kimono Girls. They're so graceful and feminine...I...I could never be like them, and I guess I just took it out on your friend..." With a sort of sad and yet strong look in her eyes, Leigh stared straight forward. "I'm a terrible person."

Samuel arched a brow in the direction of the young Dragon Tamer, and although he had to force it back to keep from seeming smug, a slight smile turned up the corner of his lips. Maybe she wasn't that far gone. Maybe she was just self-conscious and scared...ironically like so many other people. Even he himself was scared. How could he not be? Even though he hated admitting it to Hoshiko, Ace, or even himself, he was absolutely horrified by the mess he'd gotten tangled up in.

Even more so, he was bothered by his feelings for Ace. He never quite knew what exactly he was feeling, but it was always so intense. Sometimes he felt as if he could never feel anything but anger and disgust towards the beast, other times he felt so powerless. Ace was a mighty creature, and although Samuel's personality drove him towards positions of leadership, he was beginning to realize that in too many ways he was the one doing the following. In some ways, even though Ace called him his master, Samuel himself found himself under the influence of the Incarnus. It was troublesome, but how could he fight it? Ace was controlling every hand Samuel played, it felt like. Even when Samuel tried to take control or turn away, he found himself coming back for guidance. He cursed himself mentally for that.

But there was one thing..._one_ thing that made it so that he couldn't simply walk away and never look back. And that was he couldn't deny Ace was the first friend he'd ever had who, despite frequent doubts he had, never ever gave up on him. Somehow it was endearing, and maybe it made Ace stupid, but the forgiveness that the monster had for Samuel was boundless.

Samuel also thought back to what Hoshiko had pointed out to him. It was more than a little apparent that Ace had feelings somewhere in that monster heart of his. And for all the effort he put into hiding it, Samuel could see it. He could see that Ace had grown attached to Hoshiko, which in and of itself was surprising, considering that Ace had never been particularly fond of humans as individuals. Even more confusing was the fact that Ace seemed more and more determined to display his affection for Samuel. Rough banter aside, Samuel began to realize that now the majority of the interactions between them were affectionate. And while that might have at one time seemed strange to him, at the moment it made him smile.

It was only when he almost hit his head on the doorframe of the temple and felt the rough hand of Hart force his skull down to avoid it happening a second time that he came out of his drastically diverged train of thought and suddenly shouted at Ace in fury.

"What's the big idea?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

Ace glanced over his shoulder casually. "Sorry. I thought you would duck."

Samuel started muttering a stream of curses under his breath, but stopped short when Hart jumped off of Ace and started walking towards the middle of the room that they'd entered into. The Tatami mats crunched very softly underfoot, and the wooden floors creaked and groaned. Ace's ear twitched, and his full focus went to the man who had by now become such an enemy to them. Samuel sighed and rubbed his head, then cast a sideways glance at Leigh, realizing he'd gotten so lost in thought that he hadn't responded to her yet.

"You're not a terrible person... Maybe a little inconsiderate and rash, but if you can tell me one person who's never made that mistake in their lives I'll call the presses because they need some sort of award."

"You're just saying that to be nice." Leigh said, looking at Samuel for a moment, with sharp eyes.

The boy raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk. It seemed that the girl had gotten a bit of her bite back. "I'm glad you saw the compliment in there. I know some people who would have protested my analysis of their character. At any rate, I'm trying to be objective."

"Thanks anyways. Even if I am terrible, it's nice to have someone lie and tell me I'm not." Surprisingly, Leigh was neither offended nor swayed in her perception of herself. She turned to watch Hart suspiciously, and before Samuel could point out that he wasn't lying, Leigh added quickly, "But if you tell anyone what I've said, you're in big trouble!" With that, she dashed to Hart's side.

* * *

Hoshiko's grandmother shuffled across the kitchen and stopped at the counter, taking time to prepare the girl's medicine while her father fixed a healthy breakfast for her. She knew that Koichi's nutritious meals would ease some of the pain in Hoshiko's stomach and provide nourishment that could easily better her entire mood. Glasses filled at last with crushed herbs and water, the old woman lined up several different drinks in front of Hoshiko, each separated based on flavor to help her down them easier. With the medicines all in an oddly colorful row, the old woman pulled up a chair and sat down, laying her hands on the table.

"So where is that little monster?" She smirked slightly, clearly referring to Samuel. "Usually he's right by your side. What's happened?"

Looking up from her hands, Hoshiko gazed at the glasses that her Grandmother had presented her with and slowly took the first one, lifting it to her lips and taking a few sips before looking at the woman and speaking.

"Samuel...he's with the Dragon Clan, hopefully at their temple." Hoshiko explained softly, taking another couple of sips of the herbal drink. "I was supposed to go with him...but my stomach started acting up. We got scared and I came here...after Koichi made sure everything was alright...well...well Samuel convinced me to stay behind until he was done at the temple. He wanted me to get some rest and hopefully get over the pain..." Staring down at the crushed leaves settling in the bottom of the cup, Hoshiko added quietly. "I was...really scared for the baby."

Hoshiko looked up, and was greeted with the soft clack of a plate on the table. The dish presented her breakfast, neatly laid out and mostly compiled of all the most nutritious things that Hoshiko was allowed to eat, mainly fruits and vegetables. There were nuts for protein, boiled and served with rice. Raising her own chopsticks, Hoshiko started to nibble at some tofu with red bean paste on it.

Hoshiko's grandmother pursed her lips and seemed lost in thought. Naturally, she was concerned for Hoshiko, but Koichi had taken care of her, and Samuel had too, which flew in the face of everything that the old woman believed about the young man and his recklessness. Perhaps she owed him a little more credit.

"...Granny...could I borrow some of your herbs?" Hoshiko asked tentatively, interrupting the elderly woman's thoughts. "I want to hold a memorial ceremony for his pokémon that passed away..." Hoshiko's voice was regretful. "...I wanted to prepare some traditional herbs for the burial, but I...I just haven't been able to. A memorial will have to do..." She said softly.

Hoshiko's grandmother stared at the young woman for a long, silent moment. She wasn't fond of Samuel but she couldn't deny the help he'd been to her granddaughter and couldn't deny it was only proper to spare herbs in the event of a tragic death. Bowing her head solemnly, the woman nodded.

"You are welcome to take what you need... I'm sorry to hear that so many tragedies have struck you on your journey. I do hope you're being safe." A hint of admonishment glinted in her eyes "You shouldn't be doing anything risky, for your sake and the baby's."

Hoshiko didn't say anything at first and instead focused on eating and drinking, her eyes were distant, as she reflected. She was afraid and overwhelmed by their travels and by her pregnancy, but she couldn't escape either, or else she didn't want to. She did wish things weren't so terrifying, though. This was becoming a difficult topic to avoid, because traveling with Samuel and Ace wasn't making any promises of becoming safer. In fact all it was doing was proving to be more danger than she should be in.

"Thank you Granny..." Hoshiko said somberly, poking at the little bits of food on her plate. "I wasn't with Samuel when his pokémon passed...but...well I know how he loves his monsters. It's the least I can do."

"You're welcome..." Her grandmother said softly."

Hoshiko glanced down at the bandages on her hands, Hoshiko looked at her Grandmother and noticed she was also staring. "I got these wounds while Samuel was away." She explained. "I went back to Ecruteak and..." The girl's words drifted off, she hadn't wanted to explain again, and so Koichi picked up where the girl left off.

"Her mother punished her for leaving Ecruteak and Osamu..." Koichi's voice was full of regret and sadness for his daughter and at the mention of his wife.

The thought of the abuse that Hoshiko suffered from her own family was unbearable to her grandmother, who really only wanted to see her safe and happy. It was frustrating to see the poor innocent girl before her, stricken with injuries that should never have been there and suffering emotional traumas even worse. The only encouraging thing was that now Hoshiko was at a place where her father could care for her, and her grandmother knew that Hoshiko was safer in his hands than anyone else's. She didn't want to talk about the Kimono Girls or Hoshiko's mother. She'd always felt that the family was cruel and unfair, especially after they'd forced her son to live apart from them. The abuse didn't surprise her, but it did upset her.

"Well I hope you never go back to Ecruteak." The woman said, curtly, not in anger at Hoshiko but in disgust at the family. Hoshiko was her granddaughter, and she wanted what was best for her. Still, she changed the subject quickly, not wanting to get involved in family tradition or politics. It wasn't her place to judge the Kimono Girls. She let out a soft sigh and returned to a somewhat less discouraging thought.

"A boy like Samuel caring so much for his monsters... That's surprising. Young men like him scarcely care about anything but themselves and getting into trouble with the ladies. _Lots_ of trouble with the ladies. You're lucky that little scoundrel isn't after _you_."

Although Hoshiko's first inclination was to practically leap across the table and tell her Grandmother off for insinuating such things about Samuel, she withheld, partly out of respect for her grandmother and partly because she knew that she couldn't leap across the table anyway, in her condition. Still, it was a very sensitive sort of topic for Hoshiko to deal with, even if Samuel wasn't involved in the conversation. She knew what it meant to encounter a young man her age whose mind was only concerned with taking advantage of girls. She'd seen enough lusty stares to last her a lifetime.

"Samuel would never be like that." She started, her voice trembling. "Never, ever. Especially not around me, but he even seems...a little nervous around girls. I'm not sure why, but despite the tough façade, he's actually pretty shy. Besides, Samuel knows that I'm not going to have any more relationships. After what Osamu did...I can't imagine ever wanting one. The idea makes me sick. I don't ever want to go through something like that again, and...well...the idea of being near any man...in that way...it just...it makes me scared. Osamu was less then kind; it was a living nightmare...I mean, imagine...I can't even have...have children if I wanted to...that's how badly he treated me. But Samuel cares a lot about my feelings. He'd never do anything to hurt me."

The girl closed her eyes and sat straight, clearly decisive on the matter. "He's actually a very loving person. He cares a lot about his monsters too; they're his friends. He was so distraught when Petra died...and...well I couldn't blame him."

"How peculiar..." The old woman mumbled softly. "A boy his age being intimidated by girls? He's a bit old for that." She seemed to be talking to herself, without realizing what she was saying aloud. "Boys usually grow out of that sort of thing."

She rubbed her chin idly, as if trying to remember something. But as she tried, she couldn't think of even one time when Samuel had ever actually said anything scandalous. In fact he seemed strangely interested in other things.

Of course, he was still a troublemaker and mannerless... But maybe Hoshiko was right... "Like I said you're welcome to take whatever you need... But I DO insist you be careful..."

Koichi nodded as he listened to Hoshiko. He clearly remembered the second time he had encountered Samuel, when they had rescued him in Ecruteak. He remembered how Hoshiko had collapsed in front of the young man, with her face pretty much in his lap. He had said some things that made Koichi wonder about his personality, but after seeing how he had retrieved Hoshiko from the clutches of Osamu and brought her to him, he knew that Samuel was an earnest young man. He was awkward and rough around the edges, but he was honest and protective.

"He's a good kid." Koichi added gently, sitting down at the table with the two and nudging one of the glasses that Hoshiko had yet to drink over to the girl.

"I told him he should be a pokémon researcher." Hoshiko explained between sips. "He seemed to like the idea, so I have a good feeling about it." And finishing downing the last of her drinks and taking the last few bites of her meal, Hoshiko looked between her Father and Grandmother. "Anyway, I'll be careful. I promise I will. Don't worry, please...I'll do my very best. I won't be irresponsible like I have been in the past. I don't think I realized just how serious this was until that...that scare just a little bit ago. So now I know what it feels like...I know I'll be careful."

"That's a good girl, Hoshiko." Her grandmother smiled, satisfied with the girl's resolution. "Now, get yourself cleaned up and put on some warm clothes, then maybe you can go outside in the garden and wait for your friend to come back."

The old woman pushed her chair away from the table with speed that suggested her age, and she made her way over to the counter, leaning on it and looking out the window. "A pokémon researcher, hm? What an interesting line of work. If he does get into the field and he truly loves monsters, perhaps Samuel will become a very good scientist..."

Pushing her plate away from her and finishing the drinks, Hoshiko slowly stood up to find that a majority of her pain was gone and it was an incredible relief. Wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, Hoshiko took a few deep breaths and looked over herself.

"Yes." Hoshiko said, looking over at the silent image of her hunched grandmother standing in the frosted light of the cold, slightly fogged window. "And...Granny, I am wearing warm clothes. Koichi gave them to me..."

"You need warmer." The old woman said sternly. "A scarf and coat and boots. It's freezing outside."

Hoshiko blinked but nodded, and didn't argue. She knew her grandmother only wanted her to be healthy. Koichi brought her a few extra layers, including some boots and gloves. Hoshiko put the boots on and tucked the gloves into the coat pocket.

"Alright, I'll go wait for Samuel. But...I want to prepare the ceremonial herbs for him first." Looking down at her bandaged hands and sighing, Hoshiko shook her head. "I know he might not know of the tradition, but I'm sure he'll appreciate it." And so bowing to her Grandmother in thanks and hugging Koichi the girl scurried off to the back room to prepare her gift and place them in a jar she'd collected on her travels.

* * *

Feeling a measure of pity for Leigh didn't stop Samuel from wincing sharply at the woman's rough words. He let out a long and tired sigh, wishing that there was something that he could say that would make her believe him. Being called a liar wasn't exactly pleasant, but he didn't feel like picking a fight with this poor girl because of it. Maybe he'd have a chance to convince her someday that he was right.

Maybe he wouldn't.

But whatever happened, he knew he had to join her in keeping an eye on Hart. The other Dragon Tamers had stepped aside and were either lined up along the bamboo paneled walls or were milling around conducting silent business of their own. Hart was not interested in them. He seemed to be looking for something on the bare floor. That bothered Samuel, and he didn't hesitate to approach the man.

"Hey." He folded his arms across his chest. "What exactly are you doing?"

"You sure are a suspicious young man, aren't you?"

"With good reason." Samuel scowled as he noticed that one of Hart's hands was inside his jacket, fiddling with something unseen.

Turning her attention to Hart as Samuel spoke to the man, Leigh noticed the same thing. Curious, and being the brash young woman she was, Leigh approached him and reached for his arm to pull it out from his jacket with surprising force.

"What're you doing?" She glared at him contemptuously.

Hart quickly pulled his hand back out of his jacket, holding nothing. He looked over at the young Dragon Tamer and smiled with an unusual expression. "Nothing, of course. Just keeping my hands busy." He smiled even wider. "So tell me... How long has the Dragon Clan been...well, the Dragon Clan? I would think that you all have been living and working with dragons for centuries."

Ace's ears perked up, and he watched Hart with narrowed eyes. He knew the Dragon Clan even more in depth than they probably knew themselves, but he wasn't about to give himself away by explaining too much. Besides, he was interested in seeing just how much the young woman knew.

Huffing stubbornly, Leigh shook her head. "Any fool who decides to come down here and visit our temple should at least know those basic facts. There are books that you can read these things from. I myself had to pour over them when I was young. So you can do the same, you ignorant man." Flipping her hair back, Leigh held out one of her hands. "And I don't trust you. Give me your jacket." Her voice growled at Hart.

Hart pulled his hands out of his coat and held them up innocently.

"Whoa now, hold on. Here. I'll show you." He reached slowly into his jacket again...

...

And pulled out something round that he was containing in the palm of his hand. He uncurled his fingers to reveal what appeared to be some sort of glass or crystal orb. He held it out towards the Dragon Tamer to show it to her. Samuel eyed it suspiciously.

"What is that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just a fine little trinket. Nothing to be concerned about." He reached towards Samuel and pushed it into the boy's palm, as if to prove it wouldn't do anything. "Here, see for yourself."

Samuel grimaced, almost as if expecting some sort of bomb, but when nothing happened, all he noticed was the cold weight it had in his hands. It was heavy, like marble, despite the fact that it looked so delicate. Inside of it was a little swirl of color that looked like smoke, and when Samuel held it up over his head to look through it, it almost seemed to move. "The hell?"

Ace came close and leaned over his master's shoulder to observe the object. He scrutinized it with distaste. "Where did you get this?"

Hart shrugged. "I just picked it up."

Glancing skeptically at the item, the Dragon Tamer's eyes narrowed as if she was focusing on it some sort of incredible intensity.

"It's evil." The girl seethed, walking right up to Samuel and glaring at the cold, shining orb in his hands, but the stare quickly turned to Hart. "I don't trust you..." She said irritably. "Not at all. And I want that thing _out_ of here...or...or better yet destroyed!"

Hart just laughed softly and snatched the ball back out of Samuel's hands, eliciting a deep, threatening growl from the Incarnus. The beast bristled, probably in defense of his master, Hart mused aloud.

"Good doggy." Hart chuckled again, looking at Ace mockingly. "Protect your little boy. But you're wasting time if it's me and this orb you're protecting him from." He glanced at the Dragon Tamer. "My dear I assure you this object is no more evil than anything else in this temple of yours. It's just a simple trinket, really. Nothing to be worried about."

Samuel didn't believe him, and the moment he'd heard Leigh mention evil, he'd felt an eerie chill. "Don't give me that crap." Samuel stepped forward, challenging him. "That orb isn't a paperweight. Tell me what it is."

"You can guess or just accept my explanation. Either way it's no danger to the temple. Calm down and don't get your big boy pants in a bunch."

Samuel glared. "I have a feeling I know what you're after here."

"Oh really?" Hart turned to face Samuel slowly. "Please enlighten us."

"That _thing_ must be some sort of funnel for darkmatter."

Hart yawned boredly and tucked the object back into his jacket. Slowly, he shrugged his shoulders. "You know, Samuel, you're not much of a detective. Why would I need to funnel darkness, and where would I funnel it into?"

"That orb."

Hart just shook his head. "This orb can't do anything really."

"Not yet it can't." Ace's voice broke in, cold and dark. "But it will eventually. Hart, I warned you before and I'll warn you again. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"You really do talk too much, for a mangy mongrel."

"HEY!" Samuel shouted. "He's not a mangy mongrel!"

Looking between the three's exchange, Leigh wasn't pleased with being left out of the majority of the conversation. And so against the tradition of her family and the Dragon Clan in general she herself started to shout in the temple, forgetting that an elder was even present.

"I SAID GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE!" Leigh demanded, seeming incredibly zealous in her convictions. "I don't care what you three have to say about each other. I'm a Dragon Tamer and while you're in this temple you listen to ME! Now somebody take that...that THING out of here before I do it myself!"

The elder bristled at the yelling, and he murmured Leigh's name in a scolding tone, but he said nothing. By now all of the Dragon Clan turned to see what was going on. And they stood in silence, like the dragon statues standing between each window. With a bit of concern, the elder finally stepped forward. He'd been quiet, mostly out of respect and interest in watching things unfold, but now he didn't want a fight to break out. Not here. He gently put his hand on Leigh's shoulder as Hart took a step back and raised an eyebrow defensively.

"Now, now, let's try to be calm about this..." He suggested quietly.

"Calm is not exactly something I would recommend." Ace warned quietly "Leigh is right. That object does not belong in here."

Hart's smug expression turned to disgust. "Keep your mouth shut, Mutt. If you think that these people are going to listen to you—"

At that moment, Samuel stepped in front of Hart, glaring furiously. "You heard the lady. Get _out_."

Hart frowned, but finally relented. Slowly, he half turned away. "Fine then. I got what I came for anyways."

Samuel felt his heart clench and a cold lump drop to the pit of his stomach. "What?"

"You heard me, Son. I'm gone." Slowly, Hart turned and started to make his way back towards the elaborately carved entrance.

Leigh bristled and turned her sharp gaze quickly to Samuel and Ace. Their concerned expressions did nothing to temper her reaction.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She practically demanded from the small group of three. The risk that the temple so precious to her tradition could have been compromised distressed her to the point of anger. "Get out of here! I don't want you in here any more. And I'm coming with you; I want an explanation. _Now_!" Looking at the elder, Leigh was clearly frustrated. "I told you he was trouble!"

Brows knit, the elder took a step back. He was confused, but he was not ready to pursue Hart. He would leave that to young Leigh. The distress in his eyes was just as evident as in hers, however.

"I don't know what he's done or intends to do..." The elder said out loud, but so softly that Samuel wondered if he was not talking to himself. "But maybe it would be wise to find out..."

"I'd explain," Samuel offered out of the blue, climbing back up onto Ace's back. "But I think that my time would be better spent helping her." He nodded towards Leigh. Immediately, Ace agreed, and began moving after Hart.

The man, now at the head of the group, had not slowed down. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that the young Dragon Tamer was chasing after him, and he didn't break his stride even as he spoke up.

"You don't have to worry." He said after a moment. "I'm doing you a favor."

As she approached Hart from behind, Leigh wasn't entirely sure what to do. After all, with the knowledge that he was a dangerous man, the girl wasn't stupid enough to actually get herself into any trouble. But she wasn't prepared to let him damage the most essential gathering place of the Dragon Clan, and so snatching his arm, she surged forward and ahead of him, pulling him along.

"You're not doing us any favors! You haven't even told me what you're doing! You're coming with me, and I'm getting this whole bloody mess figured out."

Hart stumbled slightly in his surprise, but he caught himself and was soon walking along with Leigh, albeit somewhat awkwardly. He just laughed at her impatience and smiled wryly.

"Why, my dear, it would take forever for me to explain everything to you. It's quite complicated, you see. But I assure you I'm doing you a favor, if you love your pokémon that is."

Ace, who was walking along the bridge behind the man he'd so grown to hate, froze mid-step. He had a bad feeling about this. If Hart was pushed to start talking, he might tell the Dragon Tamers things that he did not want them to know. Things that if they knew he would have hell to pay. How much would Hart be willing to reveal? That was the only question.

"What's wrong?" Samuel whispered.

"Hart..." Ace grunted. "This could get ugly..."

The red haired girl was getting frustrated. She didn't like Hart at all, just as she hadn't liked Hoshiko. But there wasn't anyone there to defend the man as Samuel had done for Hoshiko and so without any reason to trust or like Hart, Leigh was left with a quite certain sense of disdain.

"I don't trust you. Of course I love my pokémon, but I won't listen to anything you say. You caused an uproar here in Blackthorn at the Pokémon Center, and for that alone I don't want you here. I want you to give me that orb after we get out of the caves, and then I want you gone." She huffed, pulling harder on Hart. She was incredibly strong for a young woman of her age; as opposed to Hoshiko's thin and feminine frame, Leigh was much more built and powerful.

"If you love your pokémon then you _will_ listen to what I say, and you _won't_ attempt to take that orb from me." Hart's voice was suddenly cold. "This orb is perhaps the one thing that can save your monsters. Do you realize that, child?"

Ace's blood ran cold. "Damnit... Don't you tell her..." He muttered under his breath so that only Samuel could hear the curse that was directed at Hart.

"She won't listen to him..." Samuel said, trying to sound confident. But he wasn't so sure. "She's...stubborn."

"We have to do something..." Ace grunted as Hart started moving towards the rocky steps leading up to the mouth of the cavern.

"I will _not_ listen to you." Leigh, glared at Hart. Now with the new tone in his voice, the young woman understood that he had something to hide, and she didn't like his demanding words. No one bossed her around, no one. And so in an act of defying Hart's request, not only did she continue pulling on him but she reached into his jacket, struggling to retrieve the orb that he had returned there.

At once, the man's vicelike grip locked around the girl's wrist when her fingers snaked into his coat. He pulled her hand out and held her arm over her head, eying her with a stern frown. "You're a stubborn little brat, aren't you?" He scoffed. "You want to know what this orb is for? It's for stopping that mutt over there from killing _your_ monsters. But by all means, if you'd rather see your precious dragons suffer in the jaws of that rabid beast, then take the orb."

He thrust the girl's arm away from him and started walking up the steps. He did not stop talking. "Maybe you don't trust me, but anyone who cares at all about their pokémon will listen to me eventually." He jerked his head back slightly to indicate, without pointing, the boy and his dog. "Those two are out for blood, believe it or not. Their mild manners hide their true intentions. I on the other hand... Well. Let's just say I don't want to see my pokémon dead or the world blown up, okay?"

Seething in anger at Hart as he pulled her hand away, Leigh was absolutely enraged by his actions towards her and personally could have cared less of what he was conveying to her through words. The authoritative and powerful tone that Hart used made the girl want to thrust him into the lake and never see him again. She was just that way. But instead, she growled and without a word yanked at the man's jacket, trying to shake the orb away from his person.

"If you were so sure of yourself you wouldn't be trying to hide this..._thing_ from me. I can see through your words, the intentions that you hold are dark and selfish. You're mind is perverted with greed." Her brash nature belied her surprisingly perceptive spirit.

"If you used your head you'd see how ridiculous you sounded." Hart grunted, pulling something else out of his jacket. It was not the strange orb he'd had earlier. No...It was a pokéball. He activated it and unleashed an exhausted but still conscious nidoking. "The reason I don't just give you the orb is because everything I said is true. And if I gave it to you and you destroyed it, we'd all be screwed over. You wouldn't like that, I'm sure."

From the short distance behind, Samuel watched and leaned over Ace's shoulder as they finally caught up with Leigh and Hart on the steps.

"What's going on?"

Samuel's voice was stressed. It was clear he was worried about something, although he wasn't about to share it. Looking at the Nidoking, Leigh didn't wavier, nor did she answer to Samuel. Instead the girl stared at the pokémon angrily and then turned back to Hart.

"You would use a pokémon against someone? Can't you fight your own battles?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she still attempted to grasp the orb and only once she felt it's cold glassy exterior on her fingertips was Leigh satisfied. Yanking it out of the man's jacket as fast as she could, Leigh smirked as she went to run off with the item so precious to Hart now in her possession. Leigh hoped that this wouldn't turn out against her, but it was worth the chance, just to prove to that horrid man that he didn't control her.

Ace felt relief when he saw the orb snatched away from Hart, but he did not hesitate for a moment. It was not safe with the Dragon Tamers, he knew. In fact, it was infinitely more dangerous. The bonds they had to their monsters was more than enough to fuel the power of the strange object, and the longer Leigh had it...

Ace did not dare think of the consequences. Surprisingly, Hart did not give chase to the girl. Rather, it was Ace who took that opportunity. The fiery little Dragon Tamer came rushing down the steps towards him, and Ace leaped for her. What was Ace thinking? It was all Samuel could do to hold on tight so he wouldn't be thrown from the back of the huge creature, and a panicked gasp squeezed from his lungs. Before he had a chance to scold Ace or call him off, the monster extended a huge paw for the girl's legs. Tripping her up on the steps would be all too easy and very dangerous. Best case scenario: if she fell she'd fall down into Ace instead of hitting the rough and rocky ground. Which was exactly what Ace wanted.

Leigh shrieked as she was sent flying, only to have her cries muffled as she fell into the thick fur of Ace and was mostly protected from the fall by the huge dog. Except for a scratch down her right leg, gouged by the rocks along the graven staircase, she was fine, but the girl was whimpered and complained like a small, fussy child. As for the orb, it slipped out of Leigh's hand, but was hidden under her and in such a way it was protected between the two of them. Looking up at Ace with wide eyes, Leigh morphed from a determined youth to a nervous and upset child with nowhere to go and nowhere to look but up into the jaws of a monster.

A puff of hot breath escaped from Ace's flared nostrils, and the beast lowered his head and wedged his nose between Leigh's arms and her shoulder. With his muzzle, he gave her a strong push to roll her over, and expose her stomach and the orb. He had to get it. He had to remove it from her possession before it had a chance to absorb any of the potential energy the girl herself was putting off. As he struggled, he couldn't help but wonder:

Did Hart know what he was doing?

If he did, and his intention was to get the orb into the girl's grasp, they'd all played right into his hand. There certainly was the possibility that this was a trap. But how would Hart know that the Dragon Tamers, from their history, inherited the most powerful bonds between monsters and humans that could be had? Arceus... It had to be Arceus. Arceus would know such a thing and would have given Hart the information one way or another...But that would mean...

The orb in Leigh's grasp began to feel colder to the touch, like ice. A soft, droning vibration hummed to life inside of it, and its gentle buzz passed on through Leigh's body like a shiver. From somewhere behind this small group, the cry of the elder could be heard. His footsteps on the bridge indicated that he was coming to check on his heir. But Ace was not concerned about being caught. He was only concerned about getting the orb, before it was too late.

"W-What's going on?!" Leigh asked, looking down at the orb in her hands with wide eyes as it began to change. Even its color deepened from the faint, smoky swirl to a deep, oily shade of black. She didn't understand it, but the essence that was coming from the item seemed malevolent and that told Leigh enough to let it go. So, thrusting the orb out towards Ace the young woman went to scramble backwards and from the huge dog and her stolen cargo.

"T-That thing!" She pointed with a shaking finger at the orb. "It was...reacting strangely! It's evil! I knew it!" She demanded, with strong conviction and a nervousness to back up her claims.

Ace's eyes went wide when Leigh pushed the orb away, and he went for it, grabbing it in his jaws. To him, it felt hot. The energy that it had been drawing from Leigh started to seep out and it reacted violently to the Medallion hanging around his neck. So shocked was Ace by the sudden sensation of heat that wrapped around him with invisible fingers that he didn't see Hart running down the steps towards him. The man knelt down and reached to help Leigh to her feet, his dark eyes lifting and eying Ace warily. In his mind, Ace heard the voices of a thousand dark creatures. The disembodied sounds whispered his name in his ear, and one of the voices stood out above the rest.

_You can come home now..._

"Get away from me!" The young woman cried out, pushing herself away from Hart and trying to get onto her own two feet, although shakily. Leigh ran down the stairs towards the Elder, petrified. "There's something terribly wrong!" She practically sobbed as she practically tumbled into the arms of her mentor. "I don't understand. That…orb. There's something wrong with it..." The young woman's eyes fell on Ace, the one who had snatched the item away from her.

She hadn't wanted to cower or seem nervous, but whatever had happened when she took the orb into her own hands was horrid, it's leaking, putrid chill penetrating her skin and her soul. It was beyond her understanding, but she knew it was powerful and dangerous. Worse, it seemed to be developing further. Now a haze of purple and black mist billowed from the object and spilled from Ace's mouth like so much frothy drool. It pooled around his legs in long, snaking tendrils. Terrified, the normally brave young woman hid behind the elder and hoped that the situation would not endure along this dark path.

* * *

Meanwhile, all the events unknown to her, Hoshiko went on mixing with care, choosing, arranging, and grinding all of the herbs for Petra in accordance with her family's traditions. She felt sorrowful over the event and even worse was that it reminded her of her mother's death. She wondered what had ultimately happened to the woman's body, and if the funeral would soon take place, without her there.

It was a sad and terrible reality, to miss her own mother's funeral, but she had been too distressed to even ponder the terms of her mother's death until now. Working with the herbs forced her to think about it, and the memories and emotions came flooding back, anew. It became hard to hold back her tears as Hoshiko gently crushed the bitter dried leaves into powder. In the kitchen, Koichi looked at his mother across the table and sighed wearily.

"Ma...I...don't know what exactly happened yet...but...if Hoshiko's mother really has passed..." He found the words more than a little difficult to force out. "...Then even without the child born, she would be forced to take head of the family...There isn't anyone to act in her place..." His stressed voice cracked over the idea, even though it meant Hoshiko had free reign over the entire family and their laws. To a point.

Hoshiko's grandmother took pause, pensively looking over at Hoshiko through the open door to the medicine room. Dried herbs hanging in colorful bundles from the walls and ceiling laced green around the glinting glass of vials and flasks lined up in rows on heavy wooden shelves. In the silence and the frosty sunlight creeping through the windows, Hoshiko looked so frail and helpless. Her grandmother hid her distaste for her son's wife with a veil of respect that she donned for his sake, and she tried not to think about the obstacles that Hoshiko would soon face.

"It will be a difficult time for Hoshiko, but perhaps she can make the situation better for her family. They will come to appreciate and rely on her. She could transform the entire town with her warm heart."

Koichi's gaze remained fixated on his daughter, watching her move among the racks and arrange the mixtures and tools just so. She was so careful with the jars, and every time she added an herb to the mixture, she seemed to be saying something. It was a beautiful scene, though Koichi was sure he saw thin, silver lines of tears on her round cheeks. He tried to ignore that, and saw Hoshiko as she might have been, if she'd grown up here, an apprentice to his mother. It almost seemed for a moment that this was how things had always been. The illusion of Hoshiko's freedom was too precious a picture to look away from. But breaking the spell, he finally turned back to his mother, his heart aching.

"It's possible that she could...but I fear the reaction of her step sisters...and...Osamu." He wouldn't refer to the young man as Hoshiko's husband. No, because in Koichi's mind, he certainly wasn't. "...And heaping more responsibility on Hoshiko just seems so incredibly unfair..." Closing his eyes and biting down hard on his lip the man finished by saying. "I don't want to be the one to tell her..."

Koichi's mother sighed and shook her head. Her son could be such a weenie sometimes, but she _did_ understand the difficulty of putting more weight on Hoshiko's shoulders. Still, she supposed the girl had to know sooner or later, and chances were that once she was well she'd run off again with Samuel and they'd lose the chance to tell her anything. What Hoshiko did in response to the given knowledge was really up to her, but it needed to be clear that she was the heir to the Kimono Family. She had the ability to transform it into something beautiful. The old woman made her way into the medicine room.

"Hoshiko, I have something to talk to you about..."

Watching as his mother got up from the table and went to approach Hoshiko, Koichi went to stand, at first wanting to stop the woman and tell her not to speak to Hoshiko yet. But he knew that there was no stopping his mother once she had decided on something, and so he sat down and placed in face in his hands in defeat. This wasn't the right time to tell Hoshiko, not after she had just started to calm down after her emotional outburst. All Koichi could do was sit and wish things had turned out differently for his young daughter.

Looking up from the bowl in which she was still mixing herbs, Hoshiko watched her grandmother enter the room for a moment.

"Um...okay, what is it?" Hoshiko inquired, she didn't like the idea of having to have a talk, because in her experience they were never too good.

But maybe it was just something simple, Hoshiko could always hope. Setting down everything in her hands and wiping them on her shirt, Hoshiko pulled up a small chair for her grandmother and sat down on the counter beside the herbs she was working with.

Hoshiko's grandmother paused when her eyes met Hoshiko's. The girl was so beautiful, if not a bit tousled from her ordeals. She was something to be proud of and something to treasure, that much was certain. It was a little sad to have to give her so many responsibilities and cares, but she knew Hoshiko wouldn't need to return to Ecruteak yet if she didn't want to.

"I just wanted to mention something... It's somewhat important, and I want you to consider it, although you don't have to think about it too much just yet." She took a deep breath and let it out. "I know this will be hard for you to hear, but with your mother gone, you are the new head of the Kimono Girls. You'll be able to transform it into a much kinder environment for your child and for all future generations. I know you'll eventually be going back there, much as I don' want you to. You can't stay away from your heritage forever. But when you do go back, just keep that in mind." She smiled slightly. "You have the makings of a fine matriarch."

Hoshiko was absolutely stunned, and at first she wasn't sure what to say. On one turn it was another crushing blow, she had only expected to be brought into that responsibility once she had given birth, but now her expectations were met prematurely and Hoshiko didn't know what to do.

Taking one of the herb leaves beside her into her hand, Hoshiko looked at carefully, trying to focus on what was just said to her and at the same time not become emotional. But it was hard and her face showed how much of a fight Hoshiko was putting up to keep from crying once more. Her sisters wouldn't accept her for what she was, even if Hoshiko was the head of their family. At least she couldn't imagine them listening to her. And right now, with everything that had happened in Ecruteak, the place seemed like a huge prison. Her home of childhood days that had once been beautiful to her was now nothing more then a landscape full of pain. Maybe that would change some day; Hoshiko wasn't sure.

"...Granny...I...don't know...what to...say..." Hoshiko set down the leaf and bit her lip a little bit. "...My sisters...they won't accept me. And...and Osamu certainly won't care what I say...I'm scared. It's a huge undertaking...and...and I'm no matriarch..." The girl slowly shook her head. "...I...I don't have any the qualities needed to govern the family yet..." Tears started to fill Hoshiko's eyes. "...I'm only seventeen! Why can't I just have a normal life?"

"Normal is a fairly idealistic standard that nobody lives up to, my dear." Hoshiko's grandmother tried to be soothing. "But I'm sure that your family will be fine for a little while, until you find your bearings. But you are a matriarch, and you'll be a great one. There have been times throughout history that children had to take on great responsibilities because of their birth. Just think about child kings and queens. They didn't ask for that, but they gained responsibility over entire countries and had to make decisions whether they were ready to or not. At least your family isn't in that dire of a situation. But you will need to go back someday... It's something you must keep in mind. The next generation depends on you." She gestured to Hoshiko's stomach.

If this had been her father, Hoshiko would have been sobbing and yelling by now, taking her pain and frustration out on the man even though it wasn't his fault. However in consideration for her grandmother, Hoshiko withdrew all of the emotional responses building up inside. She had learned to have an undeniable sense of respect for true elders. And watching as her Grandmother motioned to her stomach Hoshiko couldn't help but place a hand there and sigh wearily.

"The...next generation. Not just...my child but...I guess my sister's children also." Hoshiko said sadly, closing her eyes and a few tears escaping onto her cheeks. "I feel guilty for not wanting to go back..." Shaking her head, the young woman's expression was emotionally pained. "If...I'm the one who has to make life different for the others...t-then I guess...that's suitable...a-after all I went through the most..." Opening her eyes and watching her grandmother for a moment, Hoshiko spoke in a hushed tone.

"Does this mean...I can divorce from Osamu...a-and welcome men back to our Family?" Hoshiko didn't sound hopeful at the prospect. "B-Because if I go back...Osamu...I don't want to be his wife. Y-You're the only woman I've gotten to talk to this about...my sisters didn't care...Osamu'll just treat me badly again. I'm sure of it. And...I...I feel so violated already...Osamu just looked at me like an object to use. He didn't care about my opinions or what I wanted. And every time he looks at me, I can just...I see his face again...how satisfied he was with himself...just before all of this happened, just before he..." Hoshiko shuttered against her own will. "...You...you understand...don't you Granny?"

A look of pity glinted in the old woman's eyes, and for a moment she looked much younger than she really was.

"You know, my dear, I just can't tell you what will happen. If you divorce Osamu, your baby won't have a father figure, and that simply won't do. I'm sure Koichi wouldn't mind being there for the baby, but he won't be around forever, sweetheart." She rubbed her chin. "I don't know what to say about Osamu. All I can say is that you need to hold on and hope for the best. Whatever happens will, alright?"

Hoshiko placed her hands into her lap and sighed heavily. That wasn't the answer that she wanted to receive at all. No, instead it was the exact opposite. Hoshiko had all the confidence in the world that her child didn't need a father figure and least of all Osamu. The girl never wanted to have a relationship, ever again. And so it was a tough pill to swallow when her Grandmother wasn't able to agree with Hoshiko getting a divorce. Samuel would agree. But...Samuel didn't have the experience with life that her Grandmother had.

It had to have some sort of truth to it. But she couldn't imagine going back to the man who not only had abused her but threatened to kill her. It seemed illogical. Closing her eyes, Hoshiko spoke softly.

"I guess...I...just don't know how I could ever look at him differently...Maybe I'm...not forgiving enough? I...don't know...But...I guess...I'll have to accept my place in the family either way..." Biting her lip Hoshiko shook her head. "I don't know how I'll tell Samuel..."

Breaking the heaviness of the situation, and old but warm hand landed itself on Hoshiko's shoulder, and the girl found herself looking into her grandmother's eyes. "Don't think about Osamu right now. Maybe you would be able to get a divorce from him. I'm not saying you can't. But I just don't want to promise you'd be able to and then have you be disappointed later, that's all. And the baby does need a man in her life to help raise her. Everyone needs a father. Just think what it would be like if you didn't have your father. And no he hasn't been there much, through no fault of his own, but what if he wasn't there at all? Ever? Just think about it, dear..."

Hoshiko's shoulders slumped. "But Osamu isn't fit to be a Father!" She protested. "He's less prepared for this than I am..." Her bottom lip trembled a bit before she shut herself up and considered what her Grandmother said. "I guess...we'll just see what happens...Maybe Ace was right, maybe I could find someone suitable..." Hoshiko added with a great level of discouragement.

Hoshiko's grandmother wrung her old hands and then turned to the subject of Samuel. "I don't know what that awful friend of yours will do or think. Hopefully he'll understand."

Looking out the window with a heavy expression on her face, Hoshiko shook her head. "I won't tell Samuel yet...He...he won't like it...He won't accept it."

"Alright then..." Hoshiko's grandmother looked a little weary, but she was pleased that she at least brought these things to Hoshiko's attention. Now the girl would be able to think about them and focus on the reality of her situation. That was important. She did need time to recover, though... So the old woman wasn't about to hold her back from finding herself. "...Why don't you go look for your friends? I'm sure they must be wondering where you are by now." She turned and made her way back to the table to fix herself some tea and have breakfast.

Nodding to her Grandmother in agreement, Hoshiko slid from her seat once the elderly woman had left the room. Taking a moment to get all of her emotions straight, the girl filled up the beautifully decorated bottle with the herbs that she had ground and corked the top, placing it into her purse and making sure that only soft things were gathered around to pad it. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Hoshiko left her father's home and went back out into the cold mountain air. She shivered a bit as it seeped through her skin.

* * *

The elder reached for his heir and pulled her close to himself, protecting her as he watched the scene unfold on the stairs above. Ace was standing between Hart and the Dragon Tamers below, but the canine had frozen in place completely, as if turned to stone. Samuel, sitting on the beast's back, had his hands on the monster's shoulders. He was shaking Ace violently, trying to urge a response from the wolfish monster. He'd sensed something was wrong immediately, and didn't even take care not to pull Ace's fur as he tried to get his attention.

"HEY! What's the matter with you?!"

Ace felt conflicted. His head was swimming and he felt sickeningly hot and now cold at the same time. He felt like he was drifting in and out of consciousness, and in the time that he was out of it, he could see Arceus' eyes in the blackness, staring at him.

_What are you doing here?_ He asked subconsciously, dazed and confused. He felt for all the world like a lost puppy, trying to find his way home. Except he didn't seem to know what home was.

_You can come back now..._ Arceus repeated the thought to him. _We're waiting for you, and all you have to do is put aside this ridiculous mission you claim and once more support the growth of a great and glorious monster paradise._

_You mean a hell for humans._ Ace shivered.

_You resist too much. Can't you feel it? The calling is within you. It is your destiny..._

Leigh looked back from the Elder, feeling safe in his arms from whatever was happening with the oversized canine that had taken the orb from her. She was shocked, and her body was tense in fear. Nothing like this had ever happened before to Leigh, let alone in the temple of the Dragon Clan. She wasn't prepared for this, and yet at the same time she had tried to warn the Elder that the visitors were trouble. She wished so deeply that he had listened to her and wondered if now he also wished the same thing. Looking up at the man as he held her secure, Leigh spoke softly with a trembling in the back of her voice.

"What will we do?"

"I don't know..." The elder admitted, staring in utter confusion at the scene before him. He felt an odd sense of fear welling up inside, and he combated it as best he could, but he had no answers... Not even one.

Samuel noticed the changes in Ace, and judging from the stunned reaction the Incarnus had to the orb, Samuel could guess what the purpose of the object was. Not unlike Snap's darkmatter orb, it was useful for collecting the essence of darkness. But in contact with a monster it released it, meaning that Ace was in real danger, as was everyone else. Samuel had a feeling that the orb couldn't have been as potent as Snap's orb... At least not yet. But it could have been enough to cause problems.

Even while Samuel was assessing the situation, he saw Hart start walking down the stairs towards him. The man was smiling slightly and holding his hand out to Ace.

"Good dog." He sneered, flexing his fingers greedily. "Give it here. Drop it."

Ace looked up at the descending Hart, his eyes somewhat glassed over. Mechanically, he opened his jaws and dropped the orb into Hart's palm. Hart sneered.

"Excellent work my friend." Hart glanced at Samuel. "You let me know when you're ready to give up this nonsensical game you're playing. When you feel guilty enough about murdering innocent pokémon and tearing friends away from the safety of each others' arms, look me up." He turned and recalled Nidoking, and then made his way up a few stairs before pausing and turning back.

"Ah, I just remembered..." He came up to Ace's side and got a good grip on the creature's mane before hauling himself up onto Ace's back and shoving Samuel off. The boy hit the ground with a thud and a pained gasp. He found himself looking up at his commandeered monster and glaring angrily. Hart just smiled. "I need transport to get across the water. I'm sure your Dragon Tamer friends won't mind helping you across, but they won't be helping me, I don't think."

With a twitch of his heels, he'd already urged Ace forward, up the steps, and through the cave entrance. Samuel watched wide-eyed, calling Ace's name but receiving no response. It was as if Ace hadn't even heard him.

Breaking away from the Elder, Leigh ran over to Samuel. Seeing the look on the young man's face and how intently he had watched and called after his monster companion, there was a strange sense of concern in the young woman's face. Grabbing Samuel's shoulders, she gave him an abrupt shake.

"Hey! Hey! What's going on!? What happened!?" Leigh's voice was distressed and she looked back to see Ace and Hart vanishing out of the cave of the Dragon Tamers.

Samuel's eyes shimmered with tears that he managed to hold back, but only just barely. His anger at himself and at Hart boiled to the surface, but he suppressed it and swallowed hard. Letting his rage get the better of him would only lead to heartache. Still, his frustration was evident in his voice. He didn't look at Leigh, but stumbled quickly to his feet and tried to pull her up the steps after him. The sound of footsteps behind him didn't catch his attention until they were already halfway up, and even then they didn't concern him enough to look back. His focus was on the cavern entrance.

"It's Ace! Hart's done something to him! I only hope that his control over Ace isn't too strong... If it is, there's no way we can stop him!"

"W-What!?" Leigh cried out behind Samuel as he pulled her along the stairs, and the girl was still whimpering over her leg. Yet at the same time, she wasn't so sure if she was angry with the young man for pulling on her or not asking her if she wanted to come with him first. But right not there wasn't much of a choice for Leigh, so dragged behind Samuel, the young woman growled at him. "I feel bad for you and all, but you know what? You need to be a little gentler!"

"Well, I'm sorry _Your Highness_, but I think this matter is a little more important than a matter of bruising your peachflesh." Samuel grunted as he hurried up the stairs. The footsteps behind them continued, but there was no time to look back, so Samuel hurried. All the while, he tried to explain what was going on, despite being out of breath.

"The orb must have released darkness and it must have possessed Ace somehow. It reacted with the Medallion around his neck, so that may be it, but if it's that bad we might be in real trouble. And not just me. You and your family. Not everyone is as self-centered as you are, you know? I don't feel bad for me. I am deathly afraid for everyone! You don't know the power that Ace has! He can sentence us all to death!"

"How could you say that about me!" Leigh growled at Samuel and he pulled her along. "How inconsiderate of you to insult me like that!" And quite annoyed from Samuel's reaction, Leigh purposefully dug her nails into the hand that Samuel still clung to her with. "I'm not self centered at all! Now stop your stupid chatter and go save your friend..." She glared at Samuel, as they neared the exit of the cave, panting and running out of breath from the fast ascent.

Samuel rolled his eyes, following a wince at the girl's sharp nails. There was no reason to argue, though. Especially not now. Saving Ace was critical, because if they didn't save him, then everyone was going to suffer for it. And, of course, somewhere in his heart where Samuel would rather pretend it didn't exist, he was worried about Ace.

* * *

The two emerged from the cave and into the sunlight reflecting brightly off of the lake. The sun, now much higher in the sky, made the mountainside glare under its yellow rays. Still, even despite that, there was a very slight chill in the air, although it was significantly less than at night or early morning. Samuel shielded his eyes from the sun and tried to look out across the water, but the glare was so bright he really couldn't see the other side. Hurriedly, he turned to Leigh. It was only then that he noticed the tag-along they'd acquired was actually Vince, watching with intense curiosity, concern, and eagerness.

He was breathing hard, but that didn't seem to trouble the small boy. Samuel sighed. No point in telling him to stay here now. He turned to Leigh. "We need to get across. Give me a lift?"

Leigh took notice of Vince when Samuel did, and she cast an annoyed frown at the child. She put on hand on her hip and shook her head at the little boy. "What are you doing here?"

"Nevermind that." Samuel grunted, grabbing Leigh's shoulder to get her attention. "I need a ride across the lake. Give me a lift?" He repeated.

Leigh knew that unless she obliged, he wouldn't leave her alone, and so pulling a pokéball out of her pocket, Leigh released her dragonair.

"Alright, get on." She complained, shoving Samuel forward and pulling Vince along with her. The three practically tumbled into the lake, and would have if it wasn't for Leigh's loyal monster who caught them. "Alright Dragonair." The girl started to command. "Let's get across this lake and find that jerk!" Within a second, Dragonair took off across the water.

The other bank of the lake met the odd trio with a sense of dread and looming finality. Samuel felt his heart sink into his stomach and he could have sworn that for at least a few seconds it wasn't even beating. Breathlessly, his eyes came to rest on the shoreline as they landed, and he jumped off, his feet hitting the ground at a run. He did not wait for the other two, did not even hesitate. His immediate focus was entirely on the Incarnus lying on the ground.

There was no sign of Hart anywhere, but Ace was there, certainly, and not in any way that Samuel ever wanted to see him. There was a dark pool of blood around Ace's head. His eyes were half open and staring into nothing. His mouth also hung slightly agape, his tongue lolled out. Samuel threw himself onto the ground and skidded on his knees until he was right next to the monster.

"Ace!" He cried out in panic. But he didn't get a response.

Greeting the scene with wide eyes, Leigh grabbed Vince so he wouldn't approach the hurt creature. She held him by his shoulders and steered him in the direction of the Pokémon Center.

"Go, Vince!" She demanded of the young man. "Tell them there's an emergency by the lake, and tell them that I sent you!" Pushing the little boy forward a bit, Leigh ran until she was beside Samuel.

Vince had no time to think. The scene that met his eyes was instantly burned into his brain, and it was utterly horrifying, but seconds before he could really register any of it, he was thrust off and his feet were carrying him to the Pokémon Center as fast as they could.

Meanwhile, Leigh knelt beside the young man, pulling out any of the healing items that she might have had on her and surprisingly offering them to him. "Will...will these help?" The young woman asked desperately.

Samuel glanced at Leigh, clearly distressed. He looked back at Ace and with trembling hands slid his fingers under the huge monster's head. Slowly, he lifted it up, and he could see it... A deep, gaping wound across Ace's throat, and on the ground underneath him, a large knife. Blood ran down the long wet ringlets of white fur, and Samuel had to force himself not to cry. Instead, he instinctively pressed his fingers into the thick fur, searching for a pulse.

He couldn't find one. His back went rigid and a surge of fear overcame him, but he fought it back as best he could and looked at the medicines in Leigh's hands. He reached for one of them—the one best applied to open wounds. He knew it helped clotting and triggered the body's healing mechanisms, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. It might help, but Ace needed much more than a little splash of medicine. He sprayed the liquid on anyways in a fine mist, taking off his scarf afterwards to tie around Ace's neck and try to cover the wound as best he could. It was then that he realized something was missing. He stared for a moment, bewildered.

Then it hit him. The Medallion.

Fear gripped him, and his head swam with the realization that Hart had taken it—human hands now held the item that Ace had so desperately warned against. Devastation awaited, and how they'd ever get it back, Samuel didn't know. Then, looking back down at Ace, the fears escalated and his pain intensified. What if Ace died? What if he already—

He heard footsteps crunching in the dirt and gravel leading down to the lake. He lifted his head in time to see Hoshiko jogging down the path and towards them. She was in a hurry, and he knew at once that even from a distance she'd seen the direness of the situation. Maybe she'd even seen Vince in passing and he'd told her what was going on. Samuel didn't know, but he was glad to see her.

As Hoshiko approached the horrific scene, seeing Samuel and Leigh kneeling beside a wounded Ace, her mind raced, and she was absolutely mortified. The pool of blood beneath the monster was too large to be a minor wound, and Hoshiko found herself falling to her knees before saying anything anyone, too stunned to speak.

"Ace!" Hoshiko cried out and looked at Samuel as if to ask him what had happened, but the words didn't escape her lips before she glanced at Leigh and decided to ask the young woman instead, not wanting to strain Samuel. "What happened!?" Her words were sharp and quick.

"It's his throat..." Leigh whispered in a strangled voice. "I think...it's been...been cut...I...I sent….Vince to the...Pokémon Center..."

"We don't have time for that!" Hoshiko practically barked at the girl who she had been so nervous and shy around before.

Flinging the flap on her bag open, Hoshiko pulled out a first aid kit, one that she had received from her father, or maybe had borrowed it from him. She couldn't remember. It didn't matter now anyways. "It's...g-gonna be alright Samuel..." Hoshiko said, trying to quell the sobs in her throat. "S-See if h-he's breathing."

Pulling out a needle and some of the stitching thread that was made from the hair of Pokémon, Hoshiko threaded the needle with trembling hands. Snatching the scarf from Ace's neck, Hoshiko could have thrown up at the wound that she beheld in Ace's neck. She couldn't believe it. But pushing aside the sickening feeling in her stomach, Hoshiko did her best to try and pull the wound together so that the bleeding would hopefully stop. That was when she too noticed that the Medallion that Ace protected so carefully was missing.

The tears that Samuel had been fighting spilled when Hoshiko came and dropped down beside him. He bit his lip to try and control his shaking voice, but even with the effort when he did finally speak it was a strangled croak.

"I tried to find his pulse and I couldn't." Samuel sounded like he was about to die. "Maybe it's just all of his thick fur. It's got to be his thick fur. I can't even feel his skin under it all." Samuel crawled around Hoshiko to get to Ace's muzzle and he lowered his head so that his ear was close to the monster's snout. There wasn't a single puff of breath escaping, and Samuel turned pale as a sheet. "He's not breathing." He gasped. "Something's wrong."

Obviously, the deep knife wound in Ace's throat was quite a big something, but Samuel had no other words for it. "Maybe his windpipe's been cut!" Samuel cried out, tilting Ace's head back so Hoshiko could see the wound better. "He might be suffocating!"

Feeling her own throat constrict as Samuel even suggested that Ace's windpipe might be cut, the girl's shaking hands held the wound open slightly with the help of Samuel lifting Ace's head. The young woman gagged at the scene and fought the desperate sensation to clench her eyes closed tightly and look away.

"I...I think your right..." Hoshiko coughed out the words, trying her best to stay calm and stable.

She forced one her hands into the wound, shivering violently. She felt around and located the trachea. It looked intact, but as she felt it, she realized that something wasn't quite right. There was a slit across it, not large enough to sever it completely, but enough to open it and let blood in. It gurgled and frothed sickeningly, as if Ace was choking and struggling to breathe on some subconscious, slowly dying level. Hoshiko wasn't entirely sure what to do. "It feels like it's got blood inside!" Hoshiko practically sobbed and taking her hand out she could tell that her assumption was correct. Reaching back in, this time with both hands the girl tried to hold Ace's windpipe open more, more blood poured out from Ace's wound onto her but she could only hope that it had released from the windpipe.

"What do I do!?" She begged, desperate and trembling.

"I'll tell you what you do." A stern, ice cold voice sounded from behind them, accompanied by the blood-chilling click of a gun being set. Samuel turned to look, but didn't even get halfway there before he felt the cold steel of the barrel pressed against his temple. "If any of you care an ounce about whether Samuel lives or dies, you won't dare move."

Samuel didn't look up. He couldn't. But he already knew who was holding his hostage. "Hart...What did you do to him?!" Samuel cried out desperately.

"Killed him. Don't try to save him now because nothing you do will help. Now. I want you to come with me, you got that? I'll have no more of this nonsense of you running about pretending to be a hero." Hart wrestled his arm around Samuel's neck and jerked the young man up against his side, Samuel froze. His eyes moved to see the gun from the corner of his eye and he bit his lip.

"If any of you try to follow me I'll blow the kid's brains out. And don't think I won't. If you need any assurance that I would, just look at that mutt." He jerked his head towards Ace. "I want you all to go home and forget about all of this. None of it is your business, so stay out of my way. I'm here to stop this punk and his pet from wreaking havoc on our lives as we know it. And one day you'll all see it my way and I'll go down in history as a hero. Until then, I'm willing to be the villain. So, if any of you value life at all, you won't try to help Samuel or his puppy. Both of them are out for blood, and I'll stop them. I already stopped one of them."

Samuel choked as Hart tightened his arm around his neck, and he dug his fingers desperately into Hart's arm. "Ace never did anything to you that you didn't ask for!"

"Don't try to sell him as any sort of hero. He's a demon. And now he's been dealt with." Hart started walking backwards, keeping an eye on Leigh and Hoshiko. "Been nice seeing you ladies, but I really have to go now. I have a few things to handle and Samuel here is going to help me."

If Hoshiko had thought that her chest had constricted before, the girl had absolutely no idea how to handle the situation now. All she could do was stare. She was petrified, and a cold sweat poured down the girl's whole body. She felt dizzy and unsure of what to do. Her whole mind reeled, and her fear for Samuel's life trumped even her desperation to save Ace's.

There was part of her that wanted so desperately to jump out and pull Samuel away from Hart, but that was impossible. It wasn't the same as it had been the last time Hart had attacked them Blackthorn. Hoshiko knew that if Hart shot her this time there would be a lot more lost to her then her own life. And with Leigh cowering behind her, Hoshiko had no way to back herself up. Tears started pouring down her face, and Hoshiko cursed them with all her might in her mind. She cursed how speechless she was and just how terrible to felt to be completely helpless.

But Hart hadn't severed Ace's windpipe, not completely. Ace wasn't dead, so how could Hart say he killed him? It was impossible. All of this was impossible. Hoshiko couldn't say anything to Hart, though, and she almost felt like her wrists were crushed under the weight of Ace's head as it was left to rest. But pushing her body so that it could at least hold up part of his head, the young woman hoped that Hart wouldn't notice that she still meant to save him. Even if he wasn't dead, he could easily be very soon if she didn't do something.

"S-Samuel...I...I...Samuel..." Hoshiko was sobbing, and it was clear she had no idea what to do.

Samuel's eyes darted with horror from the gun to Ace and back to Hoshiko. He had no idea what to do either. But soon enough his strength came back enough for him to speak.

"I'll be okay, Hoshiko." He gasped, no longer fighting tears thanks to his adrenaline and overwhelmed senses. He was in shock. "Just please make sure Ace lives. Whatever you do don't let him die! Take this!" Samuel reached into his bag and pulled out the Mark, throwing it to Hoshiko. "Give it to Ace when he's well!"

Hart growled and tried to cover Samuel's mouth with his hand, but Samuel worked himself free long enough to shout one last time. "I know he's not dead yet! I know he's not! Please save him! You have to!"

"Shut up you little rat!" Hart snarled, forcing Samuel backwards towards the van that they only now noticed was parked nearby. With the gun to his head, Samuel found himself forced into the driver's seat. Hart was taking no chances now. Binding the boy and locking him up had never worked. Hart had learned his lesson... And now Samuel was stuck following orders if he wanted to live. "Start the van!" Hart yelled. "We're getting out of here!" Samuel shot him a glare, but was silenced when the gun pressed harder against his skin. It was going to leave an awful bruise that was for sure. "GO YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

Hart climbed in after Samuel and slammed the door shut. The van started, sending plumes of warm air up in swirls of white through the cool mountain air. The tires lurched, dust billowed, and the van sped off down the mountain road, leaving Hoshiko sitting alone with Leigh, and Ace's head in her hands.


	29. The Lost

**Chapter 29: The Lost**

Staring down at the dried blood on her clothes, Hoshiko's somber eyes fixated, reflecting fearfully and without certainty. Terror gave way to numbness, and now with Samuel gone, nothing but a cloud of dust behind, she felt completely isolated and terribly lonely. She sat with Vince in the waiting room of the Pokémon Center and prayed that the herbs she had prepared would remain Petra's memorial, not Ace's.

The girl's heart was heavy, and she wasn't sure if she had been able to do anything for Ace. She worried she may have hurt him more than helped, but she had no idea of what to do. He needed oxygen, and he needed to be stitched together, but this was beyond Hoshiko's skill. The image of Samuel being taken away by Hart tightened her chest and made it impossible for her to breathe. She already missed Samuel dearly and worried for his sake, but his request to save Ace lingered and weighed heavily on her mind. She tried to block the encroaching thoughts of how Hart might be treating him out of her mind and concentrate only on Ace.

Leigh had abandoned Hoshiko for fear of Hart's return, but Hoshiko would never be able to abandon either Ace or Samuel. Especially with how earnestly Samuel had begged her to save their companion. Wringing her hands worriedly, Hoshiko tried to regulate her breathing and avoid hyperventilation. Waiting was painful and difficult, and seemed to take forever with no real hope beyond desperation that things simply couldn't end this way. All Hoshiko really wanted to know was when she could see Ace and know whether or not the wolf was alright.

She just wanted to make sure he was alright...So she could keep her promise to Samuel...

If Ace died, how could Hoshiko ever face her friend again?

Vincent, unlike Leigh, was not inclined to leave Hoshiko. He wanted to help, and he wanted to help badly. He wasn't sure what he could do now, but he wouldn't leave her side until he was sure there wasn't anything he _could_ do. He'd brought the doctor to the scene as requested prior—they'd arrived not long at all after Hart and Samuel left—and he helped take Ace to the Pokémon Center. He remembered the doctor's surprise at seeing the knife.

_"How would a human have been able to do this kind of damage? Wouldn't the pokémon fight back?"_ He'd wondered allowed.

Vince didn't have an answer. He wished he did, but he didn't. He didn't understand what had happened with the orb, and he hadn't seen how Hart had managed to assault Ace.

Ace needed surgery. That's what the doctor had said. He remembered them putting a breathing tube in Ace's throat and vacuuming out the blood until they could get started, and he remembered the doctors and nurses using huge electric paddles to restart Ace's heart. It was scary watching him be rushed to surgery. Vince had never seen a pokémon so hurt before. It was horrible and frightening. The hours ticked by, and the quiet in the waiting room was deafening. Vince fell asleep on the couch.

He woke up when he heard the voice of the doctor.

"Hoshiko, right?" The now cleaned up doctor said slowly as he approached the waiting area. He looked down at the young woman. "Your pokémon is out of surgery."

Hoshiko looked up wearily, but relief flooded into her gaze, washing away the glassy stare. Slowly she stood. "R-Really?...You...You mean it?" Hoshiko asked in disbelief, as if something so good and incredible was too far off than to actually happen. Glancing at the door that the doctor had come from, Hoshiko refrained from dashing towards it. She wanted to see Ace, but she knew better than to just run into the operating room.

"C-Can I go see him? Please? I…I won't cause him any trouble, I promise I won't." Hoshiko said with as much gentility as she could muster. And looking back at Vince she had a soft expression on her face. "If I go in...you just wait here for a few minutes. I promise I'll come and get you, I just need a little bit of time with Ace first...Okay?" Turning back to the doctor, Hoshiko watched his face hopefully.

The doctor nodded slowly but held up one hand to stop Hoshiko before she could go in. "His trachea has been sown up, but while it heals he needs to have the breathing tube in place. Without it he won't survive for very long. He's at high risk for infection and tracheal collapse, but we'll do our very best to avoid that. He's still pretty much under the influence of the anesthetic too. He probably won't really even notice you, but he's alive. His vitals are weak though. He'll probably be in ICU for the next few days."

The news felt like a double edged sword to Hoshiko. She was beyond relieved to know that Ace was alive and well enough, but to know that he wouldn't be able to even speak or leave the ICU for days was crushing. She had wanted to leave, leave and save Samuel.

But that would be impossible now, with Ace out of commission. Despite wanting to remain strong, hot tears started to warm Hoshiko's eyes and she felt the wet droplets on her cheeks. Her worry for Samuel was overwhelming, for as much as she loved Ace, Samuel was her best friend. Nothing, no one, no monster could replace that.

"Thank you..." She said gently, her discouragement hard to hide. "I'll keep all of that in mind..."

The doctor paused then and mused aloud. "I'm stunned that a human could attack such a large monster and get away with it. He should have retaliated...but there are no signs of a struggle, and I figure if there was we'd be dealing with a human body rather than trying to save Ace's life..."

And as they approached the door, Hoshiko spoke. "I...I don't really know what happened to be honest. At the time I was visiting my father and grandmother. I found Ace by the lake, when he was already….hurt." Hoshiko truly wasn't sure what happened or if Ace was alone by the lake. Maybe it was possible someone had seen what had taken place? She hadn't even had a chance to find out anything from Samuel. The only thing she suspected was Hart. The man had essentially confessed, but how everything had unfolded, Hoshiko didn't know. Either way, Ace would be able to explain to her at some point. "I'm just glad he's alive..."

Inside of the recovery room, Ace was laid out on the floor on a huge pad that supported his weight with a thick cushion. He had a heat lamp on him to bring up his body temperature after all of the blood loss he'd experienced, and inside of his mouth was a thick, clear plastic tube held in place by straps around his muzzle. An oxygen pump sat nearby, supporting another set of tubes and a wide cup that went around Ace's whole snout, feeding him oxygen directly. His heart rate was monitored closely, and were it not for the hum and soft beeps of the machines suggesting he was still working internally, he might have looked quite dead.

His body was almost entirely still, save for a very faint, almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, the fur around them damp as if from excess tears. His large, impressive paws now simply lay on the floor, basically lifeless. He didn't seem to move when Hoshiko came in.

A lump caught in Hoshiko's throat as soon as she saw Ace. The young woman was distraught by his condition, even if she knew Ace was alive. It was difficult to believe that his life wasn't hanging in the balance.

Taking a few steps towards Ace with her soft and gentle demeanor showing, Hoshiko bent down, kneeling beside him. Glancing back at the doctor as if to ask whether or not she could touch Ace, Hoshiko wished that she would be allowed to just brush his fur softly. Maybe then he could tell she was there with him.

Hoshiko couldn't restrain herself and before the man could tell her whether or not she was allowed, Hoshiko stroked Ace's side gently. Of course, there couldn't have been a softer or more careful touch, for Hoshiko was instilled with grace from her childhood.

"...Ace..." Her voice was hoarse speaking his name. If only he could be awake...if only she could save Samuel.

There wasn't any movement from Ace, not even so much as an opening of his eyes. He continued to lie there, still as stone for several long, seemingly endless minutes. But he did feel something...the faintest touch ever. Light and reassuring. And he heard a familiar voice through the fog in his mind and the pain in his body. What she was saying he wasn't sure, but to hear someone he recognized made him feel not so isolated... Maybe there was someone close by, trying to help him. The voice of Arceus was gone, and all he felt was a numb, thick emptiness around him.

The doctor looked down at Hoshiko in silence for awhile, and then spoke.

"As long as you don't touch his head or neck, it's alright. And be careful not to touch the wires either." The doctor folded his hands behind his back. "I haven't had to perform a surgery this complex in a long time. Pokémon don't expose their throats for such a precision cut like he had. Even in battle it's rare for such a wound to occur."

"I promise I'll be careful." Hoshiko said softly, before looking back to Ace and leaving the doctor to his own ideas and assumptions as to what happened. Hoshiko herself had no idea what possibly could have taken place that Ace couldn't have just killed Hart. She knew just how easy it was for him to do such a thing...she knew all too well. But for now, it was beyond her. At any rate, she had to say one last thing to the doctor. "My father is Koichi; he's at the apothecary with my grandmother... If it's not too much trouble, do you think someone might tell them that I'm here...and maybe ask if they could bring a change of clothes...I...don't plan on leaving until he's well..." And then at last turning to Ace and gently stroking his fur, Hoshiko continued to speak to the dog soothingly.

"You're gonna be okay now, Ace. I promise. You'll be alright...you're going to be alright. I promise, Ace; just rest. Please rest and take care of yourself. I'm not leaving. I'll be here until you're all better..."

The doctor watched and listened to Hoshiko sympathetically before nodding softly, hesitant to interrupt her quiet moment. "I'll send that little boy who was with you to let your family know. I'm sure he'll be glad to do something."

And the doctor was right. Poor little Vince was tired of waiting around in the hospital, not being able to help or anything of the sort. He really, really wanted to, but he was just a kid after all, and nobody seemed ready to look to him for help. Except the doctor. When the doctor sent him to the apothecary, the young boy was thrilled. He'd hurried out of the Pokémon Center and down the street in the blink of an eye. Now he was waiting on the doorstep, rocking back and forth on his heels after knocking one too many times to get attention.

Impatiently he waited for the door to be answered. He couldn't wait to tell Koichi what was going on and where Hoshiko was. Vince's expectations were met as the door in front of him opened slowly to reveal a dumbfounded looking Koichi. The man had expected his daughter but found it strange that the girl would knock at the door instead of just walking in. When he saw the little boy from the Dragon Clan, the man couldn't imagine what the child wanted.

"Hey, Vince." He smiled down at the child awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. He remembered the boy clearly from their trip to Ecruteak and how he had accompanied him back to Blackthorn after Osamu had taken Hoshiko. After his mild shock seemed to subside, Koichi finally found what to say to the child. "What can I do for you?"

"Hoshiko's at the Pokémon Center!" Vince wasted no time in dispensing the drama. "Something happened! Her friend's monster almost died and he just got out of surgery! Hoshiko's waiting there with him but she says she's not leaving the Pokémon Center until he's better! She needs a new change of clothes. Oh! And something happened to Samuel too! He got taken away! Hoshiko wants to help him but she can't yet! We should go find him, right, Mr. Koichi?!" It was a desperate ploy for one so young and adventure starved, but it was definitely worth a try, in Vince's humble opinion. And if it didn't work, at least he'd still be helping a little.

"Hoshiko is where?" Koichi looked down shocked at Vince. "And...Samuel?!" Shaking his head, the man wasn't able to make a lot of sense out of what had happened or what was currently going on. So instead of asking anymore questions, with haste he asked Vince to wait inside the door for a moment while he took a cloth bag and filled it up with clothes for Hoshiko. He even added some of the food he had been preparing for lunch in a convenient little box with chopsticks. After grabbing everything in quite a bluster, Koichi took Vince with him and practically ran to the Pokémon Center.

"We can't find Samuel yet...I need to hear from Hoshiko first. I need to make sure she's okay and that she has everything she needs. I can't have her neglecting her health." He put on his coat and shoes and headed out, letting Vincent lead the way.

Upon entering the pokémon center, walking in and speaking with the nurse, both Koichi and Vince were allowed into the room where Hoshiko sat with Ace. The girl's eyes focused on the fallen monster with expectancy, but the girl looked up as the footsteps of her father and Vincent approached. Koichi was disturbed by the sight of Ace, shaved and stitched about the neck, with tubes and wires attached to monitor him. Koichi was inclined to ask what had happened, but first needed to check on the well being of his daughter. He came to her side and knelt beside her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright Hoshiko?"

"Yeah...I'm fine." The girl said somberly.

"And the baby?" He took a few steps closer to her and took a good look at his daughter with her blood stained clothes, Koichi was clearly concerned.

"The baby is okay too, nothing happened to me...it was Ace...and S-Samuel..." Hoshiko's eyes narrowed and she looked like she wanted to cry. "...Hart attacked Ace...I don't know how it happened because I wasn't there...Then he...he kidnapped Samuel..."

"Hart?" Koichi asked, perplexed.

"The man that was at the Pokémon Center here when I was shot..." Hoshiko said softly.

The doctor glanced at Koichi and nodded. "It's a very peculiar case. We're gonna have to look for witnesses to figure out just what happened. But for a human to do this sort of damage to a monster by hand is unheard of. It's as if Ace simply didn't fight back at all. The wounds he got were from a knife and they were very, very deep. He's not out of the woods, but he's on the path to recovery. Hopefully he'll make it through. We'll see in a few days."

"That _is_ strange..." Koichi commented, turning to the doctor, a little surprised at the man's presence in the room. He'd missed the man's entrance.

"I still don't know what happened." Hoshiko said in a discouraged tone, looking back to Ace as if by staring at him long enough she could gain an answer to all the disturbing questions in her mind, especially how Hart had gained the Medallion and just what he planned to do with it. More appropriately, she wondered what Arceus planned on doing with it. Additionally, the fact that the doctor didn't promise Ace's recovery was even more disheartening. But she knew that the monster would hold on, because he never said goodbye to Samuel.

"...What about Samuel, Hoshiko?" Koichi asked with worry. The girl shook her head.

"We can't save him without Ace. That man is too powerful...and I'm afraid that nothing can stop him now..." Her eyes narrowed sorrowfully. "I have to wait for Ace to get well..."

The doctor's look grew more and more concerned, but with a nervous sigh he backed away, deciding it best to leave the conversation to this small group for now. His main concern was his patients, and while he was worried about the missing boy, he knew he couldn't do much about it.

Vince, meanwhile, was more bold. "Why can't we go look for Samuel? Maybe Hart is strong, but he can't be stronger than all of us, right?" He remembered Hart's victory over the Dragon Tamers, but regarded it as a fraud since he'd used the two giant dragons. It didn't quite register that he might use them again.

Hoshiko was deathly silent, watching Ace and listening to Vince's words. She didn't want to get frustrated with the little boy and yet her heart was torn. She couldn't abandon Ace, but she wanted to help Samuel more than anything. She felt sick with worry. Her head snapping up as she shot a scowl at the child, Hoshiko's voice was harsh.

"Of course he's stronger than all of us!" She seethed. "The only chance that we have _is_ Ace! Even with that, you saw what he was able to do!" Tears were pouring down Hoshiko's cheeks as she watched Vince. "You just don't understand! Do you think I want to sit here and wait while heaven knows what happens to Samuel!? He could kill him! Don't you think I realize that? Don't you understand that this is killing me!?" She clenched her hands into fists. "I would run out there and chase after him like I did before, but this time, this time I know better...and I couldn't...even if I wanted to!" Hoshiko lowered her head and started to sob. "I _can't_ go after Samuel, and neither can either of you...because there's everything to lose..." Shaking her head the young woman bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself sorrowfully. "Everything to lose..."

Feeling bad for his daughter's outburst at the little boy, Koichi came beside Vince and put a supportive arm around him. He looked down at the little boy regretfully. "I'm sorry Vince..." And looking up at Hoshiko, Koichi said softly. "There's no need to be so harsh, Hoshiko...he just doesn't understand how dangerous the man is..."

But Hoshiko wouldn't say anything, too caught up in her tears to even find words. Samuel could be dead or worse by now, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The sheer surprise on Vince's face was plain, but even after he stared at Hoshiko slack-jawed for a little while, he managed to pull himself together. Folding his arms confidently, he smiled a slightly lopsided if not somewhat sheepish sort of smirk.

"Well alright then, but remember I got my whole family to back us up if we need it." Vince turned back to look at Ace. "But I guess if we have to wait, then we have to wait..."

His eyes rested on the huge white canine, and he wondered how such a large creature could even be in pain. It seemed like Ace should be invincible.

"It doesn't matter Vince..." Hoshiko's voice was bleak and depressed. "We need Ace..." The girl was quiet watching the still beast beside her.

"She needs some time..." Koichi whispered to the little boy beside him before taking the bag he had brought with him and placing it silently beside Hoshiko. "There's everything you need inside..." The man explained. "I'll bring you food every day if you really do want to stay here with Ace. But you can't forget your medicine or to take care of yourself..." He said worriedly.

Without a word, Hoshiko delved into the pack and pulled out the clothes that Koichi had brought for her to wear. She was grateful that they were comfortable. There was even a blanket and pillow inside. Looking up at her Father, the girl nodded slowly. "Thank you...Koichi..."

"You're welcome, Hoshiko." The man said understandingly.

Hoshiko left the room to get changed. Once she returned there was a great improvement from her messy, bloody clothes. And getting a little camp of sorts set up beside Ace, Hoshiko sat down on her blanket and took out the food that Koichi had brought her. But no matter what she tried to do, her eyes and mind kept wandering back to Ace.

* * *

Time slid by slowly, as if it had nothing better to do than watch the scenery. In that way it seemed to be mocking Hoshiko, but eventually she would have the last laugh. After all, time could not stall forever. It had to keep going. If only it could have moved faster.

Ace was motionless for days. The doctor frequently checked his vitals and assured Hoshiko that he was still alive, but it wasn't until the fourth day that the doctor actually smiled when he looked at the young woman. Ace's body was getting stronger, and his heartbeat and breathing more regular. Frequent application of healing sprays and injections of medicine meant to speed the body's ability to heal wounds were finally making a difference it seemed. The doctor even removed the breathing tube at last, and it was almost strange to see Ace without it after watching him, day in and day out, with it on.

On the fifth day the real cause for excitement came. Ace's eyes flicked open slowly, and although he kept them squinted half shut because of the light, his eyes moved from one end of the room to the other, as if trying to figure out where he was. At first he didn't notice Hoshiko, and his sense of smell wasn't quite recovered enough to detect her, but the rustling of her clothes caught his attention. His ear lifted slightly and he let out a slight whine of discomfort when he realized that moving was a tall order.

Hoshiko had been sleeping restlessly when she heard Ace's whine, the young woman rested in her pajamas and was wrapped tightly in blankets, feeling exhausted from worry and not improved by her pregnancy. An empty food container that had held her supper was beside her sleeping spot indicating that she hadn't left even to eat. Stirring softly, Hoshiko moved her head and glanced at the prone form of the Incarnus. Her mouth dropped open, and in shock the girl crawled from her makeshift bed and over to Ace. Watching his face for a second and seeing his eyes opened, Hoshiko's sleepy eyes widened and she looked as if she might fall over.

"A-Ace..." The young woman whispered his name. "Ace...y-you're awake?" With her tousled and messy hair, the girl looked worn and nearly a week of worry weighed on her pale face. But it was mixed with clear relief at seeing the canine creature awake. Quite surprisingly, being around twelve weeks pregnant, the last five days seemed to have made a difference and the girl was actually starting to show more noticeably. "Ace?...Ace...are you...alright?"

Ace strained to lift his head and look in the girl's direction, but he found that he could not. Instead he lay there and turned only his gaze her way, until at last he caught sight of her from the corner of his eye. He stared at her for a moment in silence, and tried to speak, but his voice was little more than a raspy whisper.

"Hoshiko...?" A look of true confusion pressed his brows together. "...S..Samuel?"

Hoshiko felt her eyes start to sting with tears when Ace said Samuel's name and a pain rose in the girl's chest so fast that she didn't know what to do or say. Biting back the pain, Hoshiko spoke softly to Ace, placing a gentle hand on his muzzle.

"...It's just me...Hoshiko. I've been here with you for five days..." The young woman's voice was trembling as she watched Ace's face. "Hart...he attacked you. You almost died, Ace..." Clenching her eyes closed tightly, the girl bit her lip but forced the words out of her mouth. "H-He took Samuel...and...and I can't go after him...not without you...H-He...he has the Medallion..." Hoshiko's throat tightened. "I...c-couldn't go after Hart...I can't risk it..."

Looking down sadly, Hoshiko put her forehead on Ace's muzzle gently. "Ace...I'm scared..." The young woman whispered, her voice hoarse.

Suddenly Ace's eyes shot wide, and his feet moved to try and push himself up off of the mat he was laying on. But after a measure of struggling and grunting, Ace remained where he was, unmoved. He whined loudly, a pitiful helpless yelp, as his eyes darted around the room frantically. Hart had attacked him? Why couldn't he remember being attacked? He didn't remember anything of the sort. The last thing he could recall was standing and facing Hart as the man mocked them. And suddenly he was here.

"S..Samuel..." He rasped. "We...have to find him..." His concern for the young man was mounting. Even if he was in a daze, he still knew that Hart having the Medallion was a very, very bad thing.

At this Hoshiko started crying, even if she hadn't wanted to. It was too sad. The girl had wanted so badly to go after Hart and rescue Samuel, but it was impossible. At least in her mind's perspective, going out there with only the aid of her own pokémon would prove pointless and most of all, deadly.

Seeing Ace's face now, though, and his weakness, all Hoshiko could wish is that she had gone on ahead of Ace. That she had chased after Hart and recklessly went to find Samuel as her heart and impulse had so desperately longed to do.

"W-What can I do?" Hoshiko asked, helplessly. "I...I...can go after him...but...what good will that do? I can't stop Hart...he's too powerful..." The girl's eyes narrowed sorrowfully, her reward for the desperate five days was only to be given even more desolation towards the situation at hand. "...But...but...S-Samuel...Ace, I'm so scared. I don't know what to do..."

Samuel, at Hart's mercy, left Ace stricken with hopelessness and fear. Although he knew that Samuel was a master escape artist, he also knew that if Hart had the Medallion, the young man was in grave, grave danger. Hart had no idea the sort of power that the evil pendant had, and he certainly must not have been aware that merely obtaining it was his own death sentence. But it was a danger for Samuel too. If it took control of Hart, who knew what the man was capable of? Worse yet, if Samuel was made to take the Medallion for or from Hart at any point, Samuel would be signing his own death warrant. It was a thought that chilled Ace to the bone.

"No...Hoshiko..." Ace wheezed desperately. "You can't go by yourself...It's impossible... He would kill you..."

Hoshiko watched Ace for a second, shifting back from him a little bit. He was in no condition to go after Samuel, and part of the girl knew that he wouldn't be for quite some time. It didn't make her feel any more confident in Samuel's safety. She was reminded of how after he had been locked away by Hart, starved and left for dead...how he had come for her. It didn't matter his condition or what Osamu was capable of. Had her husband gotten his hands on Samuel, for certain he would have been dead. But that didn't matter to Samuel, what mattered was rescuing her. And what mattered now was rescuing Samuel.

Standing up slowly, after running her hand along Ace's head gently, Hoshiko stared down at the wolf dog for a moment and shook her head. "I don't care what Hart can do..." She said firmly. "If Hart had taken me, Samuel would already be out there looking for me." Her hands slowly curled into fists. "You come after me when you're well, Ace. I'm going to find Samuel..." Hoshiko said at last with great conviction, gathering up her items and clothing to change into and slowly heading towards the door, but not quite out of the room yet.

Ace's ears lifted slightly, and he struggled again to lift his head. This time he succeeded long enough that his chin was off the floor, but his muscles shook violently with the exertion, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sit that way for long. His bright blue eyes locked on Hoshiko and even though they still seemed glazed and tired, they also seemed focused enough.

"I can't abandon him..." Ace whined softly. "And I can't leave you to recklessly throw yourself at Hart's mercy. Though Samuel would have gone after you, he did not have a child to worry about. Not to mention he has always been a reckless little brat..." Although Ace's last word was a little sharp, it was not angry. In fact it almost seemed affectionately forlorn. "Were you to get yourself killed for his sake, it would not be good..."

Although Hoshiko's back was to Ace it was clear from her tense body language that what he said had bothered her. She didn't like any of this, least of all waiting to go after Samuel. Biting her lip, Hoshiko's voice was strong and yet trembling in spite of itself.

"I'm not waiting anymore Ace..." She said her muscles tensing further. "I'm _sick_ of waiting. I _will_ find Samuel. I don't care anymore. This is insanity! If it wasn't for him, I would be dead. My child would be dead, Ace! Do you understand me?!" The whirled around, a fire in her eyes that was more determined then ever. "So if Samuel wasn't here, I'd be gone anyways." Hoshiko said, closing her eyes and turning to push the door in front of her open. She shook her head and took her first step out of the door. "Any idea where Hart might go with the Medallion?" The girl asked slowly, knowing he wouldn't want to tell her. "I'm going anyways, so you might as well tell me to make it easier..."

A low, frustrated growl vocalized Ace's commingling emotions. He wanted to protect Hoshiko, but knew that every moment they did not look for Samuel brought the boy closer to death... If he wasn't dead already.

No. He wouldn't think that way. Samuel still had to be alive, and they would have to find him. No questions asked. And if Hoshiko was going right now...

"Think you can afford to walk a little slower for me?" Ace grunted, using every ounce of strength he had to shove himself to his feet. Dizziness swam through his head and his vision blurred and swirled. His shaking legs threatened to give out from under him, but he closed his eyes and forced himself to bear it. His paws felt like lead weights. His legs felt like gelatin, and his body felt like nothing but an aching mass of misery that must have weighed a ton and a half. Between the stress of holding him up and that of lifting his feet, his legs could scarcely take the strain. But his determination for Samuel's sake made it possible for him to take one step forward, and then another, completely ignoring the wires that snapped from his body and the IV needles that ripped from his veins. Hoshiko watched Ace with wide eyes, but shook her head slowly.

"Samuel told me to make sure that you were safe..." She said softly. "He wouldn't let me come after him...because he was worried about you. He...he didn't want you to die...and now if you follow me and get hurt...he'll never forgive me. I know it." Hoshiko said softly. Sighing heavily as she took in Ace's shaky progress across the room, Hoshiko wasn't sure what to do. "Wherever Samuel is, he's more then likely five days away by car...or worse if Hart used a pokémon to fly. I know Hanu can't carry you in that form...so...we'll be no further ahead if you come with me Ace."

The girl wanted to make up for lost time, feeling guilty for waiting as she had. It felt selfish now that she thought of it, and it made her sick. Her shoulders slumped, Ace wanted to go just as much as she wanted to, but in his condition it would only slow her down. She remembered the Mark tucked in her bag, and she bent over to pull it out. Laying it in front of Ace, she murmured weakly.

"Just...wait until you're better. If you got hurt out there I'd never forgive you." Hoshiko shook her head and ran out of the room this time, not wanting to be confronted with anymore challenges in her decision making.

Ace didn't want to wait. He couldn't. But he didn't have the strength to argue about it. Not in the slightest. The only thing he had strength to do was bow his head and solemnly close his eyes. He didn't like it, but he'd have to concede.

"Fine." He grunted exhaustedly. "Then go...But you had better hurry. And you had better not get yourself killed..." By now his words were mere formality, and he knew they couldn't carry far enough. Hoshiko was already gone.

Ace sat himself down and grimaced at the pain it caused him. His back felt brittle and his muscles too atrophied to hold him up much longer. All he wanted to do was collapse and lay there for days. But he couldn't get one thing off his mind...and surprisingly it was not the fate of the Medallion or the consequences of its theft.

After Hoshiko hurriedly changed into real clothes in the bathroom, she left the Pokémon Center in a hurry, not once glancing back towards the intensive care unit where she'd left the Incarnus. The young woman released her pokémon out front and looked at the long, towering Hanu with weary eyes. Stroking the pokemon's head gently, she didn't have to say much to get him to help her onto his back. With trepidation filling her every vein, Hoshiko's blood felt cold as she pulled out a blanket to cover herself and Hanu rose into the sky the clear blue sky.

"Let's go Hanu, we've got to find Samuel..."

And with a worried grunt under his breath, Hanu set off to try and find any clue as to where the young man was taken, against all hope and against nature, which had by now worn away traces of the van tracks down the mountain road.

Ace watched though the window with his head on the sill as Hoshiko left, and he frowned slightly at the outline of her monster as he snaked through the sky and out of sight. It hurt him to think that maybe Hoshiko was annoyed at him, but he was annoyed at himself. He'd held her back simply by being here, and he hadn't even known what had happened to Samuel. He had a feeling that all of this was his fault, and it tortured him to think that harm might come to Hoshiko and Samuel because of him. He was concerned, but sending Hoshiko off was the one thing that gave Ace the freedom he wanted.

Not that he needed it. He really needed to stay behind and get well. He ought to have abided by the doctor's wishes and just stayed where he was in recovery, but his mind wouldn't have been able to rest if that had happened. He had to go after Samuel, one way or another, and when Hoshiko was gone he took advantage of her absence to touch the Mark and draw upon its power as it affixed itself to his head. He then slip into the hallway and sneak through the stark white corridors.

He had to pause and duck inside open doorways when doctors and nurses passed by, but he was determined enough to stay out of sight. Despite the pain all of the movement caused him and the fact that his neck and throat felt like they were on fire, he managed to slip out of the Pokémon Center's back door, unnoticed. He refused to be the only one saved when Samuel, Hoshiko, the Medallion, and even the fate of his mission were lost.


	30. A Parting Gift

**Chapter 30: A Parting Gift**

One part of Hoshiko was exhaustion, another part adrenaline. But for the most part, the young woman was filled with fear. Fear of what Hart may have already done or what situation Samuel may be in and fear for what she herself was so willingly walking into. For she knew that she would have to listen to her heart, and yet she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and nerves. With one sweaty palm on her stomach and another clutching onto Hanu's pokéball, Hoshiko eyed Hart's black van which she slowly advanced towards.

Her whole body was cold, trembling from nerves and anticipation. There was another difficulty that presented itself to the girl and her pokémon. Neither knew where they were, and so there was no way for her to seek refuge.

Hanu had lead her to where Hart's van had stopped. The tracks had faded, but there were only so many roads through the mountains, and only one that a truck could follow. As luck would have it, Hart hadn't gone so far as to abandon his vehicle and stayed with it all the way through the mountains and deep into the forests north of New Bark. From there he'd followed another route, with far more recent trails to follow, down south of all civilization. He'd stopped, at least temporarily, for a rest as far as Hoshiko knew, giving her and Hanu a chance to catch up.

Yet she couldn't see anything from a safe distance away, and so decided to get a closer look. Edging towards the vehicle which was now becoming increasingly and disturbingly familiar, Hoshiko peered over the edge of the window to see inside of the van. Hoping to find even a hint or a trace of where Samuel was. Maybe he was even possibly inside and she would find her friend. She prayed he was safe, and could only hope that whatever she might find, Hart wouldn't find her first.

The van had pulled up on the ocean's edge, far, far south of Blackthorn. The road had ended some miles ago, and the vehicle had carefully and very slowly edged its way off the road and down a dusty old trail towards the water. Pathways carved by the feet of trainers left just enough room for the van to snake its way through the woods and out into the open cliff-sides bordering the sea. Then the truck had followed the edge of the rocks and down an embankment until the road ended and they could go no further down.

That was when the truck came to a halt and now sat in park. The driver's side opened and Samuel slid out, Hart close behind him. Thus when Hoshiko looked inside the van, it was empty, and she found no sign of anyone there. The gun that Hart had carried was not in view, and there was no trace of the Medallion either. Still, just as hope seemed lost, as Hoshiko stood beside the empty van, she heard hushed voices from a distance, talking.

Hoshiko perked up and listened, making her way around to the opposite side of the van. From there she could see Samuel and Hart standing together on the edge of the cliff. Samuel sounded tired, but not more upset than normal. He made his way to the edge of the drop-off, and at Hart's order started climbing down the rocks to the bed of dried sea grasses below. His feet made a soft sound in the loose earth when he hit the ground, and quietly he turned to face the sea. Hart was soon at his side, and the two of them started walking towards the ocean, across the sand, rocks, and reeds.

The sun was setting, casting a golden red glow on the water, but its beauty was lost in the tension of the moment. Hart paused at the water's edge, foam lapping at the toes of his boots...And after a moment the water began to respond to his presence.

It seemed to strangely swirl into a whirlpool among the waves, and the hole seemed too deep to simply be onshore. It yawned wide open, the blackness spilling out into the air around them like a sick sort of mist. From the vortex emerged three creatures, all too familiar.

Palkia floated to one side—its massive muscular form almost weightless, hovering just above the waves—and on the other side Dialga waited impatiently, tossing its huge, elongated and armored head. Between them was none other than Arceus. The monster's white body and golden rings around its torso gleamed in the sunlight, while the various elemental plates swirled around its body, reflecting every color of the rainbow.

Oddly, Arceus did not address Hart. In fact it was almost as if Hart was not even there. Rather Arceus turned and spoke directly to Samuel, his mental voice echoing hauntingly like a howl in the wind.

_You will understand, someday, Boy. I pity you for your idiocy and your gullibility, but fear not. The Incarnus is dead. You shall no longer need to fear his influence over you or anyone else. Monsters shall be saved...And so shall you._

Samuel looked away, staring off at something he wished was there but refused to appear. He said something unintelligible, but then Arceus' response interrupted.

_Mt. Coronet is the final stop in this tragic and difficult journey. But once we have fulfilled our duties there, the world shall be right once again. No more death...no more pain...and best of all... No more murder at the hands of that insufferable creature. Monsters and humans will finally unite as they were meant to from the dawn of time, and harmony will at last be achieved._

Samuel shouted something at Arceus, but again he was too far away to hear clearly over the roar of the waves and the strong sea breeze.

Arceus just laughed. _I am not so cruel a god. You will see your precious Incarnus again...Someday. When he is no longer a threat to any of us. I will bring him back as I always have. He will be loyal, tame, and collected. No more of this treachery. And you...you will have him to yourself. Save for the fact that he is my servant of course, you may do whatever you like with him. It is none of my concern._

From the top of the cliff Hoshiko had followed Hart and Samuel. She couldn't make the sheer climb in her state, but she found a narrow footpath some distance away that snaked across the rock face and ended in the reeds below. After they had reached the bottom and the young woman had a perfect view to see both of them, she moved forward as far as she dared and hid among a field of large boulders and tall sea grass. Settled in, she observed quietly.

It was impossible to miss Arceus there with them. His massive presence seemed to fill the sky, but even without his size, it wasn't hard to sense the stench of darkness that exuded from the creature. Worse was how his voice bellowed inside of her mind like a fouled bass instrument. It thrummed and pounded, and even though he wasn't talking to her, she heard it in her head as clearly across the distance between them as if he was standing right there.

She couldn't stand it, how he told Samuel that Ace was dead. It was a lie, and if Arceus knew the Incarus as well as he was supposed to then he also knew he was being deceitful. Her heart skipped a beat, imagining Samuel's anguish. All she wanted to do was run across the sand and stones and grab Samuel by the shoulders to tell him that Ace was safe, healing and awake. But that wouldn't serve them very well, just in case Arceus somehow _didn't_ know of Ace's state.

Hoshiko pulled her blanket tightly around herself like a cloak, and pulled it up into her head like a hood to hide her face, hoping to cover her identity from Hart. It covered her well, and shadowed her eyes so that at first glance none of them would recognize her.

She was nervous and trembling, but she remained with her eyes fixated on the back of the group. The salty air stung at her eyes and chilled her to the bone, even bundled as she was. She said nothing, but started to quietly advance towards the group, wanting to hear what Samuel might be saying. It had to be important. And what all this was about Mt. Coronet? Wasn't that in another region? What could Arceus be up to?

As she moved forward, Hoshiko neglected the reality that even though Hart and Samuel had their backs to her, Arceus faced her, and could easily see her approaching across the sands. She didn't want to think that he might give her away, but then again, somehow she knew he could sense that she was there anyway. She'd heard his thoughts, so their minds had touched. There was no hiding now. Steadily, with mighty conviction, she moved forward until she could hear Samuel's speaking over the wind.

"You think you know so much... No matter what you tell me, I'll never trust you. I know what you are. You're no god. You're a demon."

_Pity you think that, but soon all memory of me in your mind will be transformed into something more favorable. You only need to see what reality awaits you. I believe that soon you shall—_Suddenly, Arceus' thoughts ended and his eyes began to glow intensely. His head turned up sharply almost as if he hadn't noticed her before, and he stared in the direction of Hoshiko. _Ah, but i__t seems I have more potential followers making their last pilgrimage to join me. Unfortunately I will only be taking one of you to Mt. Coronet. The both of you together are really too much of a hassle to watch over._

Samuel turned his head slowly, melancholy. He spotted Hoshiko wrapped in her blanket, but he didn't recognize her. Hoshiko's heart skipped a beat. It was clear to her by what Arceus said that he knew who she was, but Samuel seemed not to have a clue. When he turned away, she felt a little saddened, but remained alert and focused. Frowning a little, Samuel just sighed and went back to his conversation.

"Whatever. Look, if you're going to take me, then get it over with. I'd rather this be short and painless."

_I'm afraid it won't be quick, but at the very least you will have nothing to regret._

"I'm not going to help you, so don't get it in your head that I'll just be your pawn willingly."

_I know this, but Hart will change that for me. The information I impart to you now will be useful to you when you are following my command._

Samuel sighed exasperatedly. "So talk. I'm sick of waiting here."

_Atop Mt. Coronet it is said that the highest concentration of energy in this world collects. It affects many monsters, causing them to transform in ways they would not were they not within the bounds of the mountain's energy field. Dialga and Palkia must arrive on Mt. Coronet's summit to undergo their final transformation. You must collect and bring with you one stone for every crucial element; Fire, water, etcetera. Lay them down atop the mountain, and Hart will provide the Medallion. The energies that shall be awakened shall bring to life a new creature which shall free your world completely._

"And by free you mean destroy." Samuel growled irritably.

_Hardly. This will be your world's salvation. Without me, it would die._

_Hoshiko bit her lip. _Part of Hoshiko wanted to get Samuel out of this plan, let her take his place. That was exactly what Hoshiko wanted; it was too difficult to see him in such a place. In a way, Hoshiko felt selfish for wanting to take his place, though. After all it was to quell her own sadness at Samuel's state, and it wouldn't help her unborn child any. Yet she couldn't fight the urge to protect her friend. He deserved better than this, and she did feel that she owed him for all the times he'd rescued her.

And so instead of dropping the blanket, the girl walked forward a bit so that she joined the group on the foamy shore. Trying her best to make her voice sound different so that Samuel wouldn't recognize it, she called out to Arceus.

"Take me in his place." She spoke with certainty and clarity although she was shaking. "I won't fight you or argue. I won't treat you with such defiance. If you release him from your duties, I will listen to you, Arceus. But send him away, back to the town he came from and have him do no more of your affairs. For this, I will do whatever you ask of me without fighting...He refuses to willingly serve you...I...do not refuse..." Hoshiko was too much of a coward to remove her cloak, she didn't want Samuel to see her. Not yet. But she still had to tell him that Ace was alive...

Samuel turned again to look at the stranger and narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. "What?" He asked, bewildered and frustrated by the entire situation. "Who are you?"

Although she'd meant to keep her identity hidden, Hoshiko felt a pain in her heart when Samuel asked who she was. The girl felt torn over whether or not to reveal herself to her friend. But much to Hoshiko's dismay she didn't get the chance to decide for herself.

_Better not to ask and simply accept the gift, I think._ Arceus' eyes flashed with interest at the turn of events. _I accept this generous offer myself, but I may change my mind if you do not quickly accept it as well. After all... You are more trouble to me when I am not watching you than when I am._

Samuel turned back to Arceus as the large creature suddenly gave a kick of its heals and floated up over his head and landed lightly on the ground in front of Hoshiko, effectively putting himself between the young man and his friend. He landed sideways though, so that in an instant he could turn around and face Samuel if he tried anything funny.

_Do I truly have your word?_ Arceus asked Hoshiko forcefully.

The girl was silent, listening to the creature and yet at the same time trying to bring her scattered thoughts to a place that they could be organized before stepping into something so incredibly deplorable. A final transformation of Dialga and Palkia?

Arceus words were sharp and demanding, a precursor, she imagined to what else he would say to her if she truly did give the monster her word. But that wasn't the concern. Harsh words didn't scare Hoshiko and by now pain didn't frighten her either. But Samuel being hurt terrified her, and so did her own child being hurt.

"You have my word, Arceus." She started, her voice still altered by force of her will. She couldn't help but feel that she was condemning herself in so many ways. Under the cloak her whole body was shaking. "But I ask you two things, and I promise there will be no other requests from me." Hoshiko said, lifting a pokéball in her hand and holding it out in a motion to Samuel. "I ask that he be given this..." The young woman's voice became soft and hesitant, much lower in hopes that only Arceus would hear her, trying to hide her next statement from her friend.

"And that when I give birth..." Her words were barely a whisper. "...That I may give the child to Samuel..." She couldn't imagine her child under a life controlled by Arceus, and so prefered to commit her flesh and blood to Samuel's care, her best friend, even over that of her Father.

Samuel strained to see around the huge demon standing between him and the stranger who had mysteriously come to redeem him from Arceus' grasp. He couldn't get a good angle though. The creature was far too massive, and far too powerful to demand it moving. Samuel had Garuda and his sabrecat, but with them being his only monsters, there was no chance of standing against Arceus.

He strained to hear what the stranger was saying as her voice got quieter and quieter. But with the wind and the waves, and the screeching of seabirds, Samuel heard nothing. Frustrated, all he got was the booming laugh of Arceus in response to the stranger.

_Fair enough._ Arceus narrowed its glowing eyes. _Give me what you can now that I may give it to him, and later he shall receive your other...treasure._

Entire body trembling underneath her blanket, Hoshiko's whole being went into a cold sweat as she stared back into Arceus' evil skull-like eyes. The depth of their darkness seemed to stretch on forever, but within the deep, black sockets glowed firey coals that stared back at her with strange, deadly power. Her heart felt like it might be squeezed to death by the tightness in her chest. She had just willed away herself and her child, so quickly that it was impossible for the girl to grasp in her mind. And seeing Samuel on the other side of Arceus, trying to figure out what was going on, she felt worse than ever. As soon as he would get a chance to look at the pokéball she was giving him, he'd know who she was, Hoshiko was sure. For it's markings were distinct, hand decorated with natural paints by herself when she was young. He'd seen the object often enough to know it by now.

Hoshiko crouched, gently placing Hanu's pokéball on the ground in front of Arceus, watching the precious item with care as she stood back up straight.

"Thank you...for granting my requests...Arceus..." Hoshiko's voice although still disguised was anguished beyond words. Both of her hands rested gently on her stomach as she clutched onto the blanket.

_It is rather generous of me, I know._ Arceus almost seemed to snort as he turned and lifted the pokéball with his mind to present to Samuel.

He refused to move from between Samuel and Hoshiko, lest they join up against him. Nonetheless, it didn't take Samuel long to realize what had transpired. As the pokéball floated towards him, he reached up to catch it, and when his fingers gripped its smooth surface, he tensed.

"Hoshiko?" A cold chill shot through him and made his legs go numb. "Hoshiko!"

Suddenly he felt the wind knocked out of him and his vision blanked out. When he could see again, he was on the ground. He had been knocked backwards several yards by Arceus, and the huge creature had lifted Hoshiko up onto its back. She sat perched between its spiked shoulders and the large plates that floated around its midsection.

"Hoshiko! What have you done?!" Samuel cried desperately, reaching his hand futilely towards her. He clutched at the air, as if in doing so he could pull her down to him.

Hoshiko's horror twisted her face when Samuel had been thrown back by Arceus, but she was lifted so quickly and swept away from the ground that she couldn't react. She wanted to struggle, to take it all back in a way, but the girl reminded herself that in the end, it must be for the better. When Samuel called out to her, the young woman's face turned and her eyes fell on her desperate friend. Tear stained cheeks and eyes wrought with anguish met with Samuel's as she looked down at him from her perch. She was clearly torn; she didn't want to serve Arceus. It was all too clear. But the sacrifice had to be made and so it had.

"GO BACK TO BLACKTHORN!" Hoshiko yelled out to her friend, hoping not to anger Arceus. He hadn't told her she couldn't speak with him, and so she would use the chance that she had been afforded before she was sure that was forbidden.

"Listen to me Samuel." Hoshiko pushed her hair away from her face as the violent winds whipped at her face. "Go back to Blackthorn. You have to. Just listen, go back there! Please Samuel!" Her eyes were narrowed and more tears started to fall down her cheeks. "...I...did it for you." She bit her lip and clenched her hands into fists, hoping that she hadn't raised the ire of Arceus. "That's why I did this. NOW GO!"

_Silence!_ Arceus' thoughts roared fiercely, almost knocking Samuel over when the boy finally staggered to his feet. _I will ensure no such thing happens._ Arceus slowly turned towards Samuel and stalked towards him slowly. The young man took a few steps back and held up Hanu's pokeball as if to prepare for a battle.

_Pitiful._ Arceus warned. _You cannot hope to beat me with that useless monster. I created it and I will destroy it if you even attempt to send it against me. You remember what happened to Petra now, don't you?_

Samuel's face went pale and he suddenly felt ill. "You..."

Arceus sneered. _You underestimate me far too much. It would serve you well to come to grips with the extent of my power and stop supporting the brainwashing nonsense that the Incarnus has fed to you. There is no turning back now, and even if you go back to Blackthorn there will be nothing waiting there for you that can change the way things have transpired. But such is a good thing. If the Incarnus had his way, this world would suffer. I will ensure that it does not._

Samuel glared and lowered his hand, slipping Hanu's pokéball back into his bag. Glancing up at Hoshiko he felt his throat tighten. How could she have done this? "I'll come for you." He said slowly. "Somehow."

Arceus just laughed again. _I wouldn't try it._ He began with a slow warning tone. Behind him, movement caught Samuel's eye. It was Hart, slowly making his way over to Arceus. Somehow the man was lifted from the ground by an invisible force and he settled onto Arceus' back. His hand slowly went up to his neck where the Medallion hung, and his other hand grabbed Hoshiko's shoulder. He leaned forward slowly.

_"If you dare come after her, she will become mine entirely. I recommend leaving her alone."_

The voice emanated from Arceus' mind, but was also spoken from Hart's mouth. The man's voice pierced the sea wind loudly, not with a yell, but very serious, and deeply resolute. It had a power to it that it never had before.

Hoshiko felt her entire body go cold as Hart placed a hand on her shoulder, and all the girl could imagine was running to Samuel and hiding with her friend as she would when thoughts of Osamu frightened her. But she was with Arceus now, and he was a force even more formidable than Osamu. Obedience to her husband was one thing, but listening to this creature would prove to be different, she was sure.

Watching Samuel for as long as she could, the girl tried to convey her sadness to him, how hurt she was at what she had done and what she was going to do. She wanted to tell Samuel what she had said to Arceus, how she wanted him to have her child. But it would run the risk of hurting them both more and infuriating Arceus. With longing eyes, Hoshiko trembled in Hart's grip.

"Please, please leave him alone..." Her voice was hoarse. "Let him go Arceus...just let him go..." Her eyes closed tightly and by this time her emotion was too much and the girl was sobbing. The young woman tried to pull her shoulder from Hart out of reflex, wiping tears out of her eyes.

_As long as he stays out of my way, he has nothing to fear. But if he tries to play 'hero' again... I can't guarantee he will live to see another day. Nor can I guarantee your safety. The time is at hand when at last all things shall change. It has come as expected, and it can not be stopped. But we must learn to embrace it. We must welcome in a glorious new era where humans and monsters live as one. Freedom shall rule and the tyranny of the Incarnus has ended. Therefore, be proud of the hand you have in making this happen. Do not hesitate._

Samuel felt his mouth getting dry, and as he looked at Hart and the Medallion that threatened Hoshiko's very soul, all he could do was step farther back.

"Why would you do this?..."

Hoshiko choked back tears and words that she tried desperately to keep from escaping her mouth, afraid of Arceus and his reaction to what she might say. What he might do. Her heart felt it was being squeezed to death, pain in her chest that was crippling. It reminded the girl just how sad she was and Samuel's anguish only made her hurt increase. Looking at Samuel, Hoshiko managed enough courage to call out to him, speaking loud enough that she could be sure he would hear her.

"I did it because of the river in Ecruteak, Samuel! I did it because of how many times you saved me from Osamu...for all of the things you said to me that made me want to live. Because if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here...and neither would my child! Samuel, I want you to understand something...this is important. I didn't want you to do the one thing you never wanted to. I needed to give you back something for everything you did. That's why I did this. Because Arceus would have made you his slave, and I didn't want you to be made to do the last thing you ever wanted. Because I had to be locked away from myself for all of my life, and it killed me inside. But Samuel, oh Samuel, you redeemed it. The hurt, it's not gone but it's so far away when I think of everything you did for me. I don't want you to feel that pain, how it hurts to have to go against your will. To be forced to. So instead, I want to do this for you. Don't be mad at me. Please don't be mad at me. I swear I did it for you. Please just listen to me Samuel. I needed to do this for you. I have a gift for you but you'll have to wait to receive it. I already got Arceus to agree to let me give you this last gift. The one thing that means the most to me...But I have to go with him now..." Closing her eyes, the young woman bravely reached to her neck and pulled away her necklace. The bullet and the frog twinkled in the dying light of day. She quickly threw it down from her place on Arceus' back, and when Samuel reached up and snatched it out of the air, the necklace was wet with Hoshiko's salty tears. "Keep it Samuel! Keep it for me! This time...just keep it..."

Samuel's looked down at the glistening charms in his palm. He gently ran a finger over the objects, his heart aching as he did. The necklace, almost sacred in its significance between them, made the tears spill from his eyes. Suddenly he squeezed them shut, and the tears streamed down his face in shining trails. He pulled the bullet and frog close to his chest and pressed it against his heart.

Now he understood. It didn't make it any easier to accept but...now he knew. And how could he be mad at Hoshiko for it? This was the greatest gift she could ever hope to give him, and after all they had been through together it meant the world to him. Yet it was bittersweet. This sacrifice meant he could not go back on this now. In one fell swoop Arceus had taken everything from him... Ace and now Hoshiko. Saving the girl was out of the question, lest he risk her soul. It was one thing to bust her out of a prison or snatch her away from a violent captor. It was something else entirely for Samuel to face hell itself and bring Arceus to steal not just Hoshiko's life but everything she was.

"I won't forget this..." He choked, looking up at her as the orange lining of the clouds cast its hue against his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you this time... Please...forgive me..."

Hoshiko's felt her throat tighten, and she choked on a sob. She felt at her bare neck, where the necklace she so often held onto now left a bare, empty spot. Now it was with Samuel, yes, exactly where it should be. And she too was with him, in spirit, and physically, she was where she needed to be. Although it was hard to convince herself of that at this point, for it was difficult to understand that her place in the world was with Arceus, to deceive him.

She could still feel Hart's cold hand on her shoulder and couldn't help but wonder if someday that would be her fate. If someday, like her mother, she would be the one that Ace would attack. That Ace would need to kill. But Samuel wouldn't be Ace's enemy, and that was what mattered to her. Even if fate was to come down to that...Hoshiko would stall until the child was born. Once the baby was safe...then there was no telling what might happen.

There were some things that had to happen. Were Arceus to control her, then Ace would be left with no choice. Hoshiko glanced down at the scar on her arm from the convention, imagining it a bleeding wound once more as it had been. The burning pain.

Sadness overwhelmed her. But still her solace remained in the sole fact that it wasn't Samuel in her place. He wouldn't have to betray Ace and neither would Ace have to endure the sting of Samuel betraying him. She was silent, eyes half closed, wishing she was somewhere different and filled with trepidation of what Arceus had planned for her.

Arceus smirked, sensing her fear and anguish. It pleased him. With a kick of his heels the huge demon lifted away from the shore and flew towards Dialga and Palkia. Between the two monsters, the air turned dark and began to swirl as a rift burst open like a deep, dark hole into nothingness. It yawned wide open, a gate into oblivion, and through it Arceus vanished. The rift slammed shut around him, and two more appeared where Dialga and Palkia were, swallowing them too.

Samuel was left alone on the shore, staring out at the open sea.


	31. The Waiting Future

**Chapter 31: The Waiting Future**

Leaving Hoshiko behind haunted Samuel's memories for months to come. Though he tried not to think of the torment she had set herself up for, he could only imagine what had happened to her the moment she disappeared into the rift gate. For all he knew, she was gone forever. He tried to remind himself that Arceus had uses for her yet, as Arceus had claimed Samuel himself would be good for, but Samuel scarcely had even heard of Mt. Coronet before. He had never been there, certainly, and he didn't even know where to start.

All that remained was to head back to Blackthorn, as Hoshiko had instructed. Hanu insistently carried him there, and upon arrival he found himself back at Koichi's place, where he broke the dreadful news of Hoshiko's disappearance. In Koichi's grief, the man still showed hospitality towards Samuel, which was welcome. Through the days that came, Samuel spent much time wandering the town alone, frequently visiting the site he had last seen Ace, and wishing that somehow he could have changed the way things had been.

It was only when he encountered Vincent on one of his regular outings that he finally discovered that Ace had been saved, despite his injuries. A rush to the Pokémon Center to find Ace, however, yielded nothing. To Samuel's eternal dismay, the doctor regretfully informed him that Ace had disappeared from the critical care unit shortly after Hoshiko left. He had not been seen since. The doctor assumed he was dead, considering his state was barely well enough to let him breathe on his own. He certainly wasn't able to travel long distances or fight.

The news came as a harsh blow to Samuel's already weak heart, but the young man decided, despite everything, that he absolutely had to look for Ace. Even if all he could find was Ace's body, the closure was necessary for him to move on. So he undertook his own quest, with only Hanu, Garuda, and his Sabrecat helping him. He traveled across the entire Jhoto continent and even into Kanto, searching for his missing friend. Little did he know that he was being shadowed by someone else.

The young and ever curious Vincent refused to stay home when a decent adventure was afoot, and he felt the urgent need to help Samuel and Ace. The little boy managed to stay out of Samuel's way, until the young man reached Vermilion City. Trouble brewed there, and Samuel found himself confronted by an angry Osamu. Naturally the death of Hoshiko's mother had left the Kimono Girls' family in a state of chaos and confusion, and Osamu himself, while he didn't seem quite as hateful as before, was still deeply unhappy about Hoshiko's disappearance and demanded Samuel return her.

The news Samuel bore about Hoshiko's vanishing didn't make Osamu any happier, and a fight broke out. It was then that Vince appeared, just in time to make enough of a distraction for Samuel to escape into the busiest part of the port city. The two reunited shortly thereafter as Samuel got himself a ticket to sail to the only continent known to have a "Mt. Coronet"

It was a sparsely populated region known as Sinnoh, and while Samuel protested Vince's assistance, the two of them eventually became travel partners. Samuel had no idea what he would find when they made landfall, and he had no idea if he'd ever see Ace or Hoshiko again, but all he had was the name of a distant mountain as his lead. He wasn't about to lose what little hope he had left.

* * *

Hoshiko's journey was a bit more perilous, and no less heartbreaking. Arceus took her into a land of forests and lakes, mountains and volcanoes. The human population was almost negligible, except in a few quiet towns. Perhaps the trip to such a peaceful place would have been enjoyable, if Arceus had not been watching her every move. When the demon was not there with her, Hart was, and he was simply the monster's eyes and ears.

Without a clue of what had become of Samuel or Ace, and no friends, only enemies escorting her from place to place, Hoshiko was forced to travel long distances across the continent in search of access points into the underground, where she would be able to dig and hunt for remnants of elemental stones. Her task of collecting them neared completion, and Arceus' impatience became evident. Frequent trips to the summit of the looming Mt. Coronet at the heart of the region to set up alters and arrange the elemental stones left him suspicious that Hoshiko was not quite putting her all into it. She seemed to be stalling, so Arceus upped the pressure.

With threats to give her the Medallion if she did not return from her next trip with the final stone—a water stone—Arceus sent her down from Mt. Coronet one last time with the haunting shadow of Hart following at a distance not comfortable enough for Hoshiko to simply slip away unseen from Arceus' ever watchful eye. Dialga and Palkia roamed the forests and the hills freely, their huge shadows every now and again passing over anywhere that Hoshiko might choose to rest. They were an ever present reminder that even though Hoshiko had no chains on her wrists and no walls around her, she was still very much imprisoned.

Just such a time came as the sun set and the breeze cooled. A fire, mechanically created by Hart's hands under Arceus' direction, burned in a quiet clearing in the forest. It provided a little heat for Hoshiko to rest by and cook a meal if she wished. Hart had disappeared into the shadows of the forest, but he was still nearby. Hoshiko knew by now he was never entirely absent, even when she couldn't see him. The sounds of insect and nocturnal pokémon began to fill the air, and the figure of Dialga passed between Hoshiko and the setting sun long enough to cast a gloomy shadow over her before it vanished. The pokémon's patrol always included wherever she happened to be.

The frustrating thing was that even if she had wanted to run in the few times she was not under the constant eyes of her captors, she couldn't have gotten far. Her swollen abdomen now slowed her down much more than ever before, the baby becoming a bittersweet burden upon her body. She couldn't run for long enough stretches for it to matter, and she couldn't climb, crawl, or crouch with the baby adding its weight to her front side. Not to mention her feet always ached and even little tasks made her run out of breath faster and faster. If she'd tried to hide after an attempted escape, her exhausted breaths would have given her away. In a few words: she had no choice but to do as she was told.

There was a desolation that was so deep in Hoshiko's heart that even the deepest parts of the ocean wouldn't be able to rival it. Fear, pain, sadness, helplessness, everywhere Hoshiko went in Sinnoh, it was reminder to her that she was a slave. A prisoner. Her imprisonment was worse than being Osamu's bride and even her mother's daughter. For now her captor was truly heartless and wasn't afraid to steal her away, wasn't afraid to kill her.

Watching the weak embers of Hart's fire in front of her, Hoshiko waited for the water she had put over it to boil. The last traces of the herbs her father had given her clutched in her hand. She'd already eaten—berries, nuts, and some now stale bread that Hart had bought for her from one of the distant towns. Although it was a meager amount, the young woman prayed it would be sufficient for her child. It was impossible to avoid the fact that she was pregnant any longer. Her stomach was much larger then even Hoshiko had expected it to grow. Shivering in the cold night air the girl wrapped her arms around her stomach and rested her forehead gently on top of it.

Being Arceus' slave was difficult, but being a mother at the same time was even more of a challenge. Feeling her child kick for the first time and not being able to share the moment with anyone. Not with her Father. Not with Samuel. Not...with Samuel. Her heart longed to hear her friend's voice just once more, giving her hope. But no, if he were to come, it would spell certain doom for the both of them.

Gently, softly and with a surprising amount of love for a young woman under her circumstances, Hoshiko started to sing to the child that she had grown to become so close to. The child that she would soon have to let go of. It had been months, and the baby's birth was close at hand. Hoshiko was well aware that she could give birth at any moment and was scared because there was no one to help her. The books her father had given her, now rough with reading, spoke vaguely of delivery, but it wasn't enough that Hoshiko felt secure doing it herself.

"...Hush little baby, don't say a word..." Hoshiko's voice was broken, she could feel the baby moving around inside of her and it made the young woman want to cry. "Mama's gonna by you a delibird..."

Hoshiko's eyes closed and she could feel the familiar material of Samuel's scarf tucked away in her shirt where Arceus wouldn't find it. And hidden within the folds of the precious scarf was an item that held the life of Hoshiko and her child in the very balance. The source of Arceus' rage at her. Hoshiko already had in her possession the water stone, and had held onto the item the entire time. The monster hadn't discovered it with her, and she wasn't about to give it up.

All she had to do was wait...wait until the baby was born. Once Samuel had her precious child, then and only then could she destroy the stone and face the consequences, whether at the hands of Arceus or Ace himself, Hoshiko expected only the worst.

Rubbing her stomach gently, Hoshiko reached for a bowl of heated water sitting on the stones near the fire, and she sprinkled the herbs into it. Sipping it gently and between her drinks, the young woman spoke to her child, the only one she could even communicate with.

"...I love you very much..." She said softly. "But you'll have to listen hard because you won't get to see me for very long..." Hoshiko said slowly. "I'm Hoshiko, you're mother...and I'm never going to forget you." She kissed her stomach with as much tender love her poor weak body could muster. "I love you..." And between her drinks Hoshiko kept on singing to her child just as she did every night. Ignoring the foreboding shadows of Diagla and Palkia. Forgetting about Hart and Arceus. Just her and her child. For the short time they would get together.

Hoshiko herself wasn't in the best of condition. She was covered in dirt from all of the digging and searching, her clothes torn and worn from all of the work. Her back ached hopelessly, and her feet were in great pain. Ankles swollen, practically her whole body followed suit. Hands calloused and cut, they shook mostly all of the time. Mind weak, voice weak, face wrought with sadness perpetually, she held on to what little comfort she could. This was her gift, her gift to Samuel...and what a nightmare it was. But what a gift, one that Hoshiko refused to regret.

Morning came and went, and more days passed, uncomfortably, even painfully most of the time. On a night shortly after a session of underground digging, something seemed different, though it was much the same as a few nights before. There was a fire, no immediate sign of Hart, and water boiling for Hoshiko. It was quiet...really strangely so. At first Hoshiko didn't have time to notice, but when things settled down enough for her to get ready to sleep, it became obvious:

Dialga and Palkia's patrol had not taken them past her today.

It was an odd occurrence. The creatures never really stopped watching her, but that they shouldn't pass over her even once during the entire course of her travels was very, very odd. Now she was sitting by a lake, looking out over the water, the forest at her back and the sunset shining on the glasslike surface. There were people on a boat in the distance. A little row boat. But if Hoshiko had tried to go to them or flag them down, surely Hart would have come back.

Still, their temporary presence as they spent their evening fishing was a great comfort for a girl who had never been so alone in her life. She almost felt they were her friends, even without knowing them. They were human...They were like her. They were good. Once in awhile she could hear a laugh carry over the water and softly to her ears. They sounded like they were enjoying each other's company. Probably old friends on a routine fishing trip, clueless as to Hoshiko's plight.

The disappearance of Dialga and Palkia, although welcomed by Hoshiko, also worried the young woman greatly. Any inconsistencies in Arceus' actions meant that he was considering or doing something out of the realm of what she was prepared for or used to. That alone struck her with fear.

But for now, the ethereal sort of presence that those humans out in their boat on the water gave the girl was superb. She hadn't seen another human or heard a joyful noise since before leaving with Arceus. Not for five months. And so, even if they couldn't save her, there was a special quality that those people possessed that they would never know about. They were comfort for Hoshiko's woeful soul, and a reminder of the good that was still left in this world—the good worth protecting.

Laying part of her worn-out kimono onto a rock, Hoshiko put her feet up, just as Koichi's book had instructed her to do if her ankles were swelling and near the end of pregnancy in general. Placing her rough and torn bag under her head, Hoshiko laid back, resting her head on the lumpy and unwelcoming pillow. Covering herself up with what was still together of her old kimono, the girl lay with her eyes on the boat and a hand on her large stomach.

"Do you hear that sound?" She asked the child softly. "They're laughing...They're so happy." Her eyes narrowed at memories of her own laughter. "Someday I promise you'll laugh and be happy. You'll know what it's like to be out there in the world. There's so much to see and do. You'll want to see everything, I'm sure." She rubbed her stomach gently and felt a distinct kick from her womb as if the child was answering her. "My precious child...all I have left for this world...my only gift. My only hope..."

Hoshiko fought sleep, worried that when she would awaken that the Medallion might be around her neck, or even worse that Arceus might discover his precious water stone's hiding place. But no matter how badly every night the girl wanted to stay vigilant, it was impossible with her body so worn. So, slowly and much against her will, Hoshiko's eyes closed, and the darkness of sleep welcomed her to disturbing nightmares this night as it had many before.

In the night, in the dark time just before sunrise, a sound from the woods roused Hoshiko from her slumber. Upon opening her eyes she saw nothing but the darkness and the faintest glow of silver light on the still lake. There a cold fog hung in the air, not thick and more like a mist than anything else. Through it everything had a dreamlike appearance. Even the shadows of the trees around the lake looked surreal.

For awhile it was hard for Hoshiko to know whether she was asleep or awake, but as feeling returned to her limbs and the chill started to get to her, it was obvious she was no longer sleeping.

It was in that odd moment, as she wondered why she had awoken other than perhaps being too cold, that she saw a silvery shadow at the edge of the water. It was far from her, on a bank opposite from the shore she was on, but near enough that she could see it moving to the water's edge and bowing its head low to drink from the crystal pool.

Watching the shadow on the far off water's edge, Hoshiko rubbed her eyes, genuinely confused. The fishing boat had long gone, and this shape was nothing like that of a boat either way. Taking off her worn makeshift blanket, Hoshiko glanced at the cold ashes that were left of what had been her small warming fire. Squirming into a sitting position quite awkwardly, the girl looked out across the water.

"Ugh..." Hoshiko grunted in pain, holding onto her stomach as she lifted herself into a standing position, using the rock her feet had been resting on. "What's out there?" The young woman whispered to herself, eyes squinting in the dark as she approached the edge of the water. The cold, icy liquid lapped up against her worn out shoes.

"It looks...so familiar..." Her throat felt tight as the moonlight reflected along the elegant outline of a slender but large wolflike creature. The beast had only to turn slightly in the light for her to see enough of it to recognize the dreamlike figure. Ace. The girl's eyes widened. She couldn't go near him, and if he came near her then Hart would certainly be alerted.

Swallowing hard though, Hoshiko felt a squeezing pain in her stomach and abdomen and quickly tensed, clutching uselessly at her belly. She doubled over slightly, whimpering to herself, but from the corner of her eye she watched the moon-glazed form drinking at the water's edge. The sight of Ace both relieved and terrified her, but she felt like she could do nothing, especially with her body in rather infrequent spasms of pain. This wasn't real labor, Hoshiko knew that. She'd been having false labor pains over the past week, and to be quite honest, it was scaring her. Arceus was less than kind about allowing for her condition and didn't seem to appreciate her pain slowing her down.

After a moment, the distant creature lifted its head, and its long ears twitched slightly. The strange grace it had made it look unearthly, as if it were a moondrop fallen to earth on a silver wind. It froze with its head lifted, like a deer in headlights. For a long time it did not move, and it didn't take long for Hoshiko to realize that it had noticed her too. It was watching her as closely as she watched it. Then, it started towards her, walking along the shoreline slowly but with purpose.

Hoshiko's weary eyes watched the haunting figure as it started to leave it's place and move along the water where it would be able to reach her. Although worried by this, it was impossible for Hoshiko to ignore the sharp pains that she was feeling and she remained in place. Overwhelmed by a mixture of nerves and pain, it wasn't very long before tears threatened to drop down onto her cheeks. Staggering away from the water, her shoes now soaked, Hoshiko remained fixated on the silvery shadow that seemed so interested in her.

What if it was Arceus come to trick her, to find the stone and steal it away from her? Hoshiko was petrified, fear showing in her eyes as the creature slowly stalked towards her.

And what if it really was Ace? Would he be furious with her for making a deal with his true enemy? Would he understand her motives, even though she couldn't dare tell him that she had hidden the stone? Or would he want to kill her there and then, even though she was so close to the end of her mission, with her child unborn? Afraid but with nowhere to go, Hoshiko glanced back at the woods knowing that if she tried to hide from the image of the Incarnus, Hart would find her.

However all of her musings and considerations were forced out of her mind by another sudden pain in her abdomen.

"Augh..." Hoshiko hissed, this time feeling her knees collapse under her as she held onto her stomach supporting it softly as her worn out legs gave away and forced her to kneel painfully. "...I...can't take...much...more of...this..." Hoshiko said hoarsely, starting to gasp for air.

The white shadow kept moving towards her, slowly, one large paw at a time. The graceful crown of its mane seemed to flow in a barely existent breeze with how the creature walked. Before long, he began to emerge from the mist, and his face became visible. His eyes glinted their almost luminescent icy blue, and they remained locked on her, though she shrank back and ground her teeth in pain.

It was Ace, certainly. Not having seen him in so long, he seemed even larger than she remembered. His massive shoulders and legs carried his huge form with steady grace. He craned his neck forward slightly, sniffing at Hoshiko as he approached and looking down at her with scrutiny. After a moment, he leaned forward and opened his mouth, flashing his sharp, white teeth. He went for Hoshiko.

Hoshiko's face froze, wrought with pain and deep fear, horror almost. The brief flash of his toothy jaw rent the girl's whole body tense. Everything was for naught, she assumed. She squeezed the tears from her eyes with her lids tightly shut.

And, gently, he grabbed her by the arm. His jaws so tender they could have carried a newborn pup without breaking its fragile skin. He pulled Hoshiko up by her wrist, and then let her go.

"So...It's true..."

Having expected searing, slicing pain to tear through her body, Hoshiko's eyes flew open when she felt nothing and heard Ace's deep voice. She steadied herself on her feet and looked up at the canine. He hadn't attacked her; he hadn't hurt her at all, in fact. And with the gentility that he did touch her, Hoshiko was left in shock. Her tear-trailed cheeks glistened in the moonlight as she watched Ace's every move as he held her there with his gaze for those few bitter, recovering moments.

Seeing him now was on one turn comforting and on the other it was an absolute nightmare. It was the one ting that she didn't want, desperately. And as he let go of her, Hoshiko was too weak to even hold her own head up any longer. Biting her tongue to prevent from crying out in pain and alerting Hart, Hoshiko slumped again and ended up on her knees, pressing one hand on the ground to keep her from collapsing entirely. The other hand she laid on her belly.

"...True?..." Her voice was weak, weaker than even when Samuel had rescued her from Osamu. Her breathing was labored and her eyes fixed on Ace's paws leaking salty streams. "...Ace..." Hoshiko exhaled sharply. "...Please..." She inhaled with difficulty. "...Don't hurt..." She had to stop for a moment, managing to lift her head and looked up at Ace with her pitiable expression and rough appearance. "...Me...Please..." Her lips were shaking, the salt from her tears stinging at dry cracks in her lips as she spoke. "...Think...of...my...child...I've...fought so hard...to...protect...the...baby..."

Ace closed his eyes, a weary expression consuming him quickly and making him look surprisingly weak even despite his size. When he spoke again, he sounded truly miserable, as if he were about to cry. Yet somehow, he didn't allow himself to. Even so, he couldn't hide the whimper behind his voice.

"I didn't want to believe you would do something like this. I told myself it couldn't be true... And yet...here you are. Completely coherent and still... You've chosen to serve _him_. Arceus told me you'd be here…in another timeline. But that's…."

Ace almost choked the words. "How could you do this? ...After everything you've seen and learned, do you really believe Arceus will be the savior of humanity?"

Hoshiko's eyes grew wide, listening to Ace as he spoke with his sad tone. Hoshiko's heart was heavy and she could feel her whole body ache and the pain in her stomach was increasing with her saddened emotions. He believed she was working with Arceus by choice? These five months had been living hell for Hoshiko and Ace truly believed that she brought it upon herself by a genuine choice. The anguish on her face was unimaginable.

"Ace..." The girl's breathing was ragged, even more so from new stress and misery. Hoshiko struggled desperately to sit, feeling her knees burning from all the weight on them. But her front was too heavy for her to maneuver back enough to sit and the young woman felt quite pathetic for struggling so in front of Ace, who was condemning her.

"You...have to...trust...me..." She quavered. "...I...did...t-this..." She sucked in air sharply through her teeth, clutching her stomach. "...for...Samuel..." She struggled harder to take air in. "...and for...you..." Her eyes closed slowly. "...P-Please...just...let...the..." Hoshiko choked back on her words. "...Let...the...baby...come..." Her shoulders slumped, still struggling in her position. It was becoming increasingly harder not to scream in pain.

Crystal blue eyes opened slowly and studied Hoshiko, sparkling like pools about to spill from Ace's eyes. The large creature seemed concerned, and genuinely saddened by Hoshiko's words.

"Your sacrifice was in vain... Even if you are telling me the truth... Samuel cannot be saved this way. And your baby... She belongs to Arceus. I did not want to believe it myself, but I've seen the results of these actions. I searched for you, and it took too long to find you the first time. When I arrived on Mt. Coronet all too late and saw the transformation beginning, Arceus met me and told me what had happened. He told me that you had joined him. I could not divine the point at which you joined him, but I am here now to stop you... I will do what I must, but I pray it will not be as extreme as I imagine it may have to be."

He hung his head low, his ears folded back against his head and his gaze traveling out across the dark, misty waters. "I saw you...and I saw the baby, but I didn't see Samuel. I saw the alter that you created and the Medallion. Dialga, Palkia, and Hart joined at the summit of Mt. Coronet to become the lord monster that would control this realm in my place after..." He hesitated for a moment. "After Arceus killed me... Fortunately I made a portal across time before the transformation finished. I backtracked to erase my futile search for you in other lands and simply started my search here in Sinnoh. Had I not, I would not be here now..."

There were no words at first. Hoshiko's throat was dry, and her tongue clung to the roof of her mouth. She had no idea what to think, what to imagine. Ace, he wouldn't lie to her, but how could it have happened like this? After everything Hoshiko planned, did it all really end in failure? Did Arceus or Hart discover the missing stone before she had a chance to finish her plan? Or when she revealed the stone, had they stolen it from her by force for her deceit? Hoshiko's stunned state made the young woman collapse against her own will, leaving her lying on her side, cradling her stomach gently. Her eyes poured some tears landing softly in the earth and some streaming down her chin and neck, soaking her collar.

"How...?" Her voice was weak and raspy. One hand clenched into a fist. She couldn't cry out loudly to release her anguish, she couldn't scream her pain away. But her soul was awash with fury and sadness and Hoshiko hit her weak fist against the rough ground. "How could this have happened?" She fought the sobs that tried to escape. Instinctively her fisted hand, now bleeding from reopened scrapes and cuts obtained while working underground, reached to her shirt where the stone she had hidden so carefully lay tucked away and wrapped in cloth. It was still there. How had Arceus gotten it from her? She couldn't imagine. All this time the creature hadn't taken it.

"I...worked...so hard..." Eyes shifting up to Ace, Hoshiko's mind flashed back to the merciless expression he had given to her mother before slaying her, and the girl's whole body went numb. "...I did...everything I could..." She bit her lip hard and continued her crying, unable to find the words to express herself.

Eyes glancing away from Ace, down to her stomach, she couldn't help but notice that he had spoken of her daughter. The baby was a girl, as the bloodline of Kimono Girls had been for generations. He had seen her, and now, even just hearing about her, the unborn child seemed more real now than ever. She was a precious little life, her own flesh and blood. The one she had worked for, and carried for so long, only to lose her now.

"...Please...Ace...Ace please..." Hoshiko begged, reaching a weak hand into her shirt, grasping onto the stone. "...Trust me...I...wouldn't...betray...you..." She considered taking out the precious item and giving it to the dog. Pondered it deeply. Was it worth the risk? "...But don't take my life now...don't take it Ace. Please..." Her desperation was clear. "You can have my life. I walked into this...the second I agreed. I knew it. I knew it from the start. I knew I would die..." Understanding the reality was one thing but actually stating the words added a depth to it that she'd never grasped before. "...I will give you my life Ace...I swear it. I condemned myself. I did it so you wouldn't have to...do this to Samuel. Don't you understand? …..Arceus...he gave...Samuel this work...and I...bargained...to get him out...of it..." Slowly her hand came out of her shirt, but it wasn't holding the scarf and the stone. "...Just...don't take my child...don't take my daughter, Ace..." The girl continued on begging Ace. "...Be mercy...be grace...be them when I...can't...Have mercy on the innocent life inside of me...She's not corrupted...The second, the very second I give birth. As soon as she's safe...you can..." Hoshiko bit her lip hard. "Just kill me then, please. Not now. Not right now..." Her words were broken.

"I...I...worked...for months...Arceus...he's threatening me...but...but I need the time...I need the time...and once...my precious child...once she's born...I was...going to..." She cut herself off. "I...I can't...just please...I can't say it...but please...don't kill me now Ace...I'll give you want you want...but not right now..." Practically wrapping herself around her stomach, Hoshiko looked up at Ace. She was truly reduced to practically nothing...

Silence hung between Ace and Hoshiko for an uncomfortably long moment. The large white beast with the soft, flowing mane simply stared at her, his eyes a mix of misery and something else that Hoshiko couldn't discern. He seemed to be thinking, and thinking hard. She wouldn't know it, but he'd been through so much that this moment now only made him more conflicted. He _wanted_ to spare Hoshiko, but how could he, knowing what would happen?

Still... if there was one thing he believed... people deserved to know why they must die, if there was no other way. He secretly prayed there would be, but he didn't get hopeful. In fact he strongly doubted that there was a chance to stop what he'd seen without killing the girl. But, it was worth holding off just a moment to tell her more.

"Hoshiko... I made it to Mt. Coronet after your daughter was born. Arceus took her from you... and I dare not say what he did. It would break your heart if you knew. To you he gave the Medallion, and its poison overcame you and every part of you. You did not satisfactorily complete your duties...he forced it upon you, and you became his unquestioning servant. Your daughter became his child. What became of Samuel... I may never know. But as I stood on the summit of the mountain and watched the energy enveloping Dialga, Palkia, and Hart, I knew I would die the moment the new creature emerged. Though I may dream of the day I will perish, I would rather not die until my job is finished."

He slowly turned away from Hoshiko completely and stared across the lake. "You were sent against me... To fight me with an ancient weapon polished to new glory by Arceus. I can only imagine he got it by going back to days of old to find it. You didn't stand a chance of defeating me... But you did hold me off well enough. Arceus knew I would hesitate to kill you... But he did not foresee that I would come back here to try and prevent the damage he'd done."

Ace turned back to her slowly. "I believe you... You don't seem corrupted, and I know that you would do anything to save Samuel." He hung his head. "And I am deeply touched that you would spare me the agony of having to kill my—my master... Perhaps you have succeeded in the job you intended to do, but in doing so you have also initiated a chain of deplorable events. Still... I have only myself to blame. Somehow I didn't see Arceus preparing this advance on your world. I knew he was attempting to come here completely so that he would no longer be bound in spirit by Alefgard, but I imagined he would wait until a gate was open wide enough to feed him a constant flow of darkness... I never expected he'd simply take the risk without it." He sighed in bitter frustration. "I underestimated him... He was right. I had no idea what he was capable of..."

The words that Ace gave Hoshiko were hard to listen to, too difficult to imagine or conceive with her own mind. Her heart was wrenched as he told her of her child, how Arceus had deceived her and taken her daughter away from her. And as if in vain protection, the girl held onto her stomach even more so than ever. She watched Ace with tears leaking endlessly from her eyes.

"...Ace...I'm such...a...stupid...fool..." The young woman's throat felt as if it might constrict from emotions. "My child's own blood...is on my hands...I'm sorry...Arceus...made me...hurt you...Ace..." Her eyes closed, and with a shaking hand she reached into her shirt and pulled out Samuel's scarf. Holding in her weak palm what was wrapped inside.

Placing her hand in front of Ace's paw, Hoshiko let the scarf and stone go and slowly lifted the corner of the precious material to reveal a mere glimpse to the dog what was hidden inside. The water stone. "...I...kept it...all...this...time..." Hoshiko's eyes opened, falling onto the wretched item. "...It was the first...one I...found..." She muttered softly. "...But...if I'm...going to die. T-Then...you have to...get rid of...it for...me..." Hoshiko coughed, although stifling it with her hand so Hart wouldn't hear her.

"I'm sorry...my daughter..." Hoshiko leaned her head forward, straining greatly to place another gentle kiss on her stomach. "...You...won't get to laugh or...see the world...I'm so sorry...I failed..." Biting her lip, Hoshiko shook her head. "...Nozomiko...hopeful child..." Lifting her shirt enough to expose her stomach to herself, the young woman rested her cheek there gently and rubbed her stomach.

Still in this position, but shifting her eyes to Ace, Hoshiko watched him sadly. "...Do you..remember when we were all in Blackthorn under the tree? I think...I'll remember that...and I'll remember the wishes...I'll remember Samuel...every moment I ever saw him. Even...when we first met...and...didn't get along. I'll...remember how he would take care of me...and make me laugh. And...wanted to...give me life...how he brought me hope..." Hoshiko paused, fighting back her tears, trying to speak clearly. "I'll...imagine him...as a professor. Bringing...the...kids in Olivine...their pokémon...and...making more people...happy..." And even though these were all happy images and moments, Hoshiko's face was so incredibly sad that Ace found it hard to look at.

"Do you remember your favorite shirt...Ace? I...think...I think I'll remember you...like that...and...as a warm...blanket...and in my Father's kitchen...when I...forgave you...and...I...I think I'll remember you...dancing..." Her eyes locked with Ace's, the once bright amber now clouded with tears and much duller. "...Because you were so happy...when you danced...and...I loved...dancing, Ace..." The girl wouldn't take her eyes off of Ace's, taking in every moment and remembering those icy blue eyes. "...Ace...Ace will...you...remember me...when you dance?" Hoshiko asked, letting her head drop back and exposing her neck to the incarnus, staring up at Ace hopelessly. As if to abandon her life to him. "Promise me...you won't...remember me...like this..."

Thin trails of tears spilled silently from the corners of Ace's eyes, running down his muzzle as he hung his head low to look at the young girl. Everything she spoke of brought back beautiful memories to him as well, and they even stirred more memories of the past... Of humans he had respected and worked side by side with, only to watch them fall. His heart broke in that instant, and he nudged his nose under Hoshiko's chin.

"Child... I will not ever forget you... "

As he spoke those words, and unearthly shriek split the air, cutting through the tender emotion of the moment and sending it into a frenzy of adrenaline as a spray of leaves exploded from the forest behind them and rained down in twirling masses. A dark shadow blocked out the light of the moon, and when Ace looked up he felt a sickening sense of dread overwhelm him.

"No...how did they—"

He was cut off by another shriek, as the shadow drifting through the air made a slow turn towards them and flew back across the water, rapidly approaching their location.

It was Dialga, perhaps Ace's most dangerous single enemy aside from Arceus himself. Dialga's vicious spirit and hateful rivalry with Ace made him a brutal killer. The image of Petra lying cold on the ground thanks to that wretched monster's advances weighed heavily on Ace's soul. It didn't help that Ace caught a glimpse of something else: A small human form riding on Dialga's back... It was Hart.

"No!" Ace whipped his head towards Hoshiko. "It's the water stone! I can't believe it... I thought I drove Dialga and Palkia far enough away before I came to you..." He moaned, "They must have realized what I was doing and come to try and keep me from preventing their evolution! But if they get the water stone and give you the Medallion, everything will be back the way it was! It can't happen like this!"

He had to think, and he had to think fast. His mind told him to kill Hoshiko and flee with the water stone, destroy it and return to the alter to destroy the rest of the elemental stones... but his heart made him hesitate one second too long to pull that one off. Dialga landed on the water's edge and let out another earsplitting screech of a roar.

Ace put himself between the monster and Hoshiko, protecting the girl and the stone with his own body. He bared his teeth and without hesitation sent a blazing volley of lightning directly at Dialga. Hart jumped off of Dialga's back in time to avoid the hit, but the shock struck the huge monster with precision, lighting him up with a glow brighter than the sun.

For a brief moment, Dialga was stunned, and though the electric shock didn't injure him as much as Ace would have liked, it still did a significant amount of damage.  
But Hart had avoided the assault, and in an instant, he unleashed a shadow pokémon, black as night and fiercely ready to kill. The dark nidoking exploded onto the field before Ace even knew what had happened, and it thundered towards him in a terrifying rampage. Fortunately, Ace was strong enough to take the ram head on, and despite the venomous horns stabbing deep into his flesh, he shouldered up against the large ground pokémon and began pushing it back away from Hoshiko and towards the lake.

He was fully aware, however, that a prolonged battle against Dialga and a ground pokémon like nidoking would only spell disaster for him in this form. If only he'd had the Medallion, he could have transformed into his human form. And even if it had taken all of his energy to do so, he would have had enough power to stave off the attack. But if he had the Medallion, maybe he wouldn't have had to worry about the attack in the first place.

His eyes suddenly darted to the Pendant around Hart's neck. He ignored the man's glowing eyes and knew that through them Arceus was watching. Bitterly he growled his frustration but resolved that he would not kill Hoshiko... He'd get the Medallion back. After all, it was the only means of defeating the demon king in the long run... And certainly the only means of gaining the upper hand now.

"Hoshiko! Get on my back!" Ace roared.

It was a far stretch to say that Hoshiko was merely shocked; the girl who had been so solemnly and acceptingly preparing for her own death was suddenly thrust into a world and battle, noise, and fear that was even worse than she imagined waited for her in the end.

She wasn't able to take in a lot of the moment, simply struggling amongst herself to get into a sitting position. Thankfully, with luck and tremendous effort, the young woman pulled herself to sit, snatching up the stone that she had willed to Ace and placing it, with the scarf, back to its place hidden in her shirt. It was then and only then that she truly realized what Ace had done.

He had spared her and more importantly he had spared the life within her, the one who truly deserved to be spared. And although this was a touching second chance at life, it was hard to focus on it, seeing Hart's glowing eyes piercing them. She knew that it was Arceus, watching her. Did he now know of her betrayal? Had he seen the stone or merely glimpsed the scarf with no idea what lay inside?

Now wasn't the time to worry, though. As Ace commanded her to get on his back, Hoshiko forced herself up into a standing position with great difficulty. The pain in her back traveled all the way out through her limbs, a stifling ache that threatened to send her sprawling on the ground. She threw herself forward, stumbling a little as she made as fast a dash as her body would let her. Hoshiko ran to Ace and collided with him, reached up, and tried to grab onto him to pull herself up and onto his back.

She let out a cry and a grunt as she lifted herself onto the guardian wolf's back. He crouched a little in an effort to make it easier for her, and Hoshiko did her best to sit straight and keep her eyes on the Medallion, as she saw Ace himself doing. It was like she understood in that moment exactly what Ace's plan was.

"I'm here for you, Ace—" Hoshiko panted, wanting to say more but struggling now to breathe.

"Good!" Ace shouted. "Now just hold on! We have to fall back and regroup!" Ace jumped backwards at last, and the nidoking stumbled forward at the sudden change in balance. Ace didn't stick around.

Instead of engaging again, he jumped into the air and took off over the treetops, hurrying to escape before Dialga recovered enough to go after them. Considering each moment that Dialga could be only a breath away, Ace sped over the canopy and across open fields until he reached the far northern mountains and pine forests, thickly covered in deep drifts of white snow.

* * *

The wind blew fiercely and made flying difficult, but the low visibility through thick veils of flakes and pelting ice would work in his favor, he knew. His pure white coat was a blessing in a place like this, and when they struck the deep snow banks with towering trees around them and icy powder stinging their faces, the Incarnus knew they could hide here long enough to make a plan to get the Medallion back.

He began trudging through the snow, facing into the wind, his eyes squeezed shut as he began to search the mountainside for a place of refuge. Hoshiko remained silent and ducked her head low, trying to hide her face from the biting winds. The very air in her lungs felt like frost, coating her throat and inner chest and making it painful to breathe. It was all she could do to focus and not think about her plight. She trusted Ace to get them to safety.

He didn't say anything at all in the hours of search until at last they found it. A half-hidden cave nestled into the rocks, sheltering from the wildly icy gusts that ripped through the forests and blew white dust into the air blindingly. He slipped inside, and realized that even though the cave was very cold inside, it was significantly warmer than the outdoors without the wind and snow. Exhausted, he collapsed to the ground, his head hitting the floor with surprising force. He heaved a terrible groan and closed his eyes.

"Are you...alright?"

Although jostled and incredibly uncomfortable sitting on Ace's back, it brought a sort of comfort to Hoshiko, even now in the bitter cold. She had escaped from the crux of the turmoil. The water stone rested safe in Hoshiko's shirt as she clutched onto Ace's fur with all of the power she had in her weak now chilled to numbness hands. Only now that they were safe did Hoshiko have a moment to consider what had happened, and she couldn't help but feel a pain in her heart for leaving behind her bag with both her Eevee and Abra inside of it, along with it was still spread out her half destroyed kimono. But it was a worth while sacrifice. As much as she loved her monster friends dearly, saving the life of her child was the most important goal she could fulfill.

Hoshiko awkwardly and slowly slid off of Ace's back and shifted over to him, her swollen belly hindering her movement.

"I'm..." Hoshiko looked frustrated, fighting her own breathing to get a few words out became irritating when all she wanted to do was speak. But it took a good few minutes of exhausted and exasperated gasping for Hoshiko to speak.

And when she did, her voice was shaking violently like the rest of her body from the cold. She didn't have a warm fur coat like Ace did, and even the clothes that she had were insignificant to keep her warm in the forest where she had been before. So now, she could hardly stand how badly her skin stung in response to the cold, hardly able to feel herself move.

"I'm cold…and I'm sorry...I'm so heavy Ace..." The girl apologized, reaching a shaking hand forward and with all the gentility of a lamb stroking the monster's muzzle.

Ace heaved an exhausted and breathy laugh, not lifting his head. He seemed spent, but he did open his eyes and glance in Hoshiko's direction. "You're not heavy..." He panted painfully, his breathing very obviously labored in how hard his sides moved in and out. "I'm just... Not as strong as I could be. A lot of things are catching up with me..."

"I'm not?" Hoshiko asked, looking a little shocked that he didn't find her heavy. Blinking a few times, Hoshiko blushed, realizing that she was more self conscious of herself then she had to be. Looking away for a second, the girl pushed her messy hair out of her face and bit her lip.

"Well...I...guess...I'm okay..." Hoshiko's eyes narrowed. It was a bit of a lie, but after everything Ace had just done for her, Hoshiko couldn't complain to Ace. "...Ace...are _you_ okay...?" Ace nodded. Hoshiko opened her mouth up to say more but gasped gently, keeping one hand on Ace's head and placing the other on her stomach as the baby kicked. "I think...she just...said hi...to you, Ace." Hoshiko whispered to her friend.

His ear twitched slightly, and a serene smile lifted the corners of his lips. "Isn't that something? Would have thought I'd be scary to a little thing like that..." Ace appreciated Hoshiko's gentle touch, and it was obvious in his glazed eyes. He looked like he scarcely had the energy to get up, but after a short while he lifted his head for a moment and looked at Hoshiko quietly. She was shivering. "You're cold..." He closed his eyes and laid his head down on the cold stone. "Come as close as you need... My fur isn't a blessing for only me, you know?"

Hoshiko took the invitation wiggled closer to him, first making sure that her stomach was hidden in Ace's thick fur, wanting the baby to get as much warmth as she could, as quickly as possible. And once the baby was protected, Hoshiko herself buried her hands and face into Ace's fur and tried to keep warm. But it didn't take long before the girl was rubbing Ace's side, trying to comfort the monster, he seemed just as weak and stressed as she did, and there was a deep stab wound in his shoulder where the nidoking's horn had pierced his hide. The fur around it stained red, but it didn't seem to be bleeding anymore at the moment. It couldn't have been comfortable, though.

"Ace..." Hoshiko soothed, "You wouldn't scare the baby..." Hoshiko said, muffled as she rubbed her face in his fur. "She likes you a lot...remember?" Her eyes narrowed, and she paused for a moment, thinking. Before she spoke again, her emotions, fueled both by hormones and sheer relief, brought tears to her eyes. They slowly soaked into Ace's thick fur.

"...Thank you, Ace...Thank you...You protected her...you did..." Hoshiko's sobbing persisted. "...I'm sorry you had to make such a difficult choice...I'm sorry that I cried too much and...and I made it so hard...but...but...I just...Thank you. Thank you, Ace. Thank you, thank you...thank you..." She couldn't say it enough, the gratitude in her heart so strong it felt as though it might burst.

Ace's brows lifted empathetically, and he himself felt rather choked up with emotion, but at the same time he wondered if he'd made the right decision or if he'd gone against his own code and would someday pay a price worse than death for it. Maybe he was getting too soft, but he couldn't have imagined just killing the girl without thinking it over.

"...You're welcome, Hoshiko." He said at last, his voice breaking slightly but this time he managed not to shed any tears. He strained to turn his head and curl his body around Hoshiko to protect her better from the cold, and when he could reach, he licked her hand. "We're going to have to rest here until we recover a little. I shouldn't have been traveling after narrowly escaping death in Blackthorn, and the time-traveling I've done was even harder on me... But I had to do it, or risk losing everything I've fought for."

He laid his head down again at last and stared at stone walls, with feathers of frost snaking up the sides. "I was looking for Samuel at first, actually...And you, of course. I was terrified at what might become of the both of you if Hart did something... But after searching for awhile, I began to sense something odd. I hadn't been sure of what it was, because it wasn't quite like the feeling I get when a gate opens. Yet, it was still a terrible concentration of darkness that I could not shake. I had to go and investigate. It led me here, to this region. When I discovered what the source of my discomfort was, I was mortified. I had been sensing the shift of darkness from monsters to humans. With Hart overcome by the Medallion and then you, the alteration was so much more intense than I thought it would be. Arceus was clever to begin the transition before opening the gate... He forced me to play my only wild card. Unfortunately time only tells whether time travel is effective or not. We all have the ability to change the future, but the unfortunate thing is that more often than not it is impossible to know how to do so..."

"After I switched places with Samuel, I told him to go to Blackthorn... So you mean...he never found you?" Hoshiko's tone was incredibly sad, she had hoped that Samuel would discover Ace, safe. The young woman shook her head slowly. "It sounded like Arceus wanted to give Samuel the Medallion...so knowing that if I agreed to serve he wouldn't force it on me right away, I knew it was the only thing I could do..." Hoshiko sighed wearily. "But these past months have been a nightmare, Ace…it's only gotten harder, especially with baby. And every time Arceus had me come to Mt. Coronet, I was paranoid he would find the stone that I'd hidden from him..." The girl's eyes closed and she petted Ace with the hand that he had licked. "But...he never discovered it...until now... I think he might have seen it." Hoshiko's voice was shaky, and she went silent for a long moment, pondering.

"...I...I don't know how we'll change the future, but Ace...if...after the baby...after she's born and if you need to..." Placing her head in Ace's fur, Hoshiko's words became muffled. "Please...if you need...don't hesitate to...to...well...what I'm trying to say is..." Her eyes fell on Ace's sadly and she forced the words out. "If you need to kill me, I'll understand." It was a surreal statement to make, but a necessary one. And after a long, awkward sort of pause, Hoshiko asked softy. "When you saw her...was...was she healthy?" Hoshiko asked rubbing her stomach softly and obviously indicating her daughter.

Ace didn't answer for a moment. "The baby was as physically healthy as she could have been, but... For her soul I fear more than her body. If you receive the Medallion before she is born, she is as much Arceus' slave as you are. And that simply cannot be." Ace paused and then went on quickly. "But I will not kill her, nor will I kill you if there is any other option. Such is a last resort, and I will not take action lightly. My duty is foremost to protect the human race, but my personal hope is to protect the two of you as well..."

Hoshiko's muscles seemed to ease as Ace explained that her child was healthy, after all of the work and strain on Hoshiko's body the entire time she was pregnant. It was hard for Hoshiko to believe that her precious baby was alright, and without the routine checkups that her books had prescribed, there had been little hope of her daughter's safety. Now she allowed herself to feel hopeful.

But despite the good news, an ominous feeling of doom drifted over her. If Arceus was to somehow find her now and give her the Medallion ahead of time, it would practically kill her. If she didn't die from physical illness, her heart breaking would surely make her body fail. Worse still the idea of her daughter being lost to the darkness tormented her far worse than anything Arceus could have done to her personally. Still, Ace's reassurance offered some comfort. "Thank you Ace...all of this time, I've been so worried about my child. Petrified in fact. All this time my life has been for naught if that baby wasn't healthy. She's been my only human connection, my only shred of life... I'm glad you're looking out for us."

Ace closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Indeed. As for Samuel... I didn't see him." Forlorn, he added, "I left Blackthorn shortly after you did... I must have missed the boy by days. I only wish I knew if he was alright... If something happens to him amid all of this chaos, I don't know what I'll do." The dog rolled over onto his side and tried not to think about what might happen if Arceus caught Samuel. It could certainly spell death for him...or worse. "Heaven only knows he's not going to stand by and wait for something to happen. He's out looking for us or for Arceus. I know it."

Snuggling more into the large monster, Hoshiko heaved out a sigh at the thought of Samuel. "...I'm so sorry Samuel didn't find you. All of this time I thought that he was with you." She wiped a few tears from her eyes. "I gave him Hanu and made Arceus promise to let me give him my child...but...but he deceived me." Hoshiko choked back on her tears. "...I...hope...that Samuel's alright...if he isn't...I...I'll never forgive him..." Although her words were spiteful her tone indicated that she was so sad that she had no idea what else to say.

"...You...you said Arceus...had done something to my child...Ace...Ace what happened? I need to know...I need to understand how dire this is...so that if I need to go...I can...and...and I can understand..." Holding tightly onto Ace's fur, Hoshiko felt as if she were gripping him for dear life.

"That's enough." Ace's voice boomed suddenly in the small, cold, cavern. "I have already said that will not slay anyone if it is not absolutely certain that it is necessary. Do you really think I'm so recklessly violent a creature? I don't kill without good reason, and although I will not hesitate to take a life that is a severe threat to others, I also refuse to bloody my hands with an innocent. There may yet be a way out of this... Just... give me time to think."

Hoshiko bit her tongue hard in spite of her words as Ace's voice reached out through the cave and the girl held onto him tighter, feeling bad that she may have offended him, even if it wasn't her intention.

"...Ace...I...I didn't mean it like that..." Hoshiko's sad voice was a teary whisper. "I know you'd never do anything you didn't have to...I...just, it's hard to accept your own death...It's not that easy, knowing what I stand to lose or leave behind..." Hoshiko's eyes closed and she rubbed her face in Ace's warm fur.

Ace closed his eyes tightly and sorted out his thoughts. At times it could be trying, organizing the past, present, and the futures he'd seen with his own eyes. It could be confusing and chaotic, but somehow he'd learned methods to help him make sense of thousands on thousands of years of information and memories.

"The future is not certain. It could change in an instant. But the future that I saw had your child...being transformed into a monster. Such is the fate all humans will undergo if Arceus gets his grasp upon this world. And, if you do not believe that humans can be transformed into monsters...Consider that I was not always a monster myself. I was no human, but I was not a monster. Even the purest heart can be tainted and twisted, and the most honest flesh can be changed into something that even the devil himself would be afraid to associate with. Your baby is no more immune than I was."

Her child. A monster? How heartless could any creature be to commit such a crime? But although Hoshiko's thoughts were going so fast that she could hardly think straight, she didn't say a word for a long moment, just sobbing gently as hot tears soaked Ace's fur. When she finally spoke, she was trembling with sadness and anger.

"...How...d-dare he..." Her voice was shaking violently. "We d-deceived each other...but...how cruel...My...my child. How dare he..." Her eyes closed tightly. "That bastard..." Hoshiko hissed bitterly. It was a very rare thing for Hoshiko to swear, but the emotions were too strong within her that it couldn't be helped.

Ace took a deep breath and opened his tired eyes halfway, staring at a dark spot in the rocks and imagining that water had dripped there and then frozen at some point. "But that future is not certain, as I've said. As long as we can prevent Arceus from forcing the Medallion on you, we may yet preserve you and your child. First I have to know one thing though." He lifted his head and glanced at Hoshiko. "Do you trust me with your life as you say? Or do you fear me?"

To Hoshiko it seemed almost like an odd question. Of course she trusted him, and it shocked her that he didn't already know that. After everything that they had been through, and after what she had done for Samuel and him, it was difficult to understand why he would ask her such a thing.

"I feared you once...after my mother's passing..." The girl started, "But I learned that...that was your way of freeing me, what you did...you only did for me...and...Of...Of course Ace..." Hoshiko said softly. "...I trust you...I trust you with my very life and with the life of my child..." She stroked Ace's ear gently and then reached over taking one of his massive paws with both of her weak hands and gently held it up to her stomach. "...I couldn't be afraid of you...not now...not ever..."

Hoshiko was small and fragile, Ace could feel it as his paw rested on her. He watched her for a moment and was very careful with how he lay and moved so that he wouldn't accidentally hurt her.

"Good." He said at last, his eyes glinting slightly with the faintest hint of a smile in them. "Then I can help you." A clear smile manifested itself on his face and he closed his eyes comfortably, at last seeming to find a sense of peace somewhere inside of himself, even with the circumstances being what they were.

"I knew you would do what you could to help me..." Hoshiko said softly, leaning back into Ace and closing her eyes with a gentle sigh. "...And more importantly, the baby..."

Ace nodded, and when he spoke again, it was a very gentle and relaxed tone, on a different, only briefly touched topic. "Coming to terms with the reality of one's inevitable death can be difficult sometimes. Death is truly a final frontier...for most creatures. I'm not surprised it frightens you. It even frightens me, occasionally, and I have been through it before." He hesitated. "Dying for me is perhaps only frightening because natural instincts dictate that you want to go on living. Still, as I lay in the cold, darkness overcoming me slowly and my consciousness fading away, there is always a point when I realize what is happening... And I welcome it. It almost reminds me of falling asleep... Once you embrace it, it comes over you slowly like a dream. Then pain and sadness melt away and there is nothing."

He paused. "Maybe humans have it differently, but being what I am, I suppose perhaps my death experiences are unique. When I come back after death, it is strange. Like waking up in an unfamiliar place that you don't remember falling asleep in. It confuses me at first, but eventually my senses start flooding back to me and I remember everything. With that realization always comes great grief... It didn't used to. It used to fill me with hope. But now when I reawaken... I always feel a great sense of mourning and dread..."

Turning her head to the side, Hoshiko listened intently to what the Incarnus said. His perspective on death was, to her, very much disturbing. But in a strange way that from his point of view she could understand the way he felt. But for her, there was so much to live for now, so many personal reasons to go on. After all there was someone depending on her now, and her child would need her more as she grew up. Hoshiko wanted to be there for her daughter and not let the child grow up without parents. She didn't want her precious child to be an orphan.

"...I guess I can understand what you mean Ace...but...but not for me. I'm afraid of death. I have so much to live for now and maybe before when I was with Osamu it didn't matter as much, but now it's different and I know that I have to live, Ace. I have to. I have a job now. I didn't want the job before, and I'm still not so sure how adequate I am to be a mother, but ready or not this is it. I don't have any other options and this is what life's given me. And that means I have to live. I don't want my child to be alone. I want her to feel loved and be safe. I want her to know Blackthorn and the beautiful parts of Ecruteak...and...and my Grandmother told me...that after my mom died...now I'm the head of my family...I...I have a duty there too. There are people depending on me...and...I don't want to let anyone down...I just want to do the right thing, and if I'm dead...I can't even try. I'm more afraid of losing the chance then I've ever been of failing at my jobs. And believe me, I'm petrified of failing...but that's why I kept the water stone those five months..." Wrapping as much of her arms as she could around Ace, Hoshiko breathed a warm breath out onto his fur and it make the soft coat rustle in that spot. "...So I can't die, not yet."

Ace smiled a little bit at that and at last allowed himself to relax enough that he began to drift off. "You won't. Just let me watch over you. I'll make sure to do everything in my power to see you through." He laughed a little bit and added with a yawn before falling into the gentle arms of slumber, "Samuel would hate me if I let anything bad happen to you."

"Samuel wouldn't ever hate you, Ace..."

Hoshiko murmured sleepily as she tried her very best to stay awake. Still, with her mind too overwhelmed with concerns to sleep properly, after months of fear and nervousness, Hoshiko found if difficult to allow herself to rest freely. However, the protection offered by Ace and her own exhaustion got the better of her far too easily, and Hoshiko found herself transported back to the days when her and Samuel would rest peacefully beside Ace and know that in truth and honesty they were in the safest place in the world.

Right now, Hoshiko didn't have the privilege of that knowledge, with the fact that Arceus could discover them at any time...but still she felt much safer than she had when she was wandering the region alone. At last she found herself able to rest with her child protected by her and the warmth of Ace's fur.


	32. Metavasi

**Chapter 32: Metavasi**

"Samuel! Over here!" The small but very bold and fearless voice of Vincent called out from the edge of the lake, in the stretch between the water and the forest. "I found something!"

Samuel swooped in from above the canopy, hearing Vince's alert. Hanu carried him safely to the ground, where Garuda sat beside Vince, watching over the boy with keen eyes. Hurriedly moving to investigate, Samuel hopped down from Hanu's back when the giant sky and sea serpent landed on the ground, and he ran to Vince's side.

"What is it?" He asked before he even got there, "Is it Hoshiko?"

"No..." Vince said, shaking his head. "But she was here for sure. Look!" He pointed to a spot on the ground where some foliage had been moved around to form a makeshift bed. It lay nearby the remains of a burned out fire pit. On the bed lay Hoshiko's bag.

"Oh no..." Samuel felt sick at the sight of it. "She wouldn't leave her bag..." He suddenly straightened up as Vince picked up Hoshiko's bag and handed it to him. Samuel opened it up, locating Hoshiko's pokéballs. "She's got to be here somewhere!" Samuel gasped in fearful denial.

"Wait, Samuel!" Vince's voice called out in a way that made Samuel's blood run cold. He turned around slowly, and looked to see the little boy staggering to his feet and then poking around in the dirt. "Something happened here."

Samuel swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

"There's scuffs and scratches in the dirt, like claws from monsters. And there's a big burned spot over there." He pointed far off, by the water. Sure enough, a large patch of dirt and grass was charred beyond recognition. "It looks like a battle took place here..."

"Oh no..." Samuel moaned to himself. "Hoshiko..." He looked down at the two pokéballs in his hand and weighed them carefully in his palms. They felt heavy. Abra and Eevee must still be inside. But then what sort of battle took place here?

"Aww don't worry, Sam, we'll find her! I know we will."

Vincent's voice rang out louder than Samuel would have liked. He shushed the boy and sighed, looking up at the sky etched with gold and red as the sun finally began to set.

"We looked all around the lake and couldn't find any sign of her. And she wouldn't have left her pack... Something happened to her... I just know it."

"Well... I'm sure she'll still be okay, Sam. It's not like she's a quitter or anything..."

Samuel shook his head hard. "I know but... Oh never mind. You're too young to understand."

"I know you're sad..." Vince tried to reason. "It's cuz we can't find Hoshiko and your doggy never came back, right?"

Samuel clenched his fists and forced himself to restrain a burst of anger stemming from his overwhelming heartache. "Look...Vince... I know you're trying to help but... You're just not."

Vincent slumped and made a face. "I'm helping! I found the bag, didn't I?"

"That's not what I meant. I mean you're not helping me feel any better. Can we stop talking and just get back to looking?"

Vince pressed his lips into a grim line, but nodded slowly. Together, He and Samuel gathered Hoshiko's things and moved on, trying to figure out which direction to go next. Hanu and Garuda took to the skies to scan the ground for traces of the missing girl.

* * *

The next morning didn't bring much relief for Ace or Hoshiko. It was still brutally cold, and the only solace they could take was that the cave kept them out of the fierce wind and snow outside. But it wouldn't be enough over a long period of time. Ace could have stayed there for awhile and been alright, but Hoshiko would never survive. They would have to move out soon, or risk the girl freezing to death.

Now more then ever, Hoshiko realized that her bag was missing. The herbs that she usually took in the morning were missing along with the bag and no matter how badly they had tasted, Hoshiko would have preferred the bitter sting on her tongue to even the sweetest of foods. The child was healthy, but maybe she needed those herbs. The thought scared Hoshiko as she sat with her back pressed against the cold wall of the cave. Arms wrapped around her wide front side in a vain attempt to keep it warmer than the rest of her was. Her head hung down, trying also to protect her face from the cold that seemed to come from absolutely everywhere, it was impossible to avoid.

Ace now stood at the mouth of the cave, looking out across the windblown frost and the puffs of snow that twirled in the air. He smelled the wind, trying to catch the scent of something potentially edible. Hoshiko needed food, and the baby needed it more. Slowly, Ace turned back into the cave and moved out of the howling gusts that burst through the entrance.

"Hoshiko... I know you aren't going to like this but... It might be the only thing I can do for you for awhile. You need to eat...and the only palatable food for a human around here is..." He sighed. "Meat. Unless you can eat rocks and tree bark."

Hoshiko looked up to see Ace as he re-entered the cave, and just seeing the fresh snow on his white fur made Hoshiko shiver. Listening intently, the girl's eyes widened at what Ace had to say.

"...But...I...I don't even know how my...body will react to meat." Hoshiko said with grave concern. "...My...family hasn't had meat for countless generations..." Hoshiko bit her dry lip hard and tasted blood as she did so, cracking her chapped lips. "Um..." Eyes glancing down at her stomach, Hoshiko shook her head slowly. "I guess...I..." The girl swallowed hard, it was a difficult thing to say.

"...T-Thank you Ace...it's a very generous offer for you to get me food...I...I'll eat whatever you bring for me..." Hoshiko lowered her head in defeat of herself, frightened of what meat might even taste like. She certainly detested the smell of it and so couldn't imagine it would taste any better.

Ace moved carefully to the side, as far from Hoshiko as he could get in the cavern, that way he wouldn't get her all wet. Giving his fur a good shake from head to tail to get rid of the chilling snow, he looked back at Hoshiko and made his way over. Sitting in front of her, he paused for a moment and nodded once.

"I understand, and I don't intend to overwhelm you. I'll try to catch some fish... That would be the easiest meat for your body to digest, and the protein will be invaluable right now for your weakened body. It shouldn't take long, and you won't have to even cook it as long as you eat it right away. There's some patches of ice over a nearby lake. I'll see if I can break through and get something for you. Stay here until I get back... If you go outside, you may freeze to death."

Hoshiko nodded slowly. What he said was true; she had heard enough about meat to realize that it provided enough nutrients to sustain a person so that they didn't have to take supplements the way she did. But it didn't make the prospect any less frightening. Still, for the sake of her baby, she'd do anything, face any nightmare or uncertainty.

She managed to force a small, yet weak and clearly troubled smile for her companion. "Thank you Ace...I know whatever you bring, it'll be perfect..." She knew for certain that Ace knew what he was doing. He'd been around much longer than she had, and knew a broad amount of subjects, not the least of which was food. Staring out at the mouth of the cave, Hoshiko's eyes were weary. She was scared to death of being alone, but not eating could kill her child, and going outside could kill both of them. So either way, staying in was the only option, but still the fear of being alone lingered her eyes as they rested on the world outside the caves entrance.

"I won't go anywhere Ace...I promise..." She nodded to acknowledge her own words and lowered her head. "Thank you Ace...I...I know I said it last night but...thank you. I..." Hoshiko hesitated. "I wouldn't be here without you..." The girl whispered softly.

Ace glanced back one more time and smiled a very distinct and somewhat amused smile. It was one that he'd shared a few times before, and he was clearly pleased to be able to help in some way or another.

"You're welcome, Hoshiko." He said. And then, he was gone.

The morning passed slowly and seemed like a silent and freezing eternity for the young mother-to-be sitting in the cold and very icy cave all alone. It wasn't a good place to be, but there were worse possibilities. The only comfort Hoshiko really had was that Ace would return. He'd never abandoned his friends before, and it was obvious he wasn't the kind to start anytime soon.

Some time after Ace had left, the light of the afternoon sun spilled into the cave from the entrance, casting strange shadows on the floor. They danced through crystals of ice and around stalactites to the eerie howls of the wind. Then a strange shadow appeared. It was long and large, and cast a great swath of darkness all the way to where Hoshiko was sitting. When she looked up, the sun behind the figure in the entryway silhouetted a dark creature, at least seven feet tall, rising up on its hind legs and folding large, featherless wings against its back.

It stepped in from outside and slowly became more visible, with a thick, blue-scaled hide and fingers and toes tipped with claws each around three inches long in the shortest instances. It had a long, muscular tail tipped with sharp spines, and eyes that pierced the cold. A golden breastplate covered its chest, and it looked like it was holding something in its right hand.

The long wait had been difficult, but Hoshiko much would have preferred that it stay quiet, for her fears were much easier to deal with alone than in the presence of a towering, unearthly dragonlike monster. Quite suddenly at it's appearance, the girl's heart started to feel as if it was beating so hard that it might explode out of her chest, and she was too scared to even think of how numb her stinging body was.

She wouldn't scream and scare the draconic creature and certainly wouldn't move and alert it. Instead she cowered back closer to the wall, protecting herself as best she could and with narrowed eyes tried to make out what the creature was holding onto in it's claw. But the image was hard to see and she could only make out a strange shape. Nothing was distinct, but Hoshiko hoped that whatever the creature was it wasn't sent by Arceus. She certainly hoped that it couldn't smell fear. Because if it was able to, the stench coming from her would be almost suffocating. Hoshiko was absolutely paralyzed in fright.

Feeling the child within her moving, she hoped that in some way the baby also couldn't sense her fear. It was a terrible prospect imagining that her sweet and innocent child had to feel fear from her mother. After all, a baby's life was only supposed to be filled with love and security. While Hoshiko could give love...there was absolutely no sense of certainty anywhere within her.

The creature moved forward slowly, and at last it reached Hoshiko. Now, towering over her, it was clear that the ice-blue dragon of sorts, had a somewhat human stance and was covered in armor. It sported spines on its head and a ridge of bright blue and very fine textured feathers down its back. Its large nostril's flared and it crouched down in front of Hoshiko, balancing on its digitigrade toes and extending a hand towards her. Its claws uncurled slowly, and revealed a small fish monster the likes of which were unknown to Hoshiko. The fish was already dead, but still wet, apparently. Frost had covered its body from simply being exposed to the cold temperatures outside of the cave.

"Here." The tall and rather sleek looking dragon spoke aloud after a moment. "And don't be afraid...it's only me."

"A-Ace?" Hoshiko's eyes grew even wider as the so-familiar voice spoke to her. She held out her hands to catch the fish as Ace dropped it in front of her. A shiver went down her spine at the dead creature that landed in her palms, its cold body making her spine tingle uneasily. She squirmed, and cringed.

Looking from the fish to Ace and then back down to the fish, Hoshiko's visibly swallow hard. "T-Thank you Ace..." Her voice was shaking from the cold, yes, but also from the idea of the coming experience. Looking hard at the fish as if to will it away, Hoshiko looked up at Ace questioningly. "...How...How am I supposed to eat it?" The girl asked, her cheeks going red from embarrassment at possibly sounding ignorant to such a simple knowledge.

"Well, you could simply take a bite out of it." Ace grinned mischievously. "The whole thing is edible, for the most part, but most humans prefer to remove the skin and bones from the fish. Ace extended a sharply pointed claw towards the fish, and slit the scaled skin with it, using his fingers to pull the skin away from the meat. "You can just bite into it. The bones won't hurt you if you eat one, so long as it doesn't get stuck in your throat and make you choke. They have a lot of calcium."

Ace swung his tail forward so that it wrapped all the way around Hoshiko and pulled her into his shadow where he could more easily protect her and coach her on her meal. "Go ahead, give it a try. Even if you don't eat all of it, a portion of it will be a tremendous aid in keeping you and your baby healthy."

Staring at the exposed meat of the fish in front of her as if it were an alien, Hoshiko did not even notice as Ace pulled her closer to him. His protection and warmth was well appreciated, but there was something about taking a bite out of the raw fish that made Hoshiko's stomach turn. Holding the fish close to her lips, Hoshiko's eyebrows knit in worry.

"...T-Thanks Ace..." She sputtered out weakly before closing her eyes and not just taking a small bite but forcing herself to take a big bite of the creature in front of her, Hoshiko's whole body tensed against the frame of Ace and her eyes widened, eyebrows raised in disgust. Chewing, Hoshiko could hear the bones she had bitten into crunching between her teeth and the girl felt as if she might gag.

The meat was cold, wet, and squishy against her cheeks and tongue. It tasted oily and somewhat sweet, which Hoshiko found appalling. After having a very difficult time and gagging as the food went down her throat, Hoshiko was exasperated and exhausted from the experience and fell back against Ace. His strong hands rested upon her frail shoulders and his wings folded around her.

"That was...absolutely...the worst...thing...I've ever...ate..." She said, scowling at the taste the fish had left behind in her mouth. Yet, after saying this, she took another bite, her face screwing up, still disgusted by the meal. Her emotions displayed quite eloquently in every effort she made to fight her way through eating.

A powerful expression of concern lighted on Ace's facial features, and it was significantly surprising just how well his face could express anything, even being a dragon. He hunched over Hoshiko and sheltered her, with his back to the opening of the cave. If any wind should blow as far back as they were sitting, or if any predator or enemy discovered them, it was Ace who would take the first hit. And that was fine with him.

"I know it's difficult when you've never had anything of the sort before, but just remember, it's nourishment for your child. It will be enough to sustain you until we get back into the more verdant areas of this region." The tip of his spined tail tapped on the cold floor idly, and Ace looked away from the young woman as if considering something.

By now there were silent tears coming out of Hoshiko's eyes as she continued eating as much of the fish as the possibly could manage, nodding in understand as Ace tried to encourage her. She knew he was right, and that was the only reason that Hoshiko would even attempt to eat it. But it certainly didn't make it any easier to down the foul tasting fish.

"We should not have to remain here long." Ace offered, hoping to comfort her. "I came here only to allow ourselves time to formulate a plan for approaching Arceus. And I've been thinking. We need to get the Medallion back first and foremost. Any other tasks we undertake are useless if we don't have the Medallion. Now and in the future it will ever be the key to destroying Arceus, as it has the largest concentration of dark energy of any object or living creature ever known. It's a part of his soul, and though he's grown beyond it, if we obtain it we will have the core of his being, and the advantage. That is why Arceus wanted it. That is why he tried to kill me for it."

"...The Medallion..." Hoshiko said softly, feeling nauseous when she opened her mouth. She paused for a moment. She had no idea how she or Ace were supposed to even try and obtain the item from Arceus. "...Hart has it...but he's practically Arceus in human form now..." The girl took another bite and swallowed, a disgusting gagging noise coming from her throat as she tried her best to keep the portion down, clenching one hand into a fist. She managed, and took several moments to regain her composure. "But no doubt, if he knows I betrayed him, he'll want to give it to me in an instant..." The girl said coughing a bit and tapping her chest with her fist to help make the fish go down. "...Too bad...you couldn't just appear as me...and he'd put it right...around your neck..." Hoshiko mused.

"Hm..." Ace stared off at the wall. "I may change form, but I am not able to become anything I wish. My form alters with the elemental energies that I channel through my body. With the exception of my 'human' form, I am able to draw energy from the earth and sky themselves to take on the forms that Arceus bestowed upon me to bear."

He fell back into an awkward sitting position, landing with an uncomfortable thud on his backside as he worked to stretch his legs around Hoshiko in a manner that would allow him to avoid hurting himself. Then, resting his hands on the ground, he tapped at the rocks and drummed his clawed fingers in deep contemplation. "My human form draws energy instead from the Medallion... And I cannot alter it at whim, yet. Perhaps some day I will master it. If only there was a way to get Arceus to grant you the Medallion without it posing a deadly risk to you and your baby..."

Hoshiko sat in silence as she pondered Ace's words. She couldn't think of any way that she could get the Medallion and at the same time not be affected. Hart had received it, and the results were plain for anyone to see that it had affected him. He was completely Arceus. It was terrifying. But Hart willingly took the Medallion, and as far as she remembered, it was under his shirt, which made clear contact with his body.

"...Well, does it only work if it touches your skin? Maybe I could have enough material for it to prevent it from affecting me..." Hoshiko finally asked after her long silence, trying to figure out any sort of way around their predicament. "Or maybe there's some sort of other rule that could keep me from getting affected by it at the same time as he gives it to me..." Hoshiko sighed and went back to trying and eat the fish in her hands, which much to her pleasure was almost gone. She'd eaten almost the whole thing and while it was the worst experience she'd ever had in food, she'd done it for her child.

Ace shook his head and closed his eyes tightly to clear it. "No...skin contact isn't what triggers Arceus' power to overcome the bearer. The Medallion slowly exudes the essence of the demon king himself as his power grows and overflows from the pendant. It's like a fog of poison that will slowly taint the wearer until they are completely lost. The only way to counter the effects for any length of time is to be pure oneself or to have in your possession an item that can cleanse the darkness from your body."

"Well, I'm certainly far from pure..." Hoshiko said bitterly, looking away and closing her eyes. She'd finished most of the fish and even though it had been a deplorable task, the girl felt better to be on the other side of the job and tossing the remains of what was left to the other side of the cave. Hoshiko glared at the fish bones in their small and disgusting pile where they landed.

"Purity in this case does not necessarily mean what you might think." The Incarnus smiled reassuringly. "But you're not exactly impure in any manner, truly. Still, the purity I speak of is more based upon how much darkness your body has been allowed to absorb over time. How much your body has taken on depends on many things, but unfortunately any creature born in this world has a hint of darkness within them already. It gets stronger over time depending on where they live, what they may come in contact with, and their relation to monsters. That is one reason why I must select the Chosen from a pool of people not native to this world. It will give him a better chance of resisting total corruption."

Hoshiko considered that note and shook her head, looking away. She crossed her arms in front of herself as well as she could with the awkward size of her stomach. By now she had had a lot of time to wrestle with her thoughts of her past and time with Osamu. It haunted her and as much as she had grown to love the child in her womb, Hoshiko had also felt a deep remorse towards Osamu and the things that he had done to her.

"...Impurity seems to be my lot in life." Hoshiko muttered spitefully, closing her eyes trying to embrace what Ace had to say in an effort to ignore her emotions. It was interesting to see Ace trying to comfort her, at least, when Samuel was usually the one who had to do that.

Although bothered by the fact that Hoshiko was upset by his explanation of purity, Ace tried to remember that she had not had things easy in the few years she had been alive. He couldn't expect her to understand what he was talking about either, when it had taken him many thousands of years to come to his own understanding of it.

The Incarnus lowered his head and gently nudged the side of Hoshiko's face with his rough nose, trying to offer a comforting gesture in what was a rather disquieting form to take on. Very few people felt content snuggling a dragon, but to his surprise, Hoshiko huddled closer to him.

Ace didn't say any more to her about her emotions, and although Hoshiko would have liked it if he had, she would accept Ace's love the way that it was. And really it would be too selfish to ask for more after all the things that he had already done for her, she felt. She clung to him closely, glad that he was here at least, especially now, while they were stuck in this deadlock against a demon that plagued humanity since their arrival on this planet.

"It's frustrating..." Hoshiko said after swallowing hard. "Having that Arceus want to give you exact thing that you need...but not being able to receive it..."

"...Yes." Ace grunted in agreement. "We have nothing that you might use to temper the effects of the Medallion. The only item I have in my possession that holds any power at all against the darkness is the Mark. Unfortunately... It is no longer usable by human beings. It has degenerated over time by constant use and now can only be wielded by one who has imprinted themselves within it. It is a very unique weapon, and all that have once used it besides myself have by now perished. I therefore am the only living creature able to wield it."

Wiping her mouth, the girl sighed and looked at her stomach. "What about that bell, Ace? You know...the one that I used at the Bell Tower to scare away the haunter?" Hoshiko asked, imagining in her mind how pleased Arceus was with himself at trapping the two without any true sort of form of defeating him.

"Hmm...Do you have the bell with you? If you left it in your bag it may be as good as gone anyway. We don't have time to go back and look for something while risking an attack. But if you have it on you, maybe I could look at it... I am very sensitive to changing levels of darkness. I have always been..."

"I don't have the bell...it was in my bag." Hoshiko whispered, sighing heavily, her thoughts still elsewhere for the moment.

"Oh…" Ace sighed in disappointment. So much for that.

Even if Hoshiko had had the bell with her, Ace wondered whether or not it would have helped. He remembered clearly what it had done, but wondered if the tool was actually a purifying item with the ability to disperse darkness, or if it was simply a tool used against pokémon of the ghost element. The nature of the world and its elements were complex. Not all ghost pokémon were spirits from deceased pokémon, and not all spirits from deceased pokémon were ghost monsters. Some just simply drifted as protective spirits if they were lucky, others vanished from existence entirely. Only a few deceased monsters had ever been reincarnated as ghost pokémon. It was an odd phenomenon that made Ace think harder than he would have liked to. And right now it wasn't worth dwelling on.

Hoshiko, too, became uneasy. Like Ace, she was already frustrated, and to see his disappointment made her feel hopeless. It was that cursed Medallion. It ultimately bothered Hoshiko to even think about it. She was terrified of having it near or even having Hart near her while he was under the control of that dreadful object. The chills ran through her as she imagined what had happened to him happening to her if she took the Medallion from him.

"...This is...terrible..." She moaned, her fear almost palpable.

"Yes, it is." Ace agreed. "But we must not give up yet."

Hoshiko sighed, trying to push away the feeling of dread looming over her. "...What about the Mark? I know you said I can't use it, but it seems to be the only thing that we have..." Hoshiko said sadly.

"The Mark..." Ace trailed off for a moment in thought. "…It is a possibility." He said slowly, hesitantly. "I can draw the darkness away from you and to myself, but there is still a great deal of risk. If I am unable to draw it quickly or completely enough, you will still become poisoned by the darkness. It is a possibility, but I would not want to put you in harm's way if I could prevent it." This was a puzzle if ever Ace had encountered one. Once upon a time he would have had no trouble drawing dark energies to himself. But now that he was...different... he could not guarantee success.

"I may need to get the Medallion myself, but if I do that, I will need a distraction. And we would have to wait until Hart was alone. It's unlikely that I can fight Arceus and his minions all at once."

Looking up at Ace, which felt strange in this new dragon form of his, Hoshiko pondered the idea.

"A distraction?..." Hoshiko mused softly. "What if...Well, what if I gave you the real water stone and took a fake one up Mt. Coronet myself to Arceus... You could find Hart and steal the Medallion from him." It was a treacherous sort of plan that was most likely dangerous beyond anything Hoshiko had attempted yet, but the girl couldn't think of any other way to distract the evil creature. "...It's the only thing I can think of that will get his attention..." Hoshiko muttered as her thoughts took here to the pace of being within Arceus' grasp once again.

"What a clever idea." Ace's eyes suddenly lit up with surprising interest. "If Arceus believed even for a moment that he was going to have the water stone in his possession, then truly he would be more interested in Mt. Coronet rather than trying to stop me. He might let his guard down long enough for me to catch up with Hart and get the Medallion back. And, if he had the water stone, or what he believed to be, he would certainly summon Dialga and Palkia to Mt. Coronet immediately." The Incarnus grinned broadly. "Perfect."

Then, as quickly as it had lit up, his expression darkened. "How will we make a decoy for the water stone?" Ace wondered aloud, starting to glance around the cave as if perhaps something in there could be used.

Reaching into her shirt, Hoshiko pulled out the water stone wrapped up in Samuel's scarf, and setting it down on the ground in front of them, she unwrapped the small, twinkling item and took a good, long look at it. It was a deep blue, like the ocean and clear as crystal, in the shape of a water droplet or a tear.

"...We could carve one of the stones from in the cave..." Hoshiko suggested, contemplating the item in front of her as if it would suddenly speak and give her all of the answers that they needed. But of course, it would not. "There's plenty of blue stones around...I guess it's just finding the one that looks the most similar and making it into the same shape." She said, hoping that it was quite as simple as it seemed. Of course, the plan wasn't all that simple. For Hoshiko it meant going on her own up Mt. Coronet and presenting Arceus with a fake. Were he to recognize that fact immediately, he wouldn't have to give her the Medallion.

He could simply kill her. And that concept was stifling in its horror. "...It's the only hope that we have, Ace..." Hoshiko looked back at him with an unsure look in her eyes. "...But at least it's a chance."

"We'll do it then." Ace decided, his determination shining through despite the grim reality that he knew the plan wasn't fool proof. "He sighed and looked across the cave to the discarded fish in the corner. Trying to lighten the mood, he said, "If you're done with your meal, I'll eat the rest and spare you the trouble of dealing with it."

Hoshiko cast a glare at the fish. Ace grinned, while Hoshiko wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Be my guest." She said.

Ace obliged, and got up briefly to pick up the fish and chomp it down whole, bones and all. He didn't seem even remotely bothered by it, and in fact he rather enjoyed it, although he was still terribly hungry. It would do for now. He came back to Hoshiko and crouched before her.

"We should hurry and find some stones to try and shape into a reasonable replica of your water stone. Hopefully Arceus will not sense the absence of its power too quickly."

Ace's last words were laced with worry, but he forced a confident smile. "I'll do what I can to help you shape the stones too. Then it's off to Mt. Coronet. With any luck... You'll be able to distract Arceus long enough for me to get the Medallion. If I can succeed in that, then we will have successfully saved your child..." Ace got up slowly so as not to disturb Hoshiko, and he picked up a little blue rock from nearby. "Might as well get started." He winked.

"Well...we've at least got a lot of working material here." Hoshiko said, trying to make the best out of their strange situation.

Grabbing onto Ace's sturdy frame, Hoshiko managed to hoist herself up with great difficulty so that she could start looking for stones to work on too. Rubbing her sore back woefully, Hoshiko started to look around the walls of the cave, taking loose stones and collecting them in her arms. Ace moved about as well, gathering rocks to add to his collection too. When they had a large pile collected and deposited in the middle of the floor, Hoshiko found a jagged stone that looked like it could be used to carve into the rough stones she had taken. She once again used Ace for support to let herself down, groaning at the pain in her spine and ankles as she touched the ground. Settled in, she looked at the water stone sitting on Samuel's old scarf and began sifting through the rocks they'd gathered to find one that closely matched the color.

"Let's see..." Hoshiko said, taking up one of the larger stones and using the rough one to carve into it. Her rough hands ached and bled from the strain, but it didn't mean anything to Hoshiko. This was for her daughter.

* * *

The weight on Samuel's back was beginning to feel heavier, and he really wanted to lie down. Shifting his shoulders to try and balance the load of the sleeping little boy riding them, Samuel forced himself to press on. He wanted to find Mt. Coronet. That was the only hope he had left. He remembered vividly that Arceus said he would be sending him there, and now with Hoshiko in his place it was the one chance that Samuel had of finding her again.

The only problem was he didn't know what he'd do even if she was there. If Samuel ran into Arceus, he had no way to defend himself. All he'd be able to do would be to run and hide and hope Arceus wouldn't catch him.

"If Ace is dead it won't much matter whether I'm caught or not..." Samuel mused aloud. "But I guess all that's left is to try to stay alive."

* * *

It was a long and drawn out process, very frustrating at times. Just when one stone would be nearing completion, it would split in half, or as a stone was polished its color finally revealed it looked nothing like the water stone they were trying so hard to copy. Fortunately, Ace was there helping Hoshiko, and even though he couldn't use the stones like she was, he used his own claws to chisel and chip away at the surfaces. He used the rough and scaly palms of his hands to sand the stones smooth, and even though it was a time consuming and tedious job, Ace's patience was infinite.

Every time a stone broke, he would simply push it aside as if it was all part of the process, and just grab another one. Not even once did he become frustrated. They had to work on into the dark of night, and as Hoshiko grew ever more tired and weak, Ace just encouraged her to let him handle more and more of it, until he finally offered to just let her sleep in his lap while he finished the process of carving more and more stones. By dawn, there was a breakthrough. Delighted, Ace actually began to laugh, and with one hand he grabbed Hoshiko's shoulder and shook her.

"Look!" He said, reaching around her to show what he was holding.

It was a shining blue stone, almost clear, shaped like a teardrop and smooth as could be. Next to it was the water stone, clearer and more vivid, perhaps, but the fake would have been easy to pass off to any human at least as long as they did not have a real water stone to compare it to.

"This isn't much, but it will do just fine. It should buy us the time we need to get the Medallion back!" Ace rested his large head on top of Hoshiko's and wrapped muscular reptilian arms around the girl. "This is our chance! Haha! You're brilliant, child!"

Although exhausted and in pain beyond comprehension, Hoshiko woke and looked at the two stones with her bleary eyes. Behind her blurry view she couldn't tell a single difference between the two stones, but as her vision cleared it became apparent which one it was that Ace had made himself. It was a good replica, though, and at a glance without the real water stone next to it, Hoshiko knew it would fool anyone. Reaching for it and holding it up to her face, the girl's eyes went wide and a genuine smile graced her expression for the first time in months.

"Ace! Ace! It's...it's perfect." Tears gleamed in the corners of her eyes and spilled over, down her cheeks. Her joy and relief overwhelmed her with gratitude that she couldn't express with words. "It's beautiful! It's perfect!" She cried holding the stone close to her chest. Pointing at the true water stone, Hoshiko spoke to Ace with a sniffle. "You'll have to take this one. If Arceus found me with it, we'd be done for, for sure..." And taking another look at the stone that Ace had fabricated, Hoshiko shook her head. "I can't believe it...this stone...it looks just like redemption."

"That's exactly what it is, My Dear." Ace nodded, dropping the fake stone into Hoshiko's palm and keeping the real one for himself. "And fortunately for all of us, we will no longer need to stay hidden away in these frost-bitten mountains. We can return south and begin our trek to Mt. Coronet. I will carry you most of the way, but before we get there I must let you off, lest you be seen with me. Arceus would not abide my presence. He would try to kill both of us." Ace stood up then ducked low, offering Hoshiko opportunity to climb onto his back. "Be careful now. Take it easy..."

Although it took a certain amount of work and strain for Hoshiko to get on Ace's back, Hoshiko was able to manage it with a few painful grunts. The weight of the child within her was really starting to take a toll on the girl, but she couldn't wait to get out of the cold air. Putting both arms around Ace's long neck, she hugged onto him as tightly as she could for stability. The girl looked forward at the cold snowy scene beyond the cave entrance and at the gusts of wind that stirred swirls of frost waiting to welcome them. It wasn't a comforting sight, but it would grant them passage to somewhere much more amiable. And that was what Hoshiko had to look forward to. With the fake stone now wrapped in Samuel's scarf and hidden away in her shirt, Hoshiko prepared herself mentally.

"Thank you Ace, for all of this. And I understand... I know the way up Mt. Coronet, I've done it many times by now..." She said with a hint of sorrow. "I promise I'll be careful." She assured her friend.

"That's all I ask."

Ace leaned forward and rose up from his crouching position to take long strides into the wind blowing through the cave entrance. Shouting over the fierce icy gusts, he called to Hoshiko. "Hang on tight and brace yourself. It's going to be more than a little uncomfortable for a few minutes!"

Spreading his large wings, Ace shifted his weight and built the energy in his legs, springing out of the cave and into the wind in a single leap. His wings caught the updrafts that bit his skin like icy blades, and together he and Hoshiko shot high into the air. All the while, the Incarnus did his best to balance the load so that Hoshiko wouldn't have to struggle too much.

"You alright back there?!"

It took barely a matter of moments before Hoshiko's whole body was numb and stinging. The bitter cold was no better than when they had fled from Hart before, but to Hoshiko it seemed as if now it had even more rage behind it. Maybe this was considered a storm in this area of the region? One would never be able to tell with how the weather seemed perpetually inclement. Hiding her face against Ace's lightly feathered mane as she held onto him, Hoshiko tried to protect her face and lungs from how the cold air seemed to starve her of breath.

"Y-Yeah...I'm making it..." She gasped. Her voice was uncertain, and she was positive Ace could feel her shifting left to right and back and forth on his back, both in discomfort and in an attempt to keep herself balanced.

It wasn't easy to ride on the back of a dragon at any time but with her stomach so enlarged in front of her, preventing Hoshiko from holding on as tight as she would have liked and also changing her center of gravity, it was a sort of awful task. But the young mother to be wasn't about to be a quitter now. Not after everything that had happened, how hard she fought for her child even when waking up every morning pregnant had haunted her, how hard her friends had fought for both of them. Hoshiko kept on picturing Mt. Coronet, nestled in the more southern portion of the region where it was warm. She held onto that image and the hope that the stone that Ace had crafted would save them.

There was no way Ace was going to allow Hoshiko to fall. He could easily feel the imbalance of her weight every time she moved, but his reactions to keep her in place were lightning quick and well-timed. The girl was fortunate to have such a patient and alert creature carrying her through the slicing winds of ice, and as they flew right into the cutting cold, Ace continued to talk to her to keep her focused and awake. If she were to succumb to exhaustion and weakness now, she could die out here. He talked to her about the water stone, and about Arceus, about the growing darkness and the efforts they had all put in to stop it. He talked to her about how brave he felt she was, for taking on so many things, including motherhood. He talked to her about Samuel.

The young man was out there, somewhere, still needing them, still hoping for them, Ace was sure of it. And even if Ace didn't see him, he knew that Samuel was with both of them in heart and spirit. Samuel would never, ever leave them alone.

Ace saved her once more. Hoshiko knew well that had he not kept her mind active that she would have fallen asleep. Which only meant one thing, falling to her doom in the frozen wasteland that felt like it would never end. And in her heart, Hoshiko couldn't help but know and realize that Ace's work for her was something to which she would be eternally grateful. It only increased her will to work towards achieving the goal that now felt so much more hers as well as Ace's. It was hard to imagine, with her history and from what she had learned since childhood that this would be something so very important for her do. But now it was. And the reality was crystal clear.

* * *

Soon the howling winds died down and the air began to warm. The icy swirls of snow gave way to increasingly warmer currents of air, streaming around them like invisible ribbons. The white and frosted snow drifts gave way to rocky foothills and soon open fields of grass. Finally the forests stretched out before them, and little dirt roads carved by the few humans that lived in this distant world greeted their eyes hungry for civilization.

Ace let out a shrieking cry of rejoice as his belly brushed up against the feathery kiss of bright green leaves atop the trees. The beating of his large, leathery wings was finally louder than the terrifying wind, and the air now warmer than his cool scales. He found a gap in the foliage and dove down into it, following it like a canyon in the green. A little brown road stretched out beneath them, beckoning for them to hurry. He followed it for awhile, just above the surface of the earth.

"We're going to make it!" He encouraged. "We're getting closer!"

The struggle continued for Hoshiko, even now, as exhaustion bore down upon the girl. But at last a rush of warm air hit Hoshiko's face, and she began to come out of a stiff, hollow daze she'd fallen into. The warmth rustling her hair made the young woman's awareness increase. Quite surprisingly an overwhelming heat rushed into her body like a child that had come back into their warm home from playing in the snow.

"Ace...Ace..." The monster would certainly feel her form trembling as she held tightly onto her friend. "I can't believe it." The young woman looked over at the path beneath them, but made sure of course she didn't lean over, lest she risk falling. "If only Samuel could see us now!" She cried, happy tears pouring down the girl's cheeks. "Oh Ace! If only he could!"

A pain in Ace's heart forced him to swallow hard and fight off the overwhelming emotions that hit him all at once. He was thrilled that they'd made it this far, and knew that Samuel would be too... If only he was here. Never before feeling so empty and lost without his master, Ace finally touched down on the ground, keeping his wings spread and running a short distance until he could slow to a safe stop without throwing Hoshiko off.

Kneeling slowly and keeping his wings spread for balance, he eased the girl to the ground and looked at her quietly. In his dragon form he was somewhat smaller than in his wolf form. He was tall, sure, but his body was smaller and more slender. His tail was much longer, but he was a far more sleek animal. He still stood tall over Hoshiko, but he felt a little closer to her size.

"Samuel would be proud of us..." Ace said after a moment. "He'd be proud of you..."

Looking up at Ace as she found her feet again, Hoshiko was quiet, taking in his words. She wished dearly that Samuel could be with them. But in a way, although it was bittersweet, she knew that without him there, Samuel was safe. Safer than both her and Ace and safer than her daughter. It was a sad sacrifice to make, knowing that he would want to be there just as much as they now wanted him with them.

Taking a step closer to Ace, Hoshiko placed her hand on Ace's rough claw of a hand. It wasn't the same soft touch of Hoshiko that Ace was used to. Her hands were dry and calloused, trembling from the adrenaline that kept rushing through her veins. She wasn't the sure and certain Hoshiko who was always so powerful in her convictions. But what she was, was all truth and all heart. Hoshiko's emotions and feelings had never been so exposed in her entire life. And it was a powerful thing. Her weak and tired eyes spoke volumes.

"Samuel would be proud of you too Ace...I know he already is and that he looks up to you...but...I can't help but think he'd be even more proud. And...and I know he'd want to be here with us...but...right now he can't. And that's okay, because he's safer like this, without us. We need to do what we need to...and I know if we work hard we'll see him again and we won't have to be sad like this anymore..." Closing her eyes, Hoshiko sighed and shook her head.

"Ace...the baby...she'll come before we leave. I know it. I can feel it...Koichi...he can't come here..." Hoshiko's eyes opened and she looked at Ace intently. "Once you get the Medallion...will you...will you deliver the baby for me?"

Delivering a baby on his own? Of all the things Ace had done in thousands of years, this was one thing he'd never encountered. Humans had always had partners or doctors to do that work for them, and Ace himself, well he'd never sired or carried a child. He'd very, very carefully tried to prevent that from happening in the past, especially in the ancient times. Now he supposed he should be all the more religious about preventing that from happening, avoiding stupid decisions, but he had no need to worry about that right this second. His only concern for this moment was Hoshiko...Hoshiko and her request.

Glancing down at the beautiful symbol of motherhood, her preciously endowed abdomen, Ace felt a little strange at being asked such a thing. He didn't know how to do it, and because he didn't know, he was embarrassed. He was used to being the bearer of knowledge and experience. Now he was just...puzzled. Maybe had he had offspring of his own prior to this he would have been more prepared, he mused.

"Heh..." He gently squeezed Hoshiko's hand in his reptilian palm. "I'll do my best, but try to give me time to change form. I think it would be better for everyone were I as human as possible for the effort. Claws and teeth are not the best tools for handling a fragile human child."

It was hard to believe that after all this time, which felt like a lifetime, her child was so much closer to being born. A very small matter of time compared to all of the months that she had behind her. Hoshiko could still clearly remember though how Samuel's hand had trembled when she had first placed it on her stomach. How she had told him the news that she was pregnant. How strangely sad she was at that time. And it didn't mean that now she wasn't sad, no there were still things in the memory of how this had come about that made Hoshiko sorrowful. But the gift that she was going to receive for all of the suffering strangely outweighed the darkness that Osamu had created.

"...I know you'll do just fine." She couldn't help but laugh ironically in spite of herself. "I'm more worried about how _I'll_ do."

Ace lifted his head and looked down the long, dirt road. In the distance, peeking over the treetops he could see the hazy outline of Mt. Coronet. "You should go on ahead and handle your business with Arceus. In the meantime, I'll patrol down here around the foot of the mountain and try to make sure that Arceus' cronies don't come to harass you and to find Hart. I'll be watching over you the whole time, so don't be afraid. Just do what needs to be done, alright? When I get the Medallion, I'll come for you, and we'll make a break for it."

Hoshiko nodded with a sort of confidence in Ace. "Thank you, Ace." The young woman smiled gently at her friend and looked at his odd dragon like hand holding onto hers. The young woman grew quiet and looked out at the path that stretched before her, the one that would lead her to Mt. Coronet.

"I'm not worried...I know you'll keep an eye on me and once you have the medallion everything will be just fine."

Hoshiko shifted a bit uncomfortably and after squeezing Ace's hand one last time she broke away from the monster and gave him one last smile before silently starting down the path at a slow, slightly off-balance waddle. It was clear that Hoshiko was somewhat lost in thought, her hand at her chest where the fake stone lay hidden. Ace watched her go, and silently prayed that they'd make it out of this alive; then, as she disappeared from sight at long last, he slipped into the forest and began his search for Hart.

And time passed...Much faster than it ever had on any of Hoshiko's prior trips up Mt. Coronet. Although she had scaled the mountain several times before, this trek felt most perilous and even more painful than any other. Her back, her ankles, her whole body ached. But Hoshiko thought of Samuel, she thought of Ace, and she thought of the baby that she had worked so hard to protect; to protect from Osamu, from the harsh elements that had surrounded them in the past months, from Arceus and from the darkness that the creature threatened her so often with.

Her breath might have been short, but her patience was even shorter. Hoshiko wanted to reach Arceus as fast as she could. The girl didn't want to wait any longer for this to be over, for Ace to seek out the Medallion and for her to reunite with Samuel. She wanted the pain to end and to find herself safe in a warm bed with her baby in her arms, far away from any of this misery. It was the idea that success would make that possible that helped propel her forward, sometimes on her hands and knees, up the steep, steady climb.

Much like someone anticipating the sunrise after a long winter's night, Hoshiko's eyes fell hungrily on her goal as the summit rose above her. It came into view as a distant point, backlit by the brilliantly shining sun. Even if she couldn't physically run to it, her heart was there much faster than her feet could ever carry her. She forced herself on, and made it up the rocky trails and into the golden bath of sunlight spilling down from the heavens. She dragged herself over mossy ruins and finally stumbled towards the center of the great plateau.

Feet firmly in the spot that she had stood so many times to bring Arceus the stones the demon so craved, Hoshiko was there once more and inside she was aflutter with fear and excitement. She tried to control her shaking and catch her breath, her anticipation turning into desperate fear that he may discover the clever ruse that her and Ace had conceived.

"I have something for you, Arceus." The girl called out aloud as she had so many times before, everything so routine as it had been for the past few months. "I have the water stone."

The mountain began to tremble, rocks clicking and clacking as a growl not unlike thunder signaled the coming of the demon king. The peak of the mountain slowly began to darken, clouds roiling around it and a strange cold falling over. Unlike the cold of the snow in the northern mountains, this sort of cold felt heavy, even sinister. The chill seemed to darken the sun of its own accord, as if it quenched the life-giving fire. A wind whipped up at the center of the peak, near where Arceus had set up the alter. The stones that Hoshiko had already brought were set into the stone on the ground in front of it, and right on the circular mark in the center appeared a dark shadow, slowly growing in size, until it began to take on a solid form.

Manifested completely, Arceus' features came to life, long legs and neck, skull like face, burning eyes, and the dark king stood over her, looking down with heavy scrutiny.

_Good. Bring it to me._

In the sky above, the forms of Dialga and Palkia appeared, circling overhead and waiting for their moment to come together.

* * *

Ace looked up at the sky. He could see it through the trees, and he could feel the sickening darkness slowly creeping in. It chilled him to the bone, but he knew now was not the time to hesitate. Arceus had arrived, and soon he would discover the stone was a fake. There would only be a little time.

That was when Ace noticed the silhouettes of Dialga and Palkia far up in the clouds. He grimaced and cursed himself. They had already been waiting. This was not the ideal situation. Worse would be if Hart was with them. That would mean that Ace had to go up into the air and fight. The conflict could cause disaster for Hoshiko if Ace was not careful. But then, a hint of grace, so rare and precious that for a moment Ace was too stunned to even make his move.

Hart appeared out of the forest, walking towards the path that led up the mountain. Around his neck was the Medallion, just waiting for Ace to up and take it. The man was unprotected and completely alone. He didn't even notice that Ace was standing only yards away. Until the dragon hit him from behind, full force.

Slammed hard to the ground, face first, Hart couldn't move enough even to struggle. Ace's claws dug into his back and shoulders as the dragon's bulk held the man down securely. In an instant, Ace tore the man's throat with the claws of one hand. It was nothing personal. Not even revenge for what Hart had done to him. It was simply cutting the wires of Arceus' security camera, so to speak. Arceus would know that something happened, but he wouldn't know what, now that Hart was dead. Jumping off of his victim, Ace bent down and pulled the chain from around the man's neck. The cold darkness dripping off of it sent a strange sensation through Ace's body, but the creature's ability to consume darkness allowed him to withstand the poisoning... For now.

Slipping it around his neck, he closed his eyes and began to think. He was going to have to fight Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus. The three of them together were a nightmare, and Ace knew he probably wouldn't live through the battle if he stayed for the whole thing. If only Samuel were here, then at least Ace could say goodbye. Of course he hoped it wouldn't come to that. His mission wasn't over yet. Still, the odds were soundly against him, and he knew that what he had to do didn't give him much of a way out. He had to protect Hoshiko and the baby, and deny Arceus the chance at using Hoshiko as he'd used Hart. It had to end here, or else risk the fate of not only his friends, but everything he ever fought for.

_If I have to die so soon, then let me die with a purpose. Let none of this be in vain._

* * *

Swallowing hard, Hoshiko was stunned for a moment, eyeing Arceus as if he could kill both her and her child with his simple stare. But the Medallion wasn't there and neither was Hart, and that was a strange comfort and light for the young woman as she was surrounded by the most potent darkness in existence. A darkness that most human eyes wouldn't be forced to see. Was Hoshiko so cursed to be standing here before Arceus? No. She felt blessed. And although most would have mocked her for such a perspective, Hoshiko knew why she felt this way.

Reaching into her shirt silently, the young woman took out the stone wrapped in the scarf, keeping it hidden in her hand as she slowly took the material away from the stone that Ace had crafted. Hoshiko took even more time tucking the scarf safely away. She needed to buy time, and the girl knew it all too well.

Only when it was in place did she move forward, taking soft and delicate steps towards Arceus. Hoshiko would have bent down and presented the stone at Arceus' feet like she had with so many of the others, but now her body's shape prevented that. So the young woman hesitantly held her hand out. The scarf was still completely wrapped around the stone, concealing it from Arceus' view.

"This is what you have been waiting for, Arceus."

For a split second, Arceus seemed distracted. His head snapped up and he looked far off into the distance as if he had heard some strange sound. It wasn't long before his attention reluctantly turned back to the girl.

_Ah yes, the water stone. The lest elemental key to unlock the transformation of these two mighty dragons. These elemental stones contain the lifeblood of monsters and the life of the world all in one. They will at long last come together to enable the evolution of this world's Lord Protector. The Incarnus will become obsolete._ Arceus stepped back and revealed the florette pattern in the ground, constructed by the elemental stones and missing only one. _Set it in place._ He turned his head upwards. _Come Dialga! Palkia!_

The two dragons immediately obeyed, swooping in from the dark skies above and displacing air in a large swirling gust as they came and settled on the rock alter. They stood side by side, and looked on like evil statues that might spring to life at any moment. Then something peculiar occurred. Arceus turned away from Hoshiko and began walking around Dialga and Palkia, studying them as he circled.

_Pity that the Lord Monster will not be the Metavasi. The connection between humans and monsters was so near completion... All to be lost in an instant._ Arceus began laughing, a cold, hard laugh. _No matter. The Metavasi will come, one day. And the day draws ever nearer now that this world will bind to me._ He finally stopped in front of Hoshiko and again gestured to the pattern of stones.

Taking in a deep breath of air, Hoshiko nearly choked on it. The air up here was thick and tasted rancid, like the darkness that exuded from Arceus. The girl stifled a cough that wanted to escape her lips and lowered her hand away from Arceus. She observed the pattern now glowing on the ground and felt ill as she realized how familiar it had become to her. Each stone she had placed into its assigned spot by hand, and her eyes often lingered on the empty home of the water stone that she had so carefully guarded.

Glancing at the shining blue stone between her fingers, Hoshiko, with much awkwardness and difficulty, knelt down in front of the place where she was to set the fake stone. Her hand trembled so violently that she could hardly keep a grip on the fabricated water stone, and Hoshiko slowly placed it into its spot. She had to hide her terror to keep her hand steady enough to set it in place, and it took more effort than she'd ever imagined. Awkward as she was with the baby in her belly, she adopted even more clumsiness. Every second of time she could buy would count. Every. Single. Second. Those seconds ticked by so slowly, she only wished time could fly past her to make sure that Ace had enough time to secure the Medallion.

But now her eyes stopped on the stone sitting within it's place and Hoshiko tried to push herself into a standing position but found herself incapable of such a feat. So she simply looked up at Arceus, her nervous eyes hidden by her messy black bangs.

Another second went by. And another. Arceus stood over her, watching the ground expectantly. Nothing happened.

Arceus waited another now impatient moment, but his breathing had quickened and Hoshiko could hear it and see it in the way he shifted his weight. Something was wrong.

_No..._ Arceus' thoughts became a deathly low growl somewhere inside of Hoshiko's mind. _NO!_ He threw his head back and let out a fearsome roar, a beam of energy collecting before his face. _HUMAN! YOU HAVE FAILED! HOW DARE YOU BRING ME THIS WORTHLESS ROCK!?_

Arceus slammed his foot down right beside Hoshiko with such force that the ground exploded. He snapped his head down and looked at her, energy beam building and ready to reduce the girl to cinders. The moments felt like hours as Hoshiko stared up into those horrifying eyes and the dark fate it bore. The pressure and the fear numbed Hoshiko to stillness, and she found she couldn't even breathe. She would die, she was sure of it.

Biting her lip hard, eyes shinning brightly as tears started to glossed over them, Hoshiko struggled as best she could to get up and at least have a possible attempt at fleeing. Even if in her heart the girl knew that her efforts were futile. Tears now streaming down her face, Hoshiko's heart felt as if it had already stopped. The light grew, expanded, and released with a white hot flash. Hoshiko closed her eyes against the light without realizing it and felt a sudden jolt of pain through her body, and then she felt her ribcage meet the hard, rocky ground.

But she wasn't dead. No, when she opened her eyes to look around, she saw there before Arceus, crouching and barely holding himself up with one hand, was Ace. No longer a dragon, he was smaller and even less remarkable perhaps. Yet, as a human he had a quality about him that he didn't have even as a canine or even a dragon. He seemed so much more like a prince—no, the king—that he was supposed to be.

Arceus' blast had hit him full force when he had tackled Hoshiko out of the way and thrown her to the ground. He knew that he had hurt her, but he also knew that she was far less hurt than what she would have been had he not taken that swift and decisive action. Ace, though clearly in pain, now looked up at Arceus with a wry smile on his face. Smooth locks of long white hair fell across his cheek and in front of his eyes, but he peered through them insistently. His muscles strained and shook under his weight after being struck by so powerful a blast, but somehow he began to recover, and he stumbled to his feet.

"It's me you're after." Ace smirked, pointing with his finger to the Medallion that hung around his neck.

The pain was terrible, but not in the way that Hoshiko had anticipated it. Her already fragile back now felt as if it might be broken, and the young woman wondering if she might be paralyzed. Her entire body was numb with a horrid and sickening stinging sensation.

Sobbing, Hoshiko saw the familiar colors and blurry frame of Ace's human form standing before Arceus' massive frame. He had come for her and just in time. Even if this pain was crippling, it was impossible for Hoshiko to mind it terribly knowing that Ace had taken the attack for her. And that he had saved her. But now she knew that unless aided, she was immobile and mourned the fact that it would be impossible to help Ace any further.

Arceus' fury-filled eyes blazed red and he let out another violent, earth rending roar. Ace just stood his ground, on trembling legs. He was hurting, but he had taken worse. Besides, this particular form offered a surprising measure of resistance to Arceus' attacks.

Despite the show of rage that Arceus put on, he did not attack again immediately. Instead, in the midst of his outburst, he started laughing hatefully, truly cruelly. Ace looked on, confused, but he didn't move, as he waited for Arceus to answer him.

_So it was YOU who destroyed the Metavasi! I should have known._ Arceus threw himself forward and struck Ace with long foreleg, sending him reeling. But while tumbling, Ace managed to find his feet and catch himself, standing up again, slowly.

"Whoa, slow down." Ace growled. "This here is an old dog." He pointed to himself. "Mind going a little slower till I catch on? What's a Metavasi?"

Arceus looked down at Ace and scoffed. _Fool. The Metavasi is the Union of Man and Monster. The final product of the unlike beings coming together in eternal harmony._ He laughed a sickeningly joyous laugh. _It is beautiful._

"It's perverse." Ace grunted.

_You are one to talk about perversity._ Arceus scolded quickly. _This creation of mine is pure and powerful, and it serves as the final transition between the human realm and the world of monsters. You've already seen Metavasi before. The Forest of Beginnings is full of them._

"You sick minded-"

_Even this world has seen Metavasi before._

"Snapped..." Ace growled in bitter memory. "It was Dr. Snapped."

_That's right._ Arceus laughed patronizingly. _You're not too stupid, I suppose._

"I knew you planned on using Snapped to take over the human world, but I never thought you'd use him that way."

_What other way is there? It should have been obvious. He was to create more Metavasi. Transform the whole human realm into nothing BUT Metavasi. Of course... There was the little problem of you and your foolish master. Snapped had no place in this world could he not defend against you. You should be proud of yourself, Incarnus. You have set the new standard for my creations. Unless they can beat you, they are worthless and disposable._

Arceus started circling Ace, but the Incarnus only watched him from the corner of his eye. He didn't turn his body, lest he show any fear. Arceus went on. _Instead of simply transforming Hart into Metavasi as I had done to Snapped, I decided that the Metavasi would benefit and grow stronger if fused with two of my most powerful monsters. Kaiser Hart would have fused with the Medallion, Dialga, and Palkia to become a warrior hundreds of times more powerful than Snapped. And even more powerful than you. The Medallion would have been the heart of his heart, thus tying him to me completely and granting him instant access to any power I could feed him. He would have been a work of art..._ Arceus suddenly stopped at Ace's side and looked down at him hatefully. _But I didn't anticipate you showing up again._

"Yeah. I'm just a bundle of trouble, aren't I?" Ace smirked slightly.

The conversation between Ace and Arceus, although Hoshiko was and had been listening to it, seemed to blur out of focus for the girl as she felt within her a very strange pain. One unlike any she had felt during her pregnancy and one that disturbingly she had read the description of in one of her books. This wasn't a fake labor pain, it wasn't something simple that could be passed off as a repercussion of the changes in her body. No, this felt painfully like a contraction. Her whole body was aching and in pain. It was terrible and Hoshiko's stomach felt a strange wave of queasiness.

Biting her tongue and clenching her fists, the girl fought the urge to cry out in terrible pain and in her mind started to count. She had to struggle to keep her numbers in order when it was so hard to focus.

_"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...60, 1, 2, 3, 4..."_

It was a frightening prospect, but contractions could last some time before the baby would be born and Hoshiko could only pray that they would get off of Mt. Coronet before anything happened. Curling up into the fetal position, let out a weak, but unsuppressed cry.

The sound hit Ace and grabbed his attention even from the moment. He looked over his shoulder and saw the girl, doubled over. Knowing that she couldn't stay here, he turned back to Arceus. The demon king noticed Hoshiko as well, but he didn't pay her any more mind. As far as he was concerned, she was worthless now.

_Indeed..._ Arceus' voice rolled over Ace like some sort of slick, sickly substance. _You have destroyed my chances of immediate domination over this world. But I will not be dissuaded so easily. I know that you, one day, will bring me a Metavasi of your own making. I can wait._

"I will never create a Metavasi." Ace snapped, only half paying attention. His eyes were locked on Hoshiko, and he stared at her with great concern.

_You will, if you live._ Arceus laughed, and before Ace had a chance to respond, Dialga and Palkia sprang down from their platform and tore towards Ace, assailing him in a blast of energy that obscured his senses so that he didn't even know what hit him. All the while, Arceus laughed and rose up into the air, looming over the plateau with his dark form silhouetted against the sky. _Kill them._ He ordered Dialga and Palkia. _I shall commence the opening of a gate here above Mt. Coronet. This world will be ours._

Hoshiko's eyes filled with desperation as she focused her bleary eyes and stopped counting. It was clear enough that they were contractions by now and despite the fact that she had come so close to the goal of giving birth to her child, the reality that was presented in front of Hoshiko now was one that spelt nothing but doom and disaster. Not only would Ace, her child and she perish, but there would no longer be anyone to protect the humans from Arceus' sick reign. In short, they had failed, and it made Hoshiko feel worse than she ever had in her entire life. And there were many horrible times to compare this one to.

Surprisingly, although she was sad for her own loss, Hoshiko was even more distressed for everyone else. The children that she and Samuel had met in Olivine, her father, her grandmother, even her sisters, and most importantly Samuel. What kind of world would be left behind for him to live in? If anything that Arceus could create would be considered livable. Crying out from both sadness and her horrific pain, Hoshiko's eyes fell on Ace in a pleading sadness.

For a long time, nothing was visible of Ace's body, shrouded in sparking black energy that swirled around him like a distorting black hole. The wind rushed around him, and it was impossible to see more than a vague outline from where Hoshiko lay. When the energy began to dissipate, Ace was laying on the ground, face down and unmoving.

_Pitiful!_ Arceus' voice echoed from seemingly everywhere. _I expected more from—_ He cut himself off, as he noticed movement from Ace's weakened figure. The Incarnus pulled his hands up close to his face, and trembling, he used his arms to push himself to his knees. He coughed, hard, panting and gasping for breath.

But at least he was alive.

_Hmph._ Arceus gave up tormenting Ace and company, and flew higher into the clouds, where he disappeared into a darkening vortex of angry clouds.

Ace stumbled to his feet just in time, and looked up to see Dialga and Palkia go for him again. This time though, he was paying full attention, and he threw himself to the ground in a roll to get out of the way. Dialga and Palkia whirled to face him again and found that now he had manifested a long, double edged energy sword in his hands. He stood defensively, ready to take both of the monsters.

"Alright. You can have me." Ace growled spinning the sword in one hand and then leaping at Palkia, slashing across the beast's body with the glowing blade.

The dragon screamed in rage and surprise, and tried to turn its head to bite Ace, only to stumble backwards into Dialga. Dialga was trying to jump over Palkia to reach the Incarnus, who landed on the slippery surface of Palkia's back and used it as a springboard to lunge for Dialga's throat, weapon blazing.

But Dialga was too quick to respond. Inches from where the blade would have cut him, Ace was stopped as a rain of lightning cracked down from the sky overhead and struck him straight on. He lost his balance on Palkia's back and was thrown to the ground, hard. Wind knocked out of him, he lay on his back with only his blade in between him and the two dragons. Palkia was still staggering to recapture its balance, and the electrical attack had accidentally struck the dragon as well, leaving it partially stunned for a moment.

Dialga had no such handicap, and leaped clear over Palkia's lumbering form and came crashing down on Ace, each of its four huge feet landing all around him. Ace narrowly avoided being crushed by the huge claws by rolling one way and then another as rocks pelted him from every angle, erupting from the sheer force of Dialga's impact. Ace didn't wait for the rocks to stop hitting him, though. Once the stones were reduced to whatever pebbles remained, he rolled back onto his back and stabbed his blade up into Dialga's gut. The huge dragon's steel armor resisted the energy blade, sending a shower of sparks down on Ace. The Incarnus gritted his teeth and persisted until he felt the armor give way suddenly.

The blade sunk into scaly flesh underneath the plating, and Dialga screamed in rage, rearing backwards.

Hoshiko looked on, ravaged by terror and eyes fell upon Ace, bleary vision tracing his every move. There was a strange surreal sense to everything that was happening. And as time passed another thing became even more real to Hoshiko. It was the pains in her body and how regular they were. Each time her shaky mind was able to count, Hoshiko came to the strange realization that although the contractions that she was having were far apart...they were still there. With the loud battle cries erupting all around, Hoshiko felt safe to cry out in pain without being noticed.

Then after a time that felt like eternity, Hoshiko watched the mountain of Dialga fall and crying out once more, tensing tightly, She rose her head and looked at Ace with her wet and distraught eyes.

"Ace...A-Ace...Y-You...YOU DID IT!" She cried, her voice increasing from pain at the end of her sentence. "Ace, I...I can't believe...AGH...I...I can't believe it!" Breathing hard and with a shaky hand, Hoshiko pointed towards the remaining stones. "D-Destroy...t-the...altar...A-Ace..."

Ace was exhausted, and fighting to stay standing, but he wasn't about to give up. With Dialga down on the ground and Palkia coming at him in his partner's stead, Ace turned his attention to the floret pattern on the ground. The elemental stones were sparkling, even in the darkness that hung over the mountain. Sweat streamed down Ace's face, and his muscles protested every movement, but he knew if he destroyed the stones, Arceus would at least not be able to synthesize the Lord Monster he sought to make. That would buy a little bit of time. Not as much as Ace wanted, but a little bit.

Raising his blade over his head, he pointed the sizzling tip towards the ground and he looked up at Palkia as the dragon came closer.

"You're too late!" Ace laughed, and plunged the weapon into the rocky crest. The blade popped and crackled, sizzling and shattering the stones with the mighty blow. Dialga screamed in fury and swept its huge tail at Ace, slamming him into a nearby pillar with bone-crushing force. Ace let out a pained gasp and clenched his fists as his focus on his blade dissolved. The weapon dissipated, and Ace slumped to his knees.

Looking up at the angry Palkia, he laughed. "You could kill me now..." He pointed out, trembling all over but still grinning and bearing it. The smug grin on his face was enough that it could have driven Arceus mad. "But I think I want to live just a little longer."

Ace jumped to his feet and saluted the big dragon, before jumping out of the way just in time to avoid an earth-shattering beam of energy spouting from its mouth. Instead the pillar behind Ace was reduced to mere smoking ruins, and Ace ran towards Hoshiko and scooped her up in his arms, taking off down the mountainside in a full sprint.

Behind him, he could hear Palkia screeching in rage and he could hear the pained groans of Dialga and the thunder of the swirling storm. But for now, he had to get off the battlefield. He knew staying longer would mean death, and nobody could afford his death yet.

"We'll have to come back to seal the gate." Ace puffed, his breathing terrifyingly labored as he hurried on. His face was covered in scrapes and bruises, and a small trickle of blood ran down his cheek. Still, even in his pain and his rush, Ace cradled Hoshiko as gently as he could.

"I can't seal the gate yet anyway, though, I'm too weak. So there is nothing more we can do. For now we've stalled Arceus' advancement. The Lord Monster cannot be born anytime soon, and while that's just a small victory, it's still a victory for us."

Ace's foot suddenly hit a rock, and at the speed he was going down the steep grade of the mountain, he quickly lost his balance and fell. He and Hoshiko tumbled through jagged rocks and struck trees in the fleeting chaos of the moment, but when they slid to a stop and the world stopped spinning it was obvious that they'd made it out alive.

Much as he had done for Samuel when they fell right out of the sky, Ace had curled himself around Hoshiko, protecting her with his own body. Now he found himself laying on his side in the dirt, under the shadow of the forest canopy as raindrops began falling. His ice blue eyes wandered to Hoshiko and he moaned weakly.

"Well...I guess...here is where we stop..." He struggled to push himself up but his arms and legs buckled and left him sprawled on the ground again. "I'm sorry, Hoshiko... I meant to...take you somewhere safer."

Although her head was reeling and whole body was in pain, Hoshiko knew that she was breathing. Hardly able to, but she was, and that was all that mattered at this point. Ace had saved them once more and the young woman found herself placing a gentle hand on Ace's shoulder, and despite the fact her palm was trembling, Hoshiko was smiling at him.

"...Ace...Ace...thank you..." Slowly Hoshiko's eyes closed and slow tears of happiness dripped down her cheeks. She was cut and bruised, in unbelievable pain and yet there Hoshiko only found things to be thankful for. Then another pain surged throughout her, and Hoshiko's body tensed, grabbing onto her stomach. Eyes shooting open and looking at Ace with a look that conveyed the strange agony that she was in.

"...Please...don't freak out Ace..." The young woman took a sharp breath in and then exhaled. "...I'm having contractions..."

Ace flinched slightly and struggled to move again, but it was all he could to roll back onto his side so that he could look at the poor young mother.

"I figured as much from the screaming you were doing..." He smiled sheepishly, and reached a shaking hand to wipe away a tangled lock of sweat-soaked hair from his eyes. "I...Don't know what to do..." He murmured helplessly. "Please...tell me..."

Hoshiko's cheeks went red, she thought that in a way she'd made a good effort at hiding her pain. The fact of the matter was that at the moment with pain-addled mind and shaken up body, it was hard to remember much of what she had read in the pregnancy books. Biting her lip and shaking her head, Hoshiko looked just as helpless as Ace did.

"I...I can't remember...I think it said something about walking around...and...my...water hasn't broken yet..." Hoshiko said, her eyes clearly revealing the fact that she was searching for an answer to Ace's question. "Contractions...I read...they can last up to twenty four hours..." Screeching out in pain after such delicate speaking seemed strange, but with the waves of pain Hoshiko was experiencing, it was necessary. "...I don't think...I could last twenty four hours..."

"If I can, then you can." Ace decided out loud, groaning in excruciating pain as he forced himself to sit up. His breaths now came in short, tight gasps, but he managed to hold himself in a sitting position until he felt like he wasn't going to instantly topple over. His head was throbbing, but he finally looked at Hoshiko and nodded.

"Okay then...you should probably walk around." He staggered to his feet and took more than a minute to steady himself. When he felt like he could handle taking a step forward, he did just that and reached his hand down to Hoshiko. "Here... I'll see if I can walk you a little further down the mountain. But we should keep a lookout for anything that might serve as shelter. The more protected you are from the outside world, the better..."

Trying her best not to hurt Ace as she used his support to stand up, Hoshiko's legs trembled, and she could hardly stand on her own to feet. But, slowly, the two weak friends started to walk slowly down the mountain. Hoshiko's heart was beating out of her chest and so the girl started to take slow breaths to keep blood pressure regulated.

"Can you...believe it?" Hoshiko asked, surprisingly she was still smiling between grimaces. "Ace...it's so close now..." She cried out once more in pain, "...She's almost here...I...I won't have to...worry any more..." Hoshiko leaned her head on Ace's shoulder and she actually laughed softly. "It's amazing, I'm in so much pain. More pain then I ever thought I could take...but...but it's so incredible..." Quite suddenly, though, the girl became sullen.

"What about...Samuel?" Hoshiko whispered. "...I...I wanted him...to...be...here..." Her voice was cracking and it was clear that her heart was breaking over the situation. "...I didn't want...him to be...away...the baby...she has to meet him..."

Ace smiled slightly. He couldn't help it. "Something tells me Samuel will be able to meet the baby. Besides. I haven't said goodbye to him. It would be criminal if I didn't return. And when I do, you'll be with me, alright?"

The Incarnus took a deep breath and continued just putting one foot after the other. The pain in his body made every step a tremendous effort, and the knowledge rested in the back of his mind that this battle wasn't over. He'd run away, and fleeing meant that the conflict still remained. Still, he knew they'd make it now. It was impossible not to.


	33. New Life

**Chapter 33: New Life**

Ace found a cave where the two friends could rest, and it was exactly what Hoshiko needed. On their travel down Mt. Coronet, the mother-to-be's water broke and the contractions were already starting to come more frequently. But there was no sign that the baby was ready to come yet. Still, the closer the contractions became, the more Hoshiko's heart broke that they wouldn't likely find Samuel before the baby would arrive. She was awash was bittersweet anticipation at finally being able to wrap her arms around her daughter and yet at the same time she was scared to death of giving birth.

But now, in shelter of the cave with a gentle stream of water flowing through the stone floor, Hoshiko dipped her palm into the cool liquid and lifted some water to her mouth. It helped refresh her spirit, and it soothed the dryness in her throat, but it didn't ease her pain or fear. The poor girl's body trembled violently. Looking up at Ace, Hoshiko smiled weakly at him.

"It's every seven minutes now Ace..." Hoshiko informed her friend with a gentle whimper. "I wish...I had some of those...pain killing herbs..." The girl laughed bitterly at her suffering.

Ace nodded and looked at her for a moment, trying to decide what he should do next. He was completely bewildered, but very determined to help as much as he possibly could. While he had no idea how to deliver a baby, he mused that one of the important things was to make the mother comfortable. All that Hoshiko had right now was a little rocky corner next to the water. It was better than being outside in a now constant drizzle, but it certainly wasn't the best situation.

"I'll get some leaves and grass that you can use as bedding. Anything is better than cold stone. Stay here, and I'll be back, okay?" He looked at her firmly, but his cool blue eyes held as much gentleness as Hoshiko had ever seen in them. It was almost surreal that a creature so capable of ending lives could be so willing and eager to help bring one into being. "I won't take long, but you have to promise not to leave this place. You'll be in danger if you do."

Hoshiko nodded to Ace, a gratitude reflecting in her eyes. The rock felt harsh against her aching body and it made it hard to focus. She looked forward to having something soft to lie on.

"I promise I won't go out, Ace." She said weakly and once more managed to force out a small laugh. "I can't even get up without your help anymore; I don't think I'll be going very far." She smiled at her friend and watched as he started to head out of the cave. Taking small drinks of water and watching, waiting for Ace to return to her, Hoshiko spoke gently to the baby in her womb.

"I'll get to hold you soon...my precious little girl. I promise I'll love you very much..." She kissed her stomach gently and started to cry out in pain at another contraction that seemed more violent than the other ones before it. The painful shout echoed through the cave and Hoshiko was now holding onto her stomach tightly.

"Augh..." Sighing heavily as the pain passed, Hoshiko shook her head. "It's worth it..." She reminded herself softly. "I...I just...I wish Samuel was here..." Eyebrows knit in sadness, Hoshiko's cheek rested on her oversized belly.

* * *

The rain was a bit bothersome. Wet clothes sticking to cold, damp skin was never fun. Fortunately Vince was not the type to complain about every little thing. In fact he seemed determined to prove that he was a man and could handle anything no matter what happened. Samuel was glad of it, but he was also incredibly worried.

He'd seen the storm arise over the summit of Mt. Coronet from a good ways off, and he'd picked up the pace. He knew that all that commotion could only have meant that Arceus had what he wanted and was going in for the kill. He prayed over and over in his mind that it wouldn't be too late to save Hoshiko. If he didn't make it in time...

No. He couldn't even think that way. He knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he had to see that girl die. Especially not after losing Ace. The tears that came flooding from his eyes were immediately banished by a frustrated hand, and Samuel picked up the pace, hurrying to keep up with Vincent. The boy had gone far ahead, and now Samuel had lost sight of him in the thick woods. He knew that if the boy got hurt, he'd be in real trouble. After all, Vincent had run away. Samuel could easily be charged with kidnapping and even murder if Vincent disappeared and could not testify that he'd gone willingly.

"Vince?!" He called out as loud as his voice would carry. "Vincent?!"

"Samuel!" The voice came back from somehow seemingly far off, but Samuel knew that the young kid couldn't have gotten _that_ far ahead. So he kept calling.

"Vincent! I'm following your voice okay?! Let me know where you are!" He started into a jog, entirely alert. "Vincent?"

"I'm over here!" Now he sounded much closer. Just around the next few trees, perhaps.

"Vincent! Stay where you are! I don't want you to get—" Samuel rounded one of the towering trunks and a huge bolder and stopped dead in his tracks. "—lost..."

There, standing beside Vince with his arms full of thick, long grass, was the one person Samuel had never ever expected to see. He was frozen in place, his blue eyes shining and his full attention locked on the young man. Minutes passed, and neither of them moved. Then, all at once, Samuel ran forward. Stunned, Ace had to drop the grass bundle on Vincent in order to catch his greeter. Vincent gasped and sputtered under the shower of green.

Samuel threw his arms around the Incarnus, and before Ace even knew what was happening, he felt the hot tears running down his neck. He let out a soft sigh, and folded his arms around the shaking, shivering human. Once upon a time, Samuel would have never, ever considered even _saying_ that he'd missed Ace. He'd been too tough, too macho for that sort of thing. But now, broken by crushed hopes and suddenly revived as if he'd been sucked into a dream, Samuel's actions said it all too clearly.

"Hey..." Ace smiled and turned his face to whisper in Samuel's ear. "It's alright..."

"Y-you s-s-stupid i-idiot." Samuel sobbed, clinging tightly to Ace as if he feared letting go would send Ace back into oblivion. "Y-you s-tupid, stupid l-loser... w-why didn't y-y-ou w-wait for me at Blackthorn? I t-thought you were d-dead. I thought I'd never see you again!" Samuel buried his face deeper into Ace's neck, ignoring the fact that the Incarnus' hair was wet and laden with the scent of exertion, pain, and battle. "H-how could you ditch me like that and make me think I'd lost you forever? I-I h-hate y-you..."

Ace hugged Samuel tighter. "...I love you too."

The Incarnus lingered for as long as he dared, but he knew, deep inside that this moment couldn't last. Hoshiko was alone in the cave, and she needed his help more than ever now. Time had to pass, and with it, Ace had to hurry back to the cave. Reluctantly, he withdrew from Samuel's hold.

"Are you alright?" Ace asked, marveling at the simple sight of his master's face. The boy hadn't changed, although he looked as if he'd missed a lot of sleep. His hair was still tousled. His appearance still that of a rebellions young man. But his eyes...those deep, blue, pensive eyes... Ace had never been so happy to look into them and see his own reflection before.

"I'm fine." Samuel lied, wiping his eyes and trying to hide the fact that he couldn't stop crying from Vince. He took a deep breath and punched Ace's shoulder in the manner of Hoshiko's habit. Ace winced and backed up.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"That was for running off and getting so lost that I thought you were dead!" Samuel snapped.

"I had to go..." Ace smiled. "Come on. I'll make it up to you later, but I really want to show you something..." He reached down to take the now rather disheveled bundle of long grass from Vince, and the boy gratefully relinquished his huge armload. Ace made sure he had a good grasp on the bundle, and then led the two off, back into the depths of the forest.

* * *

It seemed like forever, waiting for Ace to return. Once in awhile Hoshiko would count the time between her contractions, they were still the same as they had been before Ace left, and that was incredibly comforting for the girl. She truly hadn't wanted Ace to be away and her suddenly be ready to have her child. It could have meant something terrible had happened to Ace and would have offered nothing but a sense of disaster. This close to the end of the finish line, that was unthinkable.

Shifting her position a bit to try and take some of the strain off of her aching back, the young woman was overtaken by exhaustion and a sudden desire to have enough energy to actually give birth when the time came. Hoshiko, although still watching the entrance of the cave for Ace, slowly started to drift to sleep.

Head tipped into the crook of her neck and arms wrapped around herself Hoshiko whimpered when the contractions came but was thankfully able to sleep, even if it was just a little bit, and fitful at that. However, in Hoshiko's womb the child awaiting her moment to enter the world was active. In her nodding sleep, Hoshiko could feel the baby kicking and moving around.

"Mmmmmhmmmhmmmm settle down..." Hoshiko mumbled, rubbing her stomach in subconscious circles. "We...both need...rest..."

The sound of footsteps on stone filled the quiet cavern, overriding the faint noise of water dripping and flowing softly in the background, growing louder and louder until they stopped only inches away from where Hoshiko was resting. When the footfalls stopped, the rustle of grass falling onto the floor in a heap tickled Hoshiko's ears.

A warm hand gently gripped her arm and rolled her to the side to tuck the grass in and around her. The grass was a little damp, but not soaking wet. And as the cave was wet already, it was hard to notice the wetness at all.

"How is she sleeping through this?" Samuel asked Ace softly.

Ace just grinned. "I don't really know...but she'll be glad to have this little bed. It's not much, but it's a lot better than being outside right now, and certainly better than lying on hard stone."

Whimpering a bit in the midst of her unstable, fleeting dreams, Hoshiko's limply settled into her sweet-smelling bed of grasses. Her body was frail and it was obvious. Clothes torn, body bruised, hair tousled, she certainly wasn't in the best appearance for seeing a friend after being separate for five months. But after all the trials and tribulations these through had went through, appearances didn't matter. Samuel had seen her in bad conditions before, and so this was no different. He sat on his knees beside her and touched the young woman's dirty cheek with the back of his hand. She looked so helpless, but she was alive.

Perhaps the greatest shock to Samuel was her abdomen, which clearly provided just how far along in her pregnancy the girl was. It protruded and looked too heavy to support. In Samuel's mind, it was no wonder all she could do was sleep.

After a few moment's though, the new sensation of the cool grass tickling her and the light touch of a rough but gentle hand, urged her sleepy eyes open just a little bit. At first, she only noticed Ace carefully arranging the grass, and she thought automatically without any reason that he must also be the one touching her cheek. He had brought her something to rest upon; how kind he was towards her. Hoshiko knew she'd never be able to find a way to thank Ace for everything he'd done.

Then however, as her weary eyes became clearer, so did the rest of her senses. Both of Ace's hands were busy getting her tucked in, so he couldn't be the one stroking her cheek. It registered in her mind that a shadow was darkening the corner of her vision, and when she turned her head, the blurred image slowly became clear. It was someone else, someone so familiar that it was impossible to mistake him. And it felt like the most surreal of dreams that could come to pass. For a moment, Hoshiko really did believe she must be dreaming, but as the aches and pains came back to her, she realized how very awake she was, and how very real this image before her was.

It was impossible to find the words at first, Hoshiko's tongue tied in shock. But reaching a trembling hand out to touch Samuel's cheek, Hoshiko knew in feeling his soft skin against her rough hand that this was no dream.

"S-Samuel...you came..." She whispered softly. "...I can't believe...it's you Samue-AUGH." Tensing suddenly under the violence of a contraction, the young woman curled forward a bit. Tears of pain squeezed from Hoshiko's eyes and her face twisted up. Yet she looked at Samuel pleadingly as if to apologize for the interruption.

At first just glad to see Hoshiko awake, Samuel almost fell forward when she cried out. Catching himself to avoid falling onto her, the look of terror in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Hoshiko! What's wrong?!"

Ace reached for Samuel's arm and gently squeezed it to reassure him. "She's alright... But I think I'm gonna need your help."

Samuel looked at Ace and saw to his surprise that Ace was blushing. Samuel hadn't seen such a thing often enough not to be completely stunned by it, and he curiously studied Ace's face, searching for answers.

"Why? What is it?"

"I...don't really know how to deliver a baby..." Ace admitted in complete embarrassment. "I've never had to do it before and it's never really been a subject of interest. I mean where do you find time to learn that stuff when you're trying to fight off something like the demon king?"

Samuel went pale. "W-wait! What?! She's not having the baby right NOW?!"

"She is..." Ace looked a little nervous. "I've been doing all I can but I have no idea what else I can do for her now."

Samuel reeled and looked light he was about to pass out, but Ace caught him and eased him up again. "Samuel... pull it together. We need your help, alright?"

"Why do you think I know what to do?!" Samuel practically squeaked the words. "I've never done this before!"

"Wait!" A tiny voice called out from behind them. It was Vince, and as he came forward he was holding something in his hands. "We have this, remember? I'm sure it's got something we can use..." He held up the item and walked towards Samuel hopefully. It was Hoshiko's bag.

Breathing heavily, Hoshiko watched the exchange between Samuel and Ace. She was just as clueless as they were on what to do, and part of her wished or thought that somehow her instincts would tell her what was going to happen and how it should work. However, with the pain as strong as it was and only increasing and coming more frequently, Hoshiko couldn't help but figure that even if she did know what to do it would be impossible to get all of her thoughts straight enough to even tell her friends.

"S-Samuel...Samuel calm down!" Hoshiko forced the words out of her mouth painfully. "Y-You'd think...you were the one...giving birth..." It was a strange time to be wry with her words but considering the friendship that she and Samuel shared maybe it wasn't so odd to them after all.

Hoshiko turned her gaze to the young child standing before them with her bag—she'd thought she lost it, and it was a relief to see it salvaged. Even so, she was utterly shocked that Vince was present, and she wondered what on earth he was doing here. With wide eyes but a grateful nod to the boy, Hoshiko pointed to the bag and pushed aside her surprise.

"Listen to me...Samuel...Ace...in my bag...there's a book Koichi...gave me..." Cringing in pain Hoshiko did her best not to cry out but failed horribly once more. "...It explains...childbirth...in the...twentieth chapter..." Clenching her firsts tightly, Hoshiko's cheeks were now blush red, but not only from pain, at the idea of one of her friends having to deliver her child.

"Right!" Samuel stumbled over himself, reaching for the pack. His hands were shaking violently, and as he started through it, he pulled out the book almost immediately.

"Hey..." Ace said softly, as if something had come to mind but he didn't want to interrupt. "Do we still have Koichi's radio?" He pointed to the bag. "I bet he'd be an ever better reference than a book huh?"

Samuel looked confused at first, but then it dawned on him that Ace was right. "Here, hold this." He said, shoving the book into Ace's hands. "Read it out loud while I dig through the bag!"

Ace furrowed his brow but flipped the book open obediently. Thumbing through it until he reached the right chapter, he started reading the highlighted points and became a little more worried. "Provide sterile bedding and sterilize all items, including hands, that will come in contact with the baby." He gulped. "Sterilizing a cave is just not possible..."

"Keep reading. Maybe it will give us some sort of hint on what we can do to improve conditions."

"It recommends boiling water." Ace paused. "At least we could use hot water to wash our hands and something to wrap the baby with."

Samuel sighed, and before anyone even asked him to, he pulled the scarf from around his neck and tossed it to Ace. "Have fun, Sweetheart. But you buy me a new scarf next time or you're dead. I'm going through these like a scolipede goes through socks."

"If scolipedes wore socks." Ace replied, blinking at the red cloth as it landed across the page he was reading. He took it held it up to show Hoshiko.

"Thank you for the...scarf...Samuel..." The girl had a bit of a wry tone in her voice. "I'm sure your niece will appreciate the present." She watched him with an eyebrow raised.

Without much more hesitation, Ace nodded in agreeing thanks to his master and set the book aside, running to go get wood from the forest. He appeared several long minutes later with an armload of logs, and he set them up near the entrance of the cave, where the fire would be well ventilated but wouldn't be dampened by rain. The logs were wet enough as it was, and it took him a considerable amount of effort and elemental manipulation as a dragon to dry them out. He started a fire by with a puff of flame from his phoenix form, and then, after reverting to human form, he took off the armored breastplate he was wearing and filled it with water. It was a shallow but wide dish able to hold enough water for just a few things at a time.

Samuel looked up as Ace prepared the fire and the boiling water and stared awkwardly. Ace blushed and covered his chest with folded arms. The white tunic he was wearing was practical for protecting his skin from the metal plates, but it was therefore skin tight so that it wouldn't bunch up underneath. Realizing Ace's awkwardness, Samuel reached into his own bag and pulled out a brand new island shirt.

"Here, put this on. I'll handle the water boiling."

Relieved, Ace caught the shirt mid-air and put it on quickly, but didn't waste time buttoning it. He was more concerned with Hoshiko. Wandering over and sitting next to her with the baby book, he asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm...in pain...but...it's okay..." Hoshiko breathed out harshly. "I think...she's a lot more prepared...for this then...I am..." Hoshiko inhaled painfully. "The...c-contractions...are coming more often n-now Ace...I...I don't think...it'll be l-long now..."

Hoshiko held onto her stomach and tried regulating her breathing. "But the radio...It's gone...Koichi tried to contact me…before you…found me and..." Wincing but this time able to stifle her yelp, Hoshiko continued. "Hart found it...before I could...say anything...and...he...destroyed it..." Hoshiko's eyes were sullen at the memory. She had been so close to speaking with her father not long after she'd been taken away by Arceus, and she could have called for help if she'd dared, but now they had nothing. Her hope had been quickly snuffed as she watched the radio sink to the bottom of one of the large bodies of water in Sinnoh.

Closing her eyes and shaking her head to rid it of the memory, Hoshiko smirked at Samuel behind her pain and watched him as he worked with the boiling water. Hoshiko then looked at Ace and smiled gently.

"I trust you guys can…help me…even without my father...You can...AUGH!" Screeching out, Hoshiko cringed and leaned against Ace for support.

Tears started to roll down Hoshiko's cheeks as she reached for Ace's arm, gripping onto it tightly with her frail hand. She gasped and then wailed, throwing her head back so that her damp, limp hair fell back. Pushing her face into the Incarnus' arm aggressively as the pain began to pass, Hoshiko whimpered and clung to her supporter.

Ace had never known that little Hoshiko had so much strength left in her exhausted body. He grimaced ever so slightly in surprise when she squeezed his arm, but it wasn't incredibly uncomfortable for him. Merely startling. He stared at her with a slight smile and nodded.

"At least one of us is ready." Ace laughed at the thought. "Your daughter is a brave soul to be coming into the world at a time like this."

"She might...be a brave...soul...but I...think she's...got...too...much of...me in her...This is the...kind of...stunt...I'd pull..." Hoshiko panted, sweat streaming down the sides of her face.

Ace glanced over his shoulder at Samuel. "Hurry and wash the scarf. We can hang it over the fire to dry when you're done. It'll go faster that way."

Samuel hurriedly took Ace's advice, while the Incarnus reached for Hoshiko's book and opened it up again. "I think we've got everything as sterile as it'll get. It says we'll need something to cut and tie the baby's cord with after it's born..." Ace repeated the words on the page in slight confusion. "And we might have to clear the baby's airways. It says that the best sign is if the baby cries."

"There's...a...pocket knife in my...bag..." Hoshiko said, releasing Ace's arm from her grip and raising her tear stained face to look at her friend weakly. "You...could...put it...in the boiling water...and use that...to cut the cord..." Hoshiko offered softly, feeling ashamed of herself as she let all her body's weight rest of Ace while the two sat together.

The monster flipped back a page. "Great, that should do." He looked over at Samuel, and the young man nodded and dug through the bag to find the knife and start boiling it. Ace turned back to Hoshiko. "Until she gets here, it says that all we can do is keep you comfortable and tell you to remember to breathe." Ace blinked at that. "Did you forget?"

Hoshiko glanced up at Ace with a surprised yet mildly humored look and shook her head slowly. "Forget...to breathe...?" She nudged her friend's shoulder with her cheeks and laughed softly. "Ace...I think I can...manage remembering to...breathe..."

"That's good." Ace decided.

Once more, quite suddenly, Hoshiko gripped Ace's arm hard and screeched, her whole body shuddering. "Ace...Ace...Samuel...guys...h-hurry...I..." Crying out one more with every effort left within her, Hoshiko pushed out the words gripping onto Ace for dear life. "I think...this might...be...it..." Tears were flowing down the girl's face and she was shaking violently. "...This...this is insane...pain..." Looking at Samuel, still sobbing in pain, his friend spoke. "You're lucky you don't...have...to...have...a...baby..." Eyes narrowed, Hoshiko cried out one more time, sucking in a sharp breath and exhaling it with a tremulous howl of agony.

Samuel looked panicked and scrambled to get the knife out of the water and dried. He handed it to Vince to hold onto, and then hung the scarf. He doubted it would be dry in time, but he could hope. Just in case, he wrung it out until his hands were sore, hoping that would speed it up a little. Then he turned back to Vince.

"Is the knife ready?" He asked, out of breath and shaking with adrenaline.

Vince nodded and gave it to him, and Samuel carried the object over to Ace, handing it to his companion quickly. Ace grabbed his arm before he ran back to the fire and the Incarnus pointed to Samuel's shoes. "Take one of the laces and put it in the water too. We can use it to tie the cord, okay?"

"How are you so calm, damnit?!" Samuel moaned, dropping to the ground in place and fumbling wildly with the laces.

He couldn't seem to get a good hold. His trembling hands couldn't keep the knot in their grasp. Then he felt a warm hand on his, and he looked up through his messy hair, fallen forward in his face.

Ace knelt beside him and helped him untie his shoe. The Incarnus threaded the lace out slowly, looking Samuel in the eye with a steady gaze that slowed the time. They stood, crouched, nose to nose for a moment, and Ace's sharp blue gaze twinkled softly in the dim light. Samuel felt his face get hot, and he frowned.

Ace shook his head. "Hoshiko's right. You _are_ lucky you don't have to have a baby."

"Oooooh, don't even start with me, cuz I can blackmail you!"

Ace pushed the shoelace into Samuel's hand before shoving him towards the fire.

"Don't be silly." Ace smirked. "Even if I had to go through this I wouldn't be as helpless as you are while not going through this."

Flustered, Samuel spun on his heels. "I'm not helpless!"

"Then boil that shoelace, dry that scarf, and get back over here before we actually need them!" Ace laughed. He looked back at the book and settled in beside Hoshiko once more. "Okay, you need to get into a position that you feel is comfortable and that also allows one of us to catch the baby as it's being born." Ace looked back over his shoulder. "I think we can be glad that Samuel is occupied, because I don't think he could handle that job either."

"I heard that!"

Ace waved Samuel off. "Blackmail me all you want later. Just get back over here when you have everything ready." The Incarnus turned back to Hoshiko again. "You can use me as balance to shift your position however you want. We just have to make sure that I can catch the baby when she's born, okay?"

Shaking her head at how Samuel and Ace were actually able to bother each other while she was ready to give birth, the girl couldn't help but find some humor in her pain. And despite their interactions with each other, Hoshiko couldn't think of two better people to be with her. Her two best friends.

Silently taking Ace's advice and using him to ease herself into a position that could accommodate the baby and at least not put Hoshiko into terrible pain, the girl heaved out a burdened sigh. The Incarnus helped her get comfortable and prepare for the baby's arrival, until she was seemed like she couldn't move any more.

"...A-Alright...I think...I think that's good..." She said, feeling quite self-conscious despite herself. Closing her eyes and crying out once more, the young woman looked at Ace and shook her head. "...Thank you...b-both you and...S-Samuel..." And after taking a deep breath, Hoshiko tried her best to push in hope that maybe the process of giving birth might begin and she could finally see her child safe and sound.

She struggled, and labored, and in-between found herself holding her breath for long periods of time as she bore down and fought. The strain was enormous, and the tears and sweat bore witness to that, while Ace held her in place and watched over her. Samuel came over, and looked on, pale but determined. He handed the now freshly boiled shoelace to Ace, and the Incarnus took it readily.

"The scarf?" He asked Samuel insistently.

Samuel looked back over his shoulder, and opened his mouth to speak, but paused to allow Hoshiko to interrupt him with a loud scream. When she was reduced again to gasping for breath, Samuel spoke quickly. "It's still drying! I can't make it go any faster!"

"I hope it will be ready when we need it." Ace said, turning back to Hoshiko. "Give me a hand, Sam?"

Samuel came down on his knees shakily at Hoshiko's other side and took her hand, accepting the consequence of becoming a human stress ball. It gave Ace opportunity to better position himself to catch the baby. The three of them sat that way, with a wide-eyed young Vince looking on from over by the fire, and together they waited for Hoshiko's daughter. But it didn't feel like waiting. Even for Samuel and Ace, it felt like a struggle. Every moment dripped by as slowly but persistently as the perspiration collecting on their brows. The air was hot and thick, and the tension and anticipation escalated with every wail, every scream, every gasp that Hoshiko made.

The cave echoed Hoshiko's desperation and agony, and every sound clenched Samuel's chest tighter. He felt like he was locked in a vice. Or maybe it was just Hoshiko squeezing the bones in his now thoroughly aching hand. He wondered vaguely if his fingers would need realigning.

"Ace...d-do you...see the baby?" The girl asked between labored gasps after one particularly long scream. She wrenched her neck to try and see over her huge stomach. "Is..is she coming?...S-Should...AUGH...I...keep p-pushing?"

Ace felt a little apprehensive about giving instruction to a young mother when he had no idea how the process really worked. Well... He had an idea, but he was certain that Hoshiko would have been better able to tell when she needed to push than he'd be able to.

"Just...push when you feel the contractions. If you feel like you need to, you should." Surprisingly, unlike Samuel, Ace did not seem flustered or even nervous beyond his mild confusion. He was concerned, but calm and collected.

Samuel on the other hand...well... And even as he sat there, sweating and grimacing almost as much as Hoshiko was, he fidgeted and strained and looked like he might faint. Ace shook his head at Samuel's folly, but was rather proud when Samuel actually did manage to get it together after a few more moments. The closer they got to the baby coming, the more serious the situation became, and likewise Samuel became more serious and more determined. He seemed afraid but eager, and through his uncertainty and discomfort, he slowly began to provide the strength and support that Hoshiko needed amid the struggle. Now, with the positions they were most comfortable in, or as comfortable as they could be at any rate, the trio worked together as a team for a few more long, dragging, painful minutes.

At long last Ace laughed victoriously. With one last mighty push, Hoshiko gave birth and in his arms Ace caught the small and fragile, wet and remarkably smooshy little baby. Hurriedly he worked to clear her airway like the book instructed, but to his relief it didn't take much to get her to cry. And the little tiny voice filled the whole cave with its glorious splendor.

Eagerly Ace cleaned up the infant and wrapped the baby in the still-warm scarf, which was now mostly dry—drier than the baby anyway. He bundled her tightly and looked down at her in awe. He'd never held a baby before... He'd seen them of course, but this was the first time he'd ever held such a tiny, precious little bundle. And he instantly melted away. It was with reluctance that he gave the baby to her mother. He knew it was only the right thing and knew how delighted Hoshiko would be to hold her. But Samuel could tell that Ace was smitten. He laughed at the Incarnus.

"What's this? The big monster got a soft spot in his mean, nasty old heart?"

Ace blushed, surprisingly, for the third time that day. Samuel smirked, thinking he must be going for the record. "She's so small..." Ace defended.

"Awwww. Ace's maternal instincts are kicking in." Samuel laughed, suddenly consumed with relief that the baby was finally here. He earned himself a good shove as the Incarnus turned back to Hoshiko.

"Look at that..." He said, still amazed. "There's your daughter, Hoshiko..."

It was, to Hoshiko, as if all of the pain that she had felt vanished at once and was forgotten from the very instant that she saw Ace cradling her daughter in his arms. She longed to reach out her arms to take hold of the baby, but her limbs were too stiff and her body too exhausted from all of the effort that it took to give birth. Instead, she watched with joyous tears pouring down her face as her friend wrapped the baby and how softly his eyes fell upon her. Hoshiko squeezed Samuel's hand much gentler than she had the entire time. Her whole eased into a dreamy sort of relaxation.

When finally Ace was ready to pass the child to her, Hoshiko took the soft little girl and held her there with the gentlest touch the young mother could muster. This was the moment that she had been waiting for, living for, for so many months. And now it all seemed so surreal, too beautiful to actually be happening. Laughing gently at Ace's wonder and Samuel's teasing, Hoshiko would have glanced at the two if she hadn't been so captivated by the lovely little girl that rest in her arms. Sweat still gleamed on the girl's forehead, and tears on her cheeks as she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the baby's head.

Her emotions couldn't be eloquently described. Hoshiko knew that now, and there were so many parts of her that was speechless. Gently holding the little girl up to her cheek and giving her another soft kiss, Hoshiko finally looked back at her friends, opening her mouth to speak but unable to find the words. It took a few stunned moments before she managed to stutter out a sentence, her voice full of wonder.

"S-She's...b-beautiful..." Hoshiko looked back at her little girl. "...T-This...i-is...incredible..." Her voice was shaking with pleasure and she was overwhelmed at all the emotions within her at once. Laughing very softly, Hoshiko held the little girl out for her friends to take an even closer look, especially Samuel, who hadn't gotten to hold her yet.

"...Y-You're niece...guys..."

The newborn made soft noises, arms wiggling and eyes squinting, trying to adjust. She seemed to be looking all over the place as if trying to understand how she had gotten into such a place and why all of these people were looking at her quite so affectionately. As Samuel looked down at the small infant being offered to him, he felt a renewed sense of fear. At first, Samuel backed up a little, and Ace could tell the young man was nervous. He was trying to hide it, but Samuel was afraid that if he took the little baby from Hoshiko, he might accidentally hurt her. She was so tiny, so fragile.

"I—I don't know. You can hold her." He insisted.

But Ace just grinned and gently took the baby from Hoshiko, slowly coming around behind Samuel and sliding the baby into his arms. Samuel froze completely, afraid that even breathing would somehow cause the baby unnecessary trauma. Ace sensed Samuel's fear, and stayed behind him, taking Samuel's arms and moving them into a position where the baby would be most comfortable. He then held Samuel there, leaning over his shoulder so he could see the tiny little bundle too. At last feeling secure enough that he wasn't about to have a heart attack, Samuel settled back against Ace even as the baby settled into his own arms.

"Heh...wow, this is pretty darn cool..." He admitted tremulously. "Hey there little one..." He murmured softly to the baby. "It's me, Uncle Samuel..."

With a warm smile on her face, Hoshiko watched as Samuel got used to holding the baby. How gentle he was with the tiny little girl and how softly he spoke to her. This was the person Hoshiko knew was inside her friend and this was also the person she knew would someday make a wonderful father to his own children. Placing a gentle hand on Samuel's as he held onto her daughter, Hoshiko watched as her daughter looked up curiously at Samuel and started to make gurgling noises at him. The girl laughed gently, she had been nervous that the baby might cry and scare Samuel, but clearly she was much smarter than Hoshiko had given her credit for.

"She likes you..." Hoshiko looked at Samuel with her eyes smiling. Letting one of her hands gently stroke the baby's head. "Do you think she looks like me?" Hoshiko asked, sounding quite curious. It was hard for her to tell in her blissful daze. Being a mother had been a scary thought and maybe as her daughter grew up, it might continue to be. But right now all that motherhood was was beauty and joy.

Samuel looked from the baby to Hoshiko and back again. "I think...she looks a lot like you. She has pretty dark hair and look at her eyes... She's a little wrinkly but she'll get used to it." Samuel teased.

Fortunately for him Ace was not willing to smack Samuel upside the head while he was holding the tiny newborn. "You loser." Ace laughed.

Samuel smiled and looked at Hoshiko. "I'm only kidding. She knows it." He slowly leaned forward and offered the baby back to her mother.

Hoshiko laughed and gave Samuel a funny look when he handed her daughter back to her. She held the little baby just as gently as ever. After a moment of staring into the baby's foggy little eyes, she sighed. "...Do you think...she likes me?"

"I'm sure she likes you, Hoshiko. If she can like me and Ace even a little, she definitely likes you. You're a lot prettier than either of us. Especially Ace."

"Well, she's a lot cuter than you, Samuel." Hoshiko teased with a smirk. "Wrinkles and all." Hoshiko kissed her daughter for a third time. Nuzzling the tiny baby to her cheek, Hoshiko couldn't stop smiling.

Setting the baby's head so that she was on her chest, Hoshiko let the little girl listen to her mother's heartbeat for a moment. "I can't believe it, I mean...I...I don't know...what I'm going to do now..." Hoshiko looked between Samuel and Ace. "But...I'm just...really happy..." Hoshiko closed her eyes contentedly and sighed softly. "...Still, she's so fragile..."

Ace nodded slowly. "We'll have to protect her as best we can, but part of protecting her is finishing what we came here to do." He rested his chin on Samuel's shoulder, quickly catching his master's attention. "Right?"

Surprised, Samuel looked down at the bag hanging at his waist. "Well yeah...of course but—"

"It needs to be done."

Samuel froze in fear. "You're not going up there to fight Arceus alone, are you?"

"I have to..." Ace's voice seemed very far away. Its warm richness like the golden glow of a distant star.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not letting you go up there by yourself! You're crazy if you think that I'm going to let you go and risk death! I'm not going to—" Samuel suddenly caught himself, and looked down at the ground, slightly embarrassed that he was actually getting emotional in front of Hoshiko. He turned his head to the side to attempt to hide the tears that gathered in the corner of his eyes. His face fell into shadow. "I'm not gonna lose you again..."

"Samuel." Ace scolded, the velvet of his voice enfolding Samuel and even the edges of it brushing against Hoshiko like fabric in the wind. "Use your head. If I don't do this, Arceus will consume the world with the gate he's opened. It's already on the brink. I came here for Hoshiko's sake, but I have to go back up there for everyone..." He eyed Samuel closely. "This isn't just for you, you know..."

Samuel's face turned red and he looked up, startled. "Why do you think I care if you do anything for me?!" He snapped. "That's not it at all! You've got this all backwards and mixed up!"

Ace grabbed Samuel by the shoulders, holding the boy still. Samuel didn't realize it, but he was shaking. "Listen to me." Ace said slowly. "I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, but to that end I also have other duties. I can't throw thousands of years away just to make you happy for a few minutes. I know you don't want me to go, and I know I named you as my master, but I still have obligations as the guardian of this realm, and I refuse to abandon them."

Samuel's shoulders tensed, and he reached a hand up to shove Ace away, but the Incarnus caught his hand mid-air. "I know you're scared." Ace soothed. "But you have to trust that I can do this."

Samuel glared at him, "This isn't about my feelings." He growled.

"You know that's not true." Ace shook his head. "Why is it that you have to pretend to be so tough, when it's obvious to everyone that there's a lot more to you than that?"

"W-what?" Samuel stammered, a drop of sweat rolling down his cheek as he still tried to wrestle his hand from Ace's grip but continued to fail miserably.

"You should see yourself." Ace frowned. "Do yourself a favor and forget about being the strong silent type for once. You've been putting on that show ever since I've met you and it's only become more obvious over time that that isn't who you are at all... You've got a bigger heart than you ever let on, and you have a passion for life and for your friends. Most of all you're filled with emotion, and it lights you up like a beacon in the night. Don't you dare be afraid anymore of being just who you are." Ace finally let go of Samuel's arm, and the boy rubbed his wrist, staring at Ace in bewilderment.

Ace, meanwhile, slowly rose and stepped away from his master, leaving Samuel sitting alone by Hoshiko. He reached his hand up to the crown-like helm upon his head and gently removed the Mark from its place at the center. In his hand, the Mark began to change shape. No longer the sharp horn-like object, it began to take the form of a gleaming sword. It was different than anything Samuel had seen the Mark do before, but even that marvel wasn't enough to snap him out of his brooding. Ace started walking towards the cave entrance, as if to leave, but before he stepped out he paused without looking back.

"One of the first things you told me when we saw each other again was that you hated me..." Ace shook his head in dismay. "But I knew what you really meant." With that, Ace walked out.

Samuel wasn't the only one who felt sad and worried over what Ace had to say. The young woman felt terrible in fact. Not only had Ace put in so much effort to take care of her, but he still held true to his mission. Now Samuel was hurting. Had Ace not paused mid-fight to take care of Hoshiko, he most likely wouldn't have found Samuel, and the young man wouldn't know about the ensuing battle.

But what was there to say? Hoshiko couldn't recklessly demand that the two of them go with Ace, and she couldn't suggest Samuel leave either. She would be left alone with her daughter and Vince to tend to and no way to protect any of them. Hoshiko's heart ached. No matter what she would have liked to have said or done, Ace left on his own either way and it seemed to Hoshiko that either Samuel would have some sort of new understanding of himself or that he would feel terrible. She hoped for Samuel's sake that he would be able to see himself in the same light that she and Ace did.

After watching the gaping exit of the cave for a few moments after Ace left, Hoshiko's voice, weak and sad, filled the cave.

"Samuel..." His friend hesitated, hearing a few whimpering cries from her daughter. After gently rocking the child, she grew quiet. "Come here...beside me..." She felt asking him when she knew he'd rather go after Ace. "...I know you...want to go after Ace..." Hoshiko sounded terribly guilty. "And...I know you've already helped me...so much...but..." Looking down at the helpless little child in her arm, Hoshiko couldn't help but feel just as helpless at the moment. "...I need you Samuel. I...my...my daughter...she's...beautiful. But..." Her voice became low, slightly ashamed. "I need you."

Looking up at her friend, it was clear in Hoshiko's eyes that she truly did require her friend. "We need you. I'm scared, Samuel. Look at her...she's so tiny and helpless. But me...I'm so frightened. She almost seemed safer inside of me...now...now she's so delicate and I'm so inadequate. Look at her...I see a beautiful little girl. She...deserves so much more than me. I'm too young, Samuel...I need help. She can't just have me. I'm too young, too irresponsible. I try my best but...I need help, Samuel. And right now..." Biting her lip, Hoshiko couldn't help but lean towards Samuel. "...I don't want to be alone..."

Samuel furrowed his brow and looked towards the cave entrance. It seemed so strangely far away now, almost as if it was off in another world. And beyond it Samuel didn't doubt that there was another dimension entirely. He could see Vince standing halfway between him and the cave entrance, near the fire where it was warmest. The little red-haired boy had watched Ace leave, and he was a bit confused, but also concerned, like everyone else was.

Samuel, however, felt torn. He knew that abandoning Vince, Hoshiko, and the brand new baby could be dangerous for them, but leaving Ace to fend for himself... Samuel remembered vividly how when Ace was just a puppy, not all that long ago, really, he had looked up in the face of death. And Samuel had saved him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and sighed a miserable, shaky sigh.

Ace knew what he'd meant? Hah. What did Ace know? Did Ace really think Samuel was such a big baby? Well Samuel wasn't. He was strong, tough, and unwavering in the face of danger. He wasn't afraid. So...why did it kill him to know that Ace was heading towards the heart of darkness, willingly putting himself on the line for everyone? Why did Ace's selflessness torture Samuel? He knew all that Ace wanted to do was make things right. Why did it have to hurt so much? Was Samuel really that bad of an actor? Was he lying to himself just to try and keep himself from looking ridiculous? Was it ridiculous to love?

He looked at Hoshiko and the infant in her arms, and he could see one of the purest manifestations of love his eyes had ever met. There was nothing ridiculous about Hoshiko loving her brand new baby girl. There was nothing ridiculous about any mother loving their child. So was it ridiculous for Samuel to love Hoshiko, as the very best friend he'd ever known? How could it be? Was it ridiculous to love Ace, a monster?

Maybe.

And yet, Ace had shown nothing but the purest devotion to him and Hoshiko, even though out of the three of them, Ace had been the most skeptical about becoming emotionally involved from the beginning. Samuel remembered how rough around the edges Ace had been when they first met, so long ago, before he'd ever even known Hoshiko existed. There had been a bitterness to him...a resentment towards humans that even though he intended to help them, he'd seemed to be losing faith in humanity. The way he'd talked about the scout tourney as being "accursed." It was in the way that he'd condemned Solitaire and all monster trainers as being fools and selfish power mongers. Somehow Samuel had brought a hint of confidence back to Ace in the goodness of human potential.

Was it ridiculous for Ace to love humans after all that? Perhaps. If it was Samuel who warmed him up to people, Samuel thought he was definitely crazy. Samuel had never been a huge fan of socializing. But that had changed when he met Ace...It changed even more when he met Hoshiko...

Was it ridiculous for Ace to love Hoshiko? Well, probably. He acted like such a ladies' man, but Samuel knew the truth. Ace just loved attention, now that he'd come to accept humans. Somehow Samuel and Hoshiko had reawakened old memories in him that made him vibrant and allowed him to delight in socializing. But even with Ace being the attention hoarder that he was, Samuel had to admit he'd never seen Ace be so polite or gentle with anyone but Hoshiko. And he'd never seen Ace be quite so determined to help or protect one single person either. In a way it almost made Samuel jealous.

And that made him wonder. Was it ridiculous for Ace to love him? Absolutely. Ace was a tenacious, single-minded guardian sworn to some thousand-year-old oath that Samuel still couldn't fully understand. Ace was powerful, _dangerous_, and fully capable of killing almost anyone he felt like killing. And yet, this monster seemed to have developed a bond with Samuel that even Samuel had no words to explain. Ace had inexplicably decided that Samuel was worth following around, keeping informed, and protecting. More perplexing still, Ace had decided that Samuel was worthy of being his 'master.' Samuel still didn't know what that meant. He'd never tried to delude himself with ideas that somehow Ace would unquestioningly obey his every whim. Ace had always been a free spirit with a very strong will. Ace was not likely to ever actually answer to Samuel.

But maybe the title meant something more than that. Maybe being named Ace's master was being given a symbol of trust that Ace had not been willing to grant to just anyone. And maybe it was Ace's way of saying, in not so many words, that Samuel was his home base. The one he'd come back to even after gallivanting off on some world-saving crusade. Maybe it was as simple as Samuel being the one that Ace would never say goodbye to...until Ace was one hundred percent certain they'd never see each other again. Maybe it just meant that Ace believed in him, and felt secure fighting side by side with this one person in the face of insurmountable odds.

Maybe all it was, was the way Ace expressed his love to a hard-headed, stubborn boy who insisted on not getting emotional. Maybe it was the only word that Ace knew would get through that thick skull and shake him up a little, saying in the most subtle way 'Hey, Dummy, it's _you_. I gave my life to _you_. Now just be that _you_ that I know you are...and don't think I don't care about _you_ just because I run off sometimes.'

That was it...

Samuel knew it.

That's when he realized...tears were running freely down his face. He swallowed hard, and although he was embarrassed, he forced himself to talk. "I don't know what to do..." He admitted brokenly. "I can't leave you here... I can't. But Ace...He…he needs me too…."

It was difficult to admit for Hoshiko, but part of the girl felt deeply hurt by her friend. She had just poured her heart out to Samuel, it was hard for her to say, as a new mother, that she felt inadequate, frightened, nervous, irresponsible and worst of all, she felt like her child deserved more or better. And Samuel hadn't even said anything to her about it. Not even a word of encouragement. No, in fact it seemed that Ace meant more than her plea. Ace, who didn't want Samuel to follow him.

Maybe the girl resented Ace and Samuel's friendship somewhat, considering the fact that her friend had, instead of comforting her, remained silent. It was painful. And he seemed so bent on following Ace up Mt. Coronet.

No matter how much the girl tried to muster comforting words for Samuel, it was too hard right now. Months of protecting Samuel from Arceus using the Medallion on him, just giving birth, and now sharing insecurities—She did that for him, and Samuel wasn't willing to stay with her when Ace didn't even want him to follow?

"Fine. Go chase after Ace." Hoshiko said flatly, looking away from Samuel. "I'll keep an eye on Vince while you go play hero." It was clear that Hoshiko was hurt by Samuel and unfortunately, she wasn't willing to hide the fact very well. Biting her lip, Hoshiko shook her head and sighed. "Maybe you need to listen to your friends better, Samuel..." Hoshiko closed her eyes and held onto her daughter gently, cradling the little girl.

Samuel stared at Hoshiko for a moment, still unsure, especially now that she seemed upset with him. He glanced at Vincent, who was watching quietly in the corner. Suddenly, Samuel slumped to the ground, his face in his hands and his shoulders trembling.

"But I... I can't go after him..." Samuel moaned. "He'll be angry at me, and what about you? I told you I can't leave you here... If I go after Ace, there won't be anyone to look after you..." Samuel's knees curled up towards his chest and his hands fell across them in agonized defeat. "No matter what I do, someone is gonna be in danger."

"Ace wanted us to stay here." The quiet voice from the corner rose. "And he probably can do it himself if he said that."

"Ace will get himself killed." Samuel retorted, pointing to the fire. He laid his head on his knees and sighed. Vincent looked over at the dancing flames but didn't understand at first. Then he saw the plating lying across the orange tongues of heat. He started walking closer and sure enough...

"He left some of his armor here." Vincent pulled the breastplate from the fire and looked at the boiling water inside as the steam rose up into his face.

Samuel nodded.

Hoshiko frowned a little, but tried not to let it get to her. Of course she worried about Ace's safety, but…The way Samuel had spoken to her only made Hoshiko feel as if he was staying with her more out of obligation then want. Shaking her head, the young woman looked at the friend whom she hadn't seen for so long.

"I took care of myself for five months, Samuel..." Hoshiko said, trying to hide the bitterness in her voice. "So I don't really need you to babysit me." Releasing a stressed sigh, the girl shook her head. "I guess I was just having a moment, Samuel. I should know I'd be fine. Like I said, I'll watch Vince. You go ahead and find Ace."

Shifting a bit uncomfortably, the young woman, although she couldn't stand, managed to get into a better sitting position. "I'll be here. Don't worry about me. Just bring Ace his armor, Samuel. I know what's what you really want to do to." Saying that, Hoshiko turned her attention back to her daughter, making sure that the child was still alright. "Vince, want to see the baby?" Hoshiko asked, directing her attention to the little boy.

Vincent walked over slowly, still holding the armor in his hand. He looked over it and down at Hoshiko for a moment, smiling slightly, although it looked forced. "She's pretty. And so, so little."

Samuel swallowed hard, looking at Hoshiko and the little girl nervously. How could he risk leaving her here? How could he not? Still utterly torn he shook his head and moaned in frustration.

"I don't know..." He said, gripping his hair.

Suddenly Vincent came up next to Samuel and looked down at him. "Hey, I know! I'll take the armor to Ace!"

Looking up to see Vince offering to go, Hoshiko looked at him and shook her head with a very severe stare. "Vince, you listen to me right now. You're _not_ going up there. You don't even know who Arceus is or what he can do. If you go up there, then you could get killed...you want to keep having adventures, right? So you'd better stay here with me..." The girl tried to reason with the little boy. Vince pouted and looked up at Samuel, who still had his face buried in his hands.

Sighing heavily, Hoshiko looked at Samuel irritably. "Stop being such a baby! Just make a decision. Do what you want to do. Because that's what matters. Don't you get it? Stop trying to reason, you're not getting anywhere." Although Hoshiko sounded severe, part of her didn't like to see her friend acting so confused. "Forget reason. I told you, _I'm fine_. You know what? I took care of myself for months, and believe me, it was okay. So just do what _you_ want to. Because until you do it, you're not going to be happy. Sometimes people just have to do stuff like that, Samuel. I did when I went with Arceus. I made a decision."

Looking again, Hoshiko huffed a little. "And if you don't care about me telling you about my insecurities, then at least listen to my advice! After five months Samuel, at least let me know that you heard me. Somehow, I think hearing your friends is something you need to do."

Samuel looked over at Hoshiko, his face wrought with distress and confusion. He looked at his feet after a moment. "Of course I heard you..." He mumbled. "I know you're scared. And so am I..."

"Well I'm not scared." Vince said boldly. "If you two are scared I _can _go and bring Ace his armor! I'm not a baby! I traveled all this way, Samuel! You know I'm not just a little kid!"

"Vincent... If something happened to you, your parents would miss you terribly, and I would be so upset that I didn't do something to stop you."

Samuel looked at Hoshiko and swallowed hard. His mouth felt dry. "I'd be upset if Ace got killed because I didn't make sure he was ready to fight...It's my responsibility to make sure he's always ready. I'm his master."

He bit his lip. "I know you're scared, Hoshiko... And nobody blames you for it either. Why don't you come with me? You can stay out of the way, and Vince will be there to help you get to safety if something bad happens. But I can't leave you alone here with nobody to look out for you, and I can't leave Ace to get himself killed. Because whether you know it or not, he's not immortal. Maybe he seems to be because he can survive a lot of things, and maybe he seems to be because he keeps coming back from the dead. But to come back to the dead you have to die first... I can't let that happen."

He reached for the breastplate and dumped the water out of it, roughing up Vince's hair and swallowing hard again. He felt like he was going to be sick. "Stay a good ways behind me, and don't let Hoshiko out of your sight." He turned back to Hoshiko and handed her his own bag. "I want you to hold onto this. We can use it to make a proper sling to carry your daughter with, and you can use any of the items you find in there. I have medicinal herbs, I have weapons, and I have Hanu in there..."

He emptied the contents of his bag into Hoshiko's bag, and then started looping the strap around her shoulder to make a sling out of it. Tenderly, he helped Hoshiko ease the baby girl into it. At first, Hoshiko resisted.

The last idea that Hoshiko would have even considered was going back up to the top of Mt. Coronet. After everything that had happened there and after deceiving Arceus, it just felt like riding right into the throat of death. And that was not even considering the fact that Hoshiko had just given birth. She was exhausted, in pain, and hardly able to move. She complained as Samuel helped her get dressed, but after she was readied as much as she could be, she sat there looking up at him, her gaze imploring. He looked back at her with the same expression.

This was what Samuel had decided, like it or not. Hoshiko felt like she had to follow along. After all, she'd told him to make the decision. Looking forlorn as her friend helped her up, she adjusted the sling on her shoulder and cradled it gently against her chest. The baby was already asleep. Hoshiko looked up at her friend and sighed. Climbing the mountain now was unrealistic, but she felt like she'd been through worse, and if she'd survived this long, she told herself she could handle anything. That didn't stop her from wanting to lie back down and close her eyes and forget everything.

"...Samuel..." It was hard for Hoshiko to hold her tongue. Samuel didn't know everything that had just happened on the summit of Mt. coronet, and he certainly wasn't aware of the horror Arceus had been to her over the past months. Apparently he had little understanding of what it was like to have just born a child either. He seemed to think that now Hoshiko could just up and run off. Pushing aside her natural reaction and her inclination to chew him out, she resigned herself to his request. Hoshiko simply said,

"You're so staying at least a week in Blackthorn when I get home." And glancing down at Vince and making sure her child was secure, Hoshiko submitted to fate. It wasn't that she didn't want to help Samuel, it was that she wanted to stay away from Mt. Coronet. She couldn't help but recall what Ace said about Arceus giving her the Medallion after her baby was born. Were they walking right into the heartache Ace had tried to prevent?

Samuel nodded slowly, holding onto Hoshiko with one arm and the breastplate in the other.

"I'll stay there for awhile, okay? I'm really sorry to drag you along it's just... I have to do this. Ace and I, we've been partners for a long time... And you could have stayed home in Ecruteak. Ace even wanted you to. I appreciate what you've done but...now that we're both here, we can't just leave Ace to die. Not after everything he's done for us, and not before he finishes everything he has to do." He looked down at Vince. "Ready?"

Vince nodded, taking up his post at Hoshiko's other side. He was shorter and not as strong as Samuel, but he leaned into Hoshiko in an effort to help her move forward and keep her balance.

The walk to the top of Mt. Coronet would be a long one.


	34. Sealing the Dragons

**Chapter 34: Sealing the Dragons**

As always, Arceus only laughed when Ace emerged to face him. Coming down from the swirling, pitch-black heavens, the huge creature landed before him on pointed, cloven toes, standing in between the Incarnus and the two massive forms of Dialga and Palkia. Both monsters appeared as nothing but shadow, with streams of dark energy trailing down to them like some sort of sick, smoky ribbon. It was filling them with the power of Alefgard, Ace knew. These monsters were no longer in the defeated state they were in when he'd left them.

Ace knew, looking at Arceus now, that he stood very little chance of living through this. But, he swore to himself, that he refused to die until this job was done. _If_ he died today, it would be after banishing Arceus. How long the banishment lasted was anyone's guess... But he hoped it would be long enough...

_Don't count on it._ Arceus sneered, strutting over to Ace and looking down on him like he was nothing more than a filthy peasant. _Even if you do win, which is severely unlikely, I have no intention of reincarnating you until I have my foothold in the very people of this land. I want the Metavasi. Do you understand me?_ He turned and slowly started walking back to where Dialga and Palkia stood, mere stains of blackness with red glowing eyes fixated on the Incarnus himself. _And by the way...Nice shirt._

* * *

The climb up Mt. Coronet, for Hoshiko, was a familiar one. She, in fact, was the one out of the three that truly knew the way up and the safest route at that. It was a long and perilous journey, not one that was suited for anyone, less for the new mother. And even less suited for Vince and of course, Hoshiko's new born. But Samuel's determination made Hoshiko feel as if she had to make the trip. She bit back pain that refused to relinquish its hold on her shaking body, and she wondered if this trip would be the last one she'd ever make.

Part of Hoshiko still wondered if Samuel understood or appreciated what she had done for Ace and him, but the answer to that would come later on. Hoshiko would have much rather had a touching reunion with her friend than the hectic birth of her daughter and some strange form of what was like a first argument for the two, followed by a trek into the face of death. Even so, she accepted what lay before her now, and although she somewhat resented Samuel's decision, it was more out of pain and concern for her daughter than anything.

As they climbed, Hoshiko gave instructions and repeated words for Samuel that she knew were just as much for fortifying her spirit and will as they were to encourage him to listen to her.

"...It's a long way up, but I know the safest way..." Hoshiko said for the dozenth time, holding her daughter in the makeshift sling, close to her chest so that the growing winds wouldn't bother her. "...I've made this trip countless times..." Hoshiko's eyes stared upwards and then looked between Vince and Samuel to make sure that the two of them were doing alright on the rocky slope dotted with unforgiving shrubbery.

Samuel's jaw was set in a grim line. His eyes locked on the dark clouds circling the mountain above. For now he kept Hoshiko right at his side because he knew that she was safer there, but the closer he got to the top...Well naturally he didn't want her anywhere near the battle that was almost certainly already begun.

"Just be careful, let us help you as much as possible." Samuel instructed. "I think we'll all be fine."

Hoshiko nodded slowly and looked over at her friend. She couldn't understand why she was feeling quite so emotional; maybe it was a reaction to giving birth? Her body reacted differently to life now, but the girl just wished she could feel better or at least the same as before. She didn't like feeling like she needed to be so independent from her friend whom she had never minded relying on before.

"...Okay..."

"'Course we will." Vince said confidently. "We're here to help each other. And don't be scared, guys. I'll be here to protect you."

Samuel sighed. He appreciated Vincent's bravery and boldness. The boy was rambunctious and not swayed by scratches, cuts or bruises. But even so, Samuel knew that Vince didn't understand the gravity of the situation. It wasn't cuts and bruises they all were facing. It very well could be life and death. Or worse. Hoshiko turned to Vince and spoke softly.

"Vince, you gotta promise me you'll stay with me, okay?" She didn't need Vince's help, or at least Hoshiko didn't feel as if she needed it. After all, what she really needed was a hot bath, some pain-killing herbs, and a clean, warm bed. But if she was able to convince the little boy that she needed his help, then it would keep him out of harm's way. Aside from protecting her own child, that was the next most important thing. "Because, I need your help. I...I didn't want to come up here...not with such a tiny little girl...so...you just have to promise that you'll stick with me. That way I'll feel safe...okay?"

Vince looked surprised at first but then nodded, thrilled. "Of course! I'll stay right by you and protect you all the way! You don't have to worry about anything when I'm in charge!"

Samuel smiled weakly at that. He knew what Hoshiko was up to, and he was glad of it. "Good boy..." Samuel said. "You make sure you keep Hoshiko and her baby safe."

Exhaling a relieved sigh, Hoshiko looked at Vince and smiled softly. It was a comfort to know that he would stay with her, and she did believe that he wouldn't stray either, especially because of his earnest love of good. It was a creditable thing to see in such a young boy, when most children at that age were busy putting politoads into girls' hair and climbing trees. And while he did like to climb trees and get into trouble it wasn't just for the sake of it, he wanted to do the right thing.

"Thank you Vince...I'll have to tell your parents how good you were at taking care of me and my little girl. Do you see how tiny she is? I bet she'll love you so much and remember this when she grows up." Hoshiko encouraged the little boy.

Looking to Samuel, though, the girl's eyes filled with worry. Of course she made sure that the glance was hidden from Vince. She knew that the time was fast approaching when Samuel would have to move on ahead.

"...Please be careful, Samuel..." The girl whispered, leaning close to her friend as they struggled a few more laborious steps in the climb. "...I'll never forgive you if you get killed..."

Samuel looked at Hoshiko from the corner of his eye and managed a tiny smile. It was laced with apprehension, but his voice was sincere.

"I'll be careful." He determined. "I'm not gonna get in the way if I can help it. I just want to give this to Ace and make sure he's okay."

Samuel looked straight ahead. The thick trees had mostly closed in on them now, and it was hard to see the top of the mountain anymore, but Hoshiko knew that soon enough the forest got thinner and gave way to rocks and mere patches of languishing grass. Then they would have a clear view of the chaos in the skies above.

* * *

Ace gritted his teeth as Dialga and Palikia started moving forward. Wrapped in an aura of blackness, they were more ominous than he had ever seen them. And the swirling gate over head only threatened to consume the world. Ace knew if he left it open too long, that's exactly what could happen. He had to close it... But could he get to it with these three demons here blocking his way?

That was a really good question.

_You know, Ace, I just don't get __why__ you have to embarrass yourself like this._ Arceus laughed. _First you let yourself become human, become weakness itself, and then you let yourself in on their nonsensical trends? Why not revel in the fact that you aren't human? You know that if they saw you as you truly are they wouldn't understand you. They never will accept you as one of them. Even that silly girl you saved earlier would be stunned and disgusted by you if she got one good look at you and saw that you are not like her. Not like Samuel. You're a thing. An it. A foul spawn of the devil that has no place among what humans consider "good" "right" and "pure". You are filth._

Ace glared. "You're just trying to get into my head again."

_Then why are you wearing that pathetic and putridly colored scrap of cloth to hide yourself? You wouldn't be ashamed or self-conscious if humans were more like monsters. If they were more like you. They could be more like you, you know. They could understand you._

Ace snorted. "So that's what this is about. Well, let me tell you something. I don't want humans to become like me. I don't want humans to become monsters. You've claimed enough casualties over the millennia and me among them. But I don't want you taking anymore."

_Too bad._ Arceus scoffed. _Because I'm going to._

Furious at that, Ace sprang forward and jumped clear over Arceus' head. He landed on the demon king's back strategically, and graced one of the plates with his free hand. It was the electric plate, and it sent a jolt of the element through his body. It was enough to aid Ace in transformation. As it was he no longer had enough strength to transform. He'd used what little he had in helping Hoshiko bring the baby into the world, and now he was far too weak to physically draw the elements out of the earth and sky.

But the plates floating around Arceus emanated energy, and it was exactly enough to allow Ace a fast transformation. He needed to be able to fly. He needed to meet the gate head on and close it before Dialga and Palkia made the first move. His body began to change and immediately he took the shape of the great white wolf, glowing with the pure energy bestowed on him by the Mark. That blade, once in his hand, appeared now on his forehead, like a unicorn's horn. It shone brilliantly in the darkness.

Ace knew he couldn't fight the three demons this way, but he could always force a change back after he was finished. Leaping right off of Arceus' back and towards the sky, Ace rocketed towards the heart of the wickedly churning storm.

It happened so fast. Too fast for Ace to even know what was going on. He'd thought he was going to make it. He was closing in on the dark gate, the Mark pointed into it, body readying for the massive strain of channeling the darkness back into the gate and locking it away. He could feel it—the heaviness, the chill. It was right there, just a breath away—

And then he saw the flash of a fearsome face, red eyes right before his own. He faltered, and was blindsided. His yelp rang through the air like the screaming howl of the wind, and the next thing he knew, the ground was coming up at him, too fast to stop.

The impact was body shattering. He felt the dust shoot up around him, out from under, but then he felt his body breaking rocks, pulverizing them to pebbles. Ace gasped for breath that wouldn't come, eyes wide with shock and pain as soil filled his lungs and made him cough, hack, and wheeze. When his senses finally started coming back to him, he was bracing himself with his front paws, trying to push himself up. A crater yawned up around him, so forceful had been his fall. Over him, at the rim, stood Arceus looking down cruelly.

_Cute maneuver. But I'm not stupid enough to just let you have your way._ Arceus stepped aside. Behind him Ace could see the forms of Dialga and Palkia tearing down through the sky, right towards him. The second Arceus moved, burning fire and energy from the mouths of the dragons came down on Ace, engulfing him entirely. The Incarnus cried out in pain, resisting as best he could, locking his focus on the Medallion and reaching into it for energy. He began to pull the power from the onslaught into himself, and forced his will to keep him standing.

When the smoke cleared, standing he was indeed. The Medallion had transformed him back into a human, and he was holding the Mark in front of him, its blade drawing in the remaining energy from Dialga and Palkia's attack. He was breathing hard, and barely able to stand, but he stared defiantly up at the hovering dragons. Despite the pain in his limbs, he didn't wait. Ace launched up at them from the bowl of the crater and once again engaged both demonic dragons in a whirlwind of a violent fight.

The Incarnus, small but nimble in comparison to his giant opponents, moved like the wind. Fluid and graceful, he avoided crashing tree-trunk like limbs. With sword in hand he led the dragons in a winding, thunderous dance across the plateau. They matched his grace and elegance with terrifying power, trying to crush him underfoot and worse. The bellowing roars of the dragons pulverized stone and sent Ace sprawling, but he was always quick to get back to his feet before the two beasts could trap him in altered timespace. These great creatures, meant to take his place at Arceus' side, wielded time and space like swordsmen with blades. The air rippled and changed. The ground shifted and motion stilled, but Ace still managed to stay moving. His own control of dark world gates gave him portals through which to pass, like a worm through a hole, to wind up safe and out of the traps the dragons laid.

Finally Dialga and Palkia grew impatient with Ace's impudence, and they charged him. With heads back and mouths open they bombarded him with volleys of flames and draconic energy. Ace wove among the impacting blasts like a dancer, each step carefully controlled but so smooth that it seemed as natural as water rolling with gravity. Still, even great dancers misstep, and with one wrong move, he found himself staring up into a blazing torrent of fire.

Thinking quickly, he held up the Mark and bounced the fire blast back at Dialga, catching the dragon by surprise. Dialga barely skirted to the side and Palkia jumped in the opposite direction, both of them whirling around at the same time to slam Ace between the bulk of their two tails. Ace's face distorted in pain, but he forced himself not to cry out. He could feel the pressure on his ribs and lungs, forcing the air out of him and threatening to crunch his skeleton. A few involuntary tears of agony spilled from Ace's eyes, but even as he grimaced and struggled not to be utterly crushed, Ace managed to work his arm into a position where he could take advantage of both dragons' proximity.

The Mark in his hand, he lifted it and held it against his chest, right between the two tails that could have been tree trunks. The blade lit up, and began glowing fiercely. Ace managed a pained smirk, knowing that if Dialga and Palkia didn't release him, they'd be in for a surprise. The special blade's power over dark energy combined with his own gave him the unique chance to stabilize the violent outpouring of darkness emanating from the two dragons. They had been pumped full of it from the opening of the gate, and it was giving them unnatural strength. But Ace was determined to change that.

All at once, threads of blackness began drawing out of the huge monsters, and like black lightning drawn to a metal rod they snaked into the sword in Ace's hand. Dialga and Palkia screamed in rage, catching Arceus' attention. The two dragons were frozen in place, and couldn't retaliate as Ace operated, but Arceus was under no such restraint. From the black heavens he roared down and sent a crippling beam of fire-laced darkness down on Ace. The blast completely engulfed Dialga, Palkia, and their prisoner, triggering a massive explosion on the ground that rattled the mountain itself.

* * *

Samuel, Hoshiko, Vince and the baby felt the rumble of the earth beneath their feet and watched as small stones tumbled down the slope, clattering on the way down. Samuel lifted his gaze towards the peak, while Hoshiko cringed at the sound. The young woman imagined all sorts of terrible things that might have caused such a blast. In her sling, the baby whimpered and cried softly. Vincent came to Hoshiko's side and leaned in, trying to settle the infant with kind words. Biting her lip hard, Hoshiko looked even more concerned at Samuel.

"I don't like the sound of that..." She said, holding her child even closer to herself as if that might protect the child from the noise and the potential violence that was taking place atop the mountain. "We'd better hurry..." Her tone was determined, and Hoshiko battled through pain to move faster, encouraging her two companions to follow along at the same pace.

"You'd better be careful Samuel..." Hoshiko eyes were watering despite her best effort. "Because it's dangerous up there...I know it. Arceus is heartless...don't forget it..."

The poor girl was trying so hard to keep her whimpering down but stress combined with fear and the residual pain of childbirth made it impossible to avoid grimacing with every miserable step. Why was she out here? This was crazy, she told herself. A new mother should be in bed, sleeping, with her baby in a bassinet nearby, not climbing a mountain to face a deadly battle between creatures that held the fate of the world in their hands. But Hoshiko had never been one to do what was expected of her. Why should she start now?

Seeing how worried Hoshiko was for his sake, even in the pain of just having given birth and being dragged around, Samuel couldn't help but feel bad. He held onto her for as long as they could until the forest started thinning, and he looked up at the top of the mountain. Over the distant rise, he saw smoke trailing up to the dark vortex in the sky. Lightning flashed behind the clouds, and thunder grumbled its low warning down to them.

Samuel glanced at Hoshiko. "I'll be careful, I promise. I know this is not gonna be a cakewalk, but I'll take every precaution I can not to get caught up in it all." He crouched down low and finally let go of Hoshiko's arm.

Vince remained at Hoshiko's side, but called after Samuel nervously. "Do you want us to keep following you?"

Samuel looked back. "Follow me if you can, but only as long as you have cover. Hoshiko needs to stay hidden, alright? Can you make sure she's safe and hidden for me, Vince?"

"Oh yeah, sure!" The boy agreed. "She's in good hands, Samuel." He gave a thumbs up.

"Good. I'm gonna pick up the pace now. Don't try too hard to keep up. Just be careful. I will too." Samuel made sure Ace's breastplate was tucked under his arm, and then started scrambling from the shadow of one tree to the next, climbing higher and higher towards the summit, amid slowly tumbling stones and tremors underfoot.

As the dust and smoke cleared, Arceus looked down on the devastation. The black scars in the mountain glared up at him. Below, Dialga and Palkia were struggling to stand, but they were free of Ace's little trap, and were already regaining their strength. Ace was still on the ground, but Arceus could see that he was moving. It was an irritating revelation.

_Can't you just die and be done with it?_ Arceus growled. _Your struggle against me is utterly useless._

Ace grunted and finally staggered to his feet. His shoulders slumped and his arms hanging, it was clear he was tired of fighting, but he was too stubborn to quit. "Keep telling yourself that, Arceus." Ace snapped, before coughing painfully. It felt almost like his lungs were collapsing in on themselves, and when Ace reached a hand up to wipe his mouth, the back of it came away streaked with blood. Ace groaned, but Arceus just stared at him.

_Give it up._

"Hah." Ace scoffed, suddenly rushing at Arceus as the demon slowly settled to the ground.

The Incarnus' humanform body began to glow with energy and the blade in his hand swung out, pointed at the heart of the demon king. But the hit would never land. From the side, Dialga slammed its huge armored head into Ace, flipping him up into the air and knocking him back to the ground. Arceus laughed and jumped back up into the air, flying far up and out of the way.

Furious at being thwarted, Ace rolled on his back, only to see the huge foot of Dialga coming down on him. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding getting crushed, then was forced to roll again as Dialga tried to make up for the missed attack. Ace got into a crouching position and as Dialga backed up to see where the Incarnus was exactly, he got a face full of white hot energy send out from the blade in Ace's hand. Dialga screamed and lurched backwards, giving Ace an opening to jump up and drive the Mark into Dialga's steel-plated chest. The blade met its mark, showered sparks down on Ace, glowing hotly as the darkness in Dialga suddenly gushed from the dragon into the sword.

It was as if the floodgates had been opened, and all of the evil imbued in the creature was pouring out, collected and dispersed by the sacred tool. Dialga stumbled, and Ace drove the blade up harder, turning it as he did.

But even though Dialga was temporarily paralyzed, Palkia was not. And the dragon was not about to allow Ace the upper hand. Swiping a giant claw through the air, Palkia smacked Ace out of the way forcefully, leaving the sword stuck inside of Dialga's chest and Ace lying flat on his back on the rocky soil. Ace pushed himself up with his elbows and his eyes went wide. The Mark was his one chance at sealing the gate, but if he lost it now, it was over.

He jumped to his feet and ran towards Dialga, but Palkia was already there, extending its claw towards the sword. The dragon's roughly hewn fingers grabbed the hilt of the sword and in one sweep yanked the object from inside of Dialga and flung it away in a shower of blood and darkmatter. Ace didn't have a chance to react. The blade came slicing through the air towards him so fast that he didn't even know what had happened when he felt a strange pain in his chest.

Palkia roared and shoved at Dialga to get the other dragon moving again, and the two of them shook off their injuries and started advancing towards Ace. But the Incarnus didn't notice... he was fixated on the blade stuck deep in his chest, just under his ribcage. He touched the hilt lightly with his shaking fingers, and a soft gasp lingered on his dry lips.

_N-no…_

* * *

Watching as Samuel went ahead without them, Hoshiko cursed under her breath, mad that she couldn't chase after him. She desperately wanted to making sure he was safe and keep him from any great harm, but with the baby in the sling at her chest and the pain in her body, she could only drag after him. They didn't feel much like a team right now, when all she could do was helplessly stand back and watch as he ran into danger's waiting arms.

They climbed slowly over the course of many long, agonizing minutes, following the distant shape of Samuel as he moved through rocks, shrubs, and sagebrush, a small, dark shadow against the deepening sky. Despite how it felt, it wasn't long until Samuel disappeared over the crest of the mountain. Hoshiko looked at Vince and nodded. They climbed a little higher to where they could see the gate and the rim of the plateau. The dark shadows of the massive Dialga and Palkia came in and out of view, but the more ominous form of Arceus hung in the black clouds above, lording over the summit with fierce, glowing eyes. Hoshiko stopped, reaching a hand out to Vince and grabbing his shoulder. They ducked in the brush around a large boulder and hid there. This was as close as Hoshiko dared to get. The girl's heart ached as she looked out upon the path ahead that she so desperately wanted to run down.

Samuel was already on the plateau, and there was no doubt that he would be noticed. She'd hoped he wouldn't be, but now, seeing Arceus up there, she felt he could not escape.

But glancing down at the tiny baby carefully tucked in the sling that she'd made out of Samuel's pack, Hoshiko knew exactly why she couldn't go after him. And maybe before she would have seen the concept as Osamu stealing her freedom away from her and maybe in some way he had. Looking down at the little girl, though, Hoshiko couldn't help but want to keep her safe. Want to protect her. And most of all want to love her. It was a strange sense, exchanging freedom to take care of such a tiny little child. It felt strange in the pit of Hoshiko's stomach. After all, she was still only a teenager.

Turning to Vince, Hoshiko smiled gently at him. "What do you think of the baby Vince?"

"She's very little..." Vince said, leaning over to peek at the tiny child hidden away in the sling. "I never thought babies were so...little."

Smiling kindly at the little boy, Hoshiko crouched down beside him, knowing that sitting wasn't exactly the best position for her to be in, just in case they needed to get away fast. "Yeah, she's really small...I don't think I never expected her to be so tiny either..." Hoshiko gentled touched her daughter's head with her hand, gently stroking the little girl's head to make her feel comfort and love.

Vince sat in the dry grass and looked up towards the mountaintop. He could see Samuel's form in the distance, scrambling over rocks at the edge of the mesa, silhouetted against the strange sky. There was a lot of dust and smoke near the mountain top, not to mention all the lightning that danced in the sky. It was kinda scary, but Vince knew he could protect Hoshiko and the baby.

"Do you think she likes pokémon dolls?"

A small laugh escaped Hoshiko's lips as she looked from the little girl to Vince. "...Hm..." The young mother considered his question and then placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Yes. I'm sure she would love pokémon dolls. After all, I did when I was a little girl." She explained, and then smiled softly with a sigh. Her voice got quiet and thoughtful. "You're a really good protector Vince. You know I'll never forget this, right?" She smiled at him. "I'll get you a really nice thank you present too when we get home."

Vincent's cheeks turned pink, and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, uh, you don't need to do that! It's my job to be a hero, you know!" He beamed with pride. "I'm gonna be a really, really big hero, just like they say we're supposed to be when we become Dragon Tamers. I'm already a really good trainer already, and someday, I'll be the best!"

Hoshiko giggled. "I'm sure you will." She turned her gaze to the sky and her expression darkened. "…I'm sure you will…."

* * *

The blood on Ace's fingertips ran down into his palm. It was so surreal. Ace was certain he should have been feeling more pain than this. Yes, it hurt tremendously to breath in, but the wound... It almost felt like it wasn't there. Seeing the blood was strange...like it just shouldn't be. Ace's gaze lifted and he saw Dialga and Palkia running towards him, their heavy feet slamming the ground as they went, but they almost seemed to float, as if skewed in the flow of time and space. Was he dead?

No... Ace knew what it felt like to die. The cold engulfing blackness...no more pain. Just emptiness. A deep, deep sleep.

But was he in the process of dying? That...that seemed likely. Suddenly, Ace's eyes went wide. If he were to die now, the dark world would consume this one... He couldn't just stand here and accept that. Suddenly, his heart began hammering louder in his ears, and his will shoved through his state of suspension. A searing, almost crippling pain roared through his diaphragm as he took in a sharp breath. He had to get the strength...had to make it long enough to—

"ACE!"

The voice cut through his subconscious straight through to his conscious will and forced him to turn his head. There, standing across the plateau, was none other than...

"Samuel..." Ace wheezed, blood dripping down his lips and trickling from the corner of his mouth. Dialga and Palkia suddenly swerved, and their attention was on the boy. They bounded right over Ace, and went to assail the newcomer.

It was Ace who stopped them. Unwilling to watch his master die right in front of him, the monster forced his legs to move again, leaden as they were. Despite how every movement hurt him, and how hard it was to breathe, he propelled himself up onto Dialga's back with one great kick off from the ground, and before the creature knew what had happened, the ancient rocks of the mountain began rising up around him and came inward with violent speed, closing in and crushing Dialga from all angles while the ground as his feet trembled and caved.

Ace jumped out of the way in time to avoid getting caught in his own disaster, and Dialga was not seriously injured, but stalled more than long enough for Ace to lock eyes with Samuel. A scolding, frustrated glance told Samuel that he shouldn't have come...but in that same glance there was a hint of relief. That was when Samuel noticed the blade sticking out of Ace's body. He was too late. The armor was no use now.

"No...Ace—"

"Samuel... get back!" Ace sputtered and suddenly lashed out a hand and shoved Samuel out of the way, just as Palkia lowered its huge head and snapped its jaws, right where Samuel had been standing. A sharp grimace accentuated just how much pain the movement caused Ace, but grim determination forced him to look up again.

"Stay down..." He growled at Samuel, stepping toward Palkia. He only had a few seconds before Dialga was back on its feet. He had to use the time wisely.

And that he did. Crying out loud, Ace summoned all of the strength inside of him to lunge at Palkia, shoulder first... The dragon went to meet him head on, and they slammed into one another with surprising force. Ace's heels dug into the rocks, cracking the ground as slowly, Palkia began to shove him backwards. Ace fought to hold his ground against the beast, but he was losing it fast. Rocks ripped by underneath his feet, leaping and skittering away. Palkia was edging him closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. Ace grunted loudly, and resisted.

Slowly, his efforts began to pay off. The ground slowed underfoot, and settled under his metal boots. Samuel stood on the sidelines, mortified as Ace finally stopped Palkia's advance...right at the edge of the cliff. If Ace had been well and whole, Samuel might have cheered him on, but seeing Ace standing there now, at the precipice, with a sword through his middle, holding off a dragon more than three times his size made Samuel sick with terror.

"Heheh..." Ace laughed bitterly, through heavy breaths of torture. "I'll...see you in hell."

Suddenly, Palkia screamed a blood curling, earth rending scream. Unsure of what was happening, Samuel cried out Ace's name and started running forward, but then he stopped dead in his tracks. Palkia's body began to fade inside of a purplish-black mist. The strange energy began swirling around the dragon, and it took only a moment for Samuel to realize that the energy was being projected somehow from Ace himself. Then Samuel noticed something glowing between Palkia and the Incarnus. It was the blade!

The blade wedged into the bow of Ace's ribs was somehow reinforcing Ace's power and allowing him to capture Palkia in the swirling vapor. Samuel began noticing that darkness was growing thick around Palkia, and he was certain he could see something inside of the darkness. Stars maybe, or twinklings of something like stars. Then the young man recognized what Ace was doing. The Incarnus was using the power of the Mark to open a rift in time and space.

* * *

In the sheltered safety of the scrub and boulders, Vincent stayed beside Hoshiko. From here they only saw glimpses of flashes and heard the unmistakable sounds of battle. Over it all, they heard Samuel's cries now and then, but then everything died down. Now, over them, at the edge of the plateau, loomed the form of Palkia, pressing Ace right to the edge. From here Hoshiko and Vince saw the two halted creatures, locked in unmoving combat, and it was frightening. If Ace slipped, he'd fall down the mountain, with them only looking on. They could do nothing to save him.

But now Vince looked up the mountain and opened his mouth as if to say something, but it just hung open. He stared upward in awe and confusion. "Whoa... What's that?"

He pointed up to the edge of the plateau. It seemed to be getting darker, and there was clearly a distinct shape forming—a giant round sphere that, as he looked on it, appeared almost like a piece of the night sky had fallen to earth and was just floating there, spinning as if it was its own little planet.

"Wow..."

Hoshiko felt her heart skip a beat. The phenomenon was something that Hoshiko recognized, akin to what she'd witnessed with Samuel when they were in Orre and Ace had tried to close the gate.

"He must have done something with time..." The girl muttered to herself, eyes shifting to the ground as she considered what the action Ace had taken might mean.

Vincent looked at Hoshiko in confusion and concern. "Time?"

Hoshiko looked at Vince comfortingly. "Don't worry. Ace has a lot of talents, Vince. He knows what he's doing. That thing up there...that's just one of his abilities. Just like all different pokémon have attacks, Ace is like that...he's just a lot more powerful. He can use time as an element like many pokémon can use fire or water." She squeezed the boy's shoulder reassuringly. "Everything will be just fine." She said softly, but added in her mind worriedly. _"I hope."_

Vincent hunkered down in the grass, but kept his eyes turned towards the peak. He'd never seen anything quite like that strange glimpse of what he only imagined might have been another world.

"Ace can really do those things?" He asked. "Ace is really that strong?" Vincent remembered when Ace had been in the intensive care unit. He'd not seemed very strong then.

Hoshiko nodded. "Ace is very strong."

* * *

Arceus' face turned towards the wormhole as it sucked Palkia inside, and the self-proclaimed god let out an angry roar. He swooped and landed on the ground again, but as he started walking towards Ace, Samuel ran out and stood in his way. So much for staying out of it.

But to Samuel's surprise, Arceus didn't attack him. Didn't even show any signs of aggression. Instead, Arceus laughed.

_Were I to deem necessary your death, it would have already taken place, Fool._ Arceus snorted at Samuel's attempts to deflect Arceus' attention away from Ace. _No...At this point you're worth more to me alive than dead._ Arceus gingerly stepped over Samuel, and the young man ducked, covering his head. But he quickly realized that Arceus was just walking past him, not attacking, and he watched in amazement and confusion as the god monster's long limbs struck earth on all sides of him, and the beast's underside passed over like a ceiling.

Never before had he been so close to Arceus, or imagined it was so huge. He never wanted to be that close again.

Arceus made its way over to where Dialga was just now getting its bearings, and stood between the dragon and Ace, for only a moment. The demon king eyed the Incarnus and narrowed his eyes in an insidious grin.

_Impressive. I guess you're every bit as resourceful as you were in the past. But whether you live or die here today is on no concern to me. Either way, I will have this world, be it sooner or later. I have learned patience, thanks to you and your insufferable defiance._

Ace grunted, and finally the rift in space and time sucked in around Palkia with a hissing pop, closing off as Ace changed his focus. In place of the wormhole, there remained a dark, twinkling crystal—a time trap, in which Palkia was restrained from going forward or backward in time, or moving in any direction through space. Ace gave one last look at the final product of his tremendous effort...one that had consumed so much of his life energy. He had little left, but he hoped he had enough for Dialga.

"You might want to go and guard your gate..." Ace breathed heavily. "I'm coming for _it_ next."

_As expected._ Arceus nodded grimly, stepping aside to reveal Dialga ready and waiting to attack the Incarnus. _I'll see you there, if you survive._ And with that, Arceus flew back up into the darkening sky, leaving Samuel and Ace staring up into the gloom, the wind whipping around their faces and stirring their hair.

Dialga waited for its master to vanish from view before it opened its mouth and spewed billowing dragon's breath onto Ace. Ace couldn't drop to the ground and roll out of the way, and now with his injury, he couldn't even jump quickly to the side. He felt the sword inside of him taking its toll and limiting his movement more with every passing second. He knew instinctively that one movement too far one way or another could sever an artery or slice into a vital organ, and he'd already moved around too much.

The muscles in his chest and in his upper abdominals were screaming, contacting in pain, and Ace could taste copper in his mouth and feel warm liquid that somehow he knew wasn't sweat or saliva, running down his chin from the corner of his mouth.

It was all he could do to stand where he was and literally take the heat. And the heat felt like a thousand suns closing in around him. He felt his skin burning, and all he wanted to do was die, if only for that painful moment to end. Still, through the agony, he knew the flames were his cover. They were a shroud of white hot tongues, keeping Dialga from seeing his whereabouts.

Ace plowed forward, and before Dialga knew what was happening, it felt its mouth snap shut as Ace slammed one hand down hard on Dialga's top jaw and another hard on the bottom. The regurgitated flames rising from Dialga's belly were forced back down inside the monster's gullet, causing scorching pain and burns all the way down into the beast's belly, where they were not supposed to be.

There was no time for Dialga to recover either. While stunned, Ace channeled his own life energy into the manipulative powers of the Mark, and through the very blade that stuck inside of him, he projected the same energy that had sealed Palkia. This time, Dialga was the one so ensnared. The beast screamed and struggled, thrashing to escape.

Ace lost his hold on Dialga's head, and the monster sent flames shooting in bright red puffs into the sky. But all of the struggling and all of the clamor were for naught. The creature's legs were seized by the distorting bands of time, and soon its whole body was tangled in the strange web of mist that would soon transform itself into a gateway into the abyss. Nothing awaited the dragon, and lots of it.

Dialga's eyes flashed as it got one last glimpse of Ace—a strange image, to be certain.

Ace stood still, head down, chin against his chest. He didn't look intimidating or powerful, but it was clear that he was concentrating. Energy flowed from him in strange ribbons and bolts, dancing across Dialga's vision until they filled the dragon's view. The very last moment that Dialga looked upon Ace, the Incarnus slightly lifted his chin and glanced at Dialga through ice blue eyes, shining with pain but determination.

And then Dialga knew no more.


	35. Now Begins Forever

**Chapter 35: Now Begins Forever**

The wind whipped cold, like ice against Samuel's face. It was strange, because the air had seemed somewhat warm until the darkness seeped through it. Now it had that sickening chill to it—that cold that Samuel loathed. But he tried to ignore his discomfort as he ran across the plateau, feet slamming hard against the rock and carrying him to Ace's side.

Ace shuddered, wavered, and his legs crumpled. Samuel dove in, sliding on his knees and catching the descending creature. Ace's fall was cushioned by the outstretched arms of his master. It seemed to Samuel that it was a miracle Ace was even still breathing. As he held onto Ace, he finally got an up close and personal look at the Mark, stabbed deep in Ace's flesh, just under the base of his ribcage. It was a horrific wound, blood chilling when Samuel thought about all the damage it could do...possibly already had done.

Slowly, the young man removed the tropical print shirt that covered Ace's body so that he could get a better look at the wound. Immediately, Samuel almost wished he hadn't. The whole front of Ace's white tunic was soaked and red. It still seemed that there was blood coming from the wound too. The young man cringed at the sight and looked helplessly at Ace's face. The Incarnus was pale, but conscious, staring up into the clouds and breathing sharp but shallow breaths.

"Oh Ace..." Samuel moaned. "Why did you leave in such a hurry? Couldn't you have put your armor on?"

"I...wanted to leave it... so that Hoshiko would have boiling water if she needed it for anything else..."

Samuel frowned and laid a hand on Ace's forehead. The creature felt cold and clammy to the touch, certainly not a good sign. "You idiot... It won't do us any good if you die..."

Ace suddenly coughed, and Samuel had to roll him onto his side so that he wouldn't choke on the blood that came up from the exertion. Eyes full of pity and fear, Samuel eased Ace back into his lap and brushed a strand of damp white hair out of the Incarnus' face.

"I...can't die yet... I have to close that gate." He looked up into the black vortex churning the clouds overhead. "Before Arceus...summons his armies through it..." He turned his face to look Samuel in the eye. "Pull out...the sword from my body..." Ace wheezed.

Samuel went pale. "B-but if I do that it might kill you!"

Ace shook his head feebly, with great effort. "The only risk...is possibly bleeding to death. I can tell...none of my major organs have been...damaged." Ace coughed again, and felt sharp pain shoot from his core out to his very fingertips. "It's gone into my diaphragm." Ace warned slowly. "The sword is making it hard for me to breathe... With it gone, I'll be able to move a little more freely... Then I can last…a little longer…."

Samuel bit down hard on his lip and reached up, wrapping his fingers around the hilt. He hesitated, and looked down at Ace nervously. "I don't want to hurt you..." Samuel protested.

"I'm hurt as it is... It will be fine..." He breathed slowly. "Please... I need to be free of it if I am to go up there and close the gate..."

Samuel swallowed hard, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and nodded. Gripping the sword firmly, he gave one sharp yank, pulling it out as straight on as he could. Ace cried out in terrible pain, back arching and cold, slick hands gripping Samuel so tightly Samuel thought it would leave bruises. But after the young man opened his eyes and looked down at Ace, he could tell the pain was already subsiding.

Ace lay there for a moment, so still that Samuel almost felt the sickening dread that maybe death had overcome him. After a moment though, Ace moved just enough to look at Samuel, and he forced a pained smile.

"Thank you... Now..." Ace lifted one hand. "Give me the Mark. I need it...to complete my task."

Samuel obeyed, and eased Ace into a sitting position when asked. He waited for a moment for Ace to catch his breath, and then also helped the Incarnus stand up. Ace groaned and leaned on Samuel for support for a long time, surprised at how weak his legs were. "I've used too much of my energy..." Ace explained. "I hoped I have enough left..."

"Just...take it easy..." Samuel warned, overcome by worry.

"No time for that..." Ace said finally, pulling away and finding his feet again.

Samuel looked on, terrified. "Wait!" He held up his hand. "What are you going to do?..."

"I have to transform... Only the light of Wildcard and the Mark can seal that gate."

"How will you transform? You're so weak already!"

"I will do what I must. If I don't seal the gate...this world is gone. It's worth the risk to save it." Ace slowly lifted the blade in his hand and bowed his head, lightly touching the weapon against his forehead. Ace's body began to glow, and Samuel watched helplessly as the human Ace became Wildcard Ace. Pure white with the softest blue markings and eyes that glowed brightly. Ace glanced over, his white fur stained underneath with blood. "I have to go now... Take care of...Hoshiko."

Samuel's eyes widened, not wanting to think that maybe Ace was saying that because he didn't believe he'd be coming back. "Hang on!" He shouted. Ace waited, and Samuel came over, lifting up the metal breastplate. "Wear your armor this time..."

Ace smiled slightly at Samuel and ducked his head. In Samuel's hands the breastplate began changing shape, becoming a shield well designed to grace the incarnus' back. Ace bowed low, and Samuel put the armor on him. Only when it was secure did Ace lift his head and try to move away.

He was stopped one more time by the arms of the boy, as Samuel threw his arms around Ace's neck and buried his face in the Incarnus' soft mane.

"Please...be careful... And please come back..."

Ace swallowed hard. "I..." He hadn't intended on this being difficult. "I'll try... But please... Go to Hoshiko now. She needs you and I... Well... This is something I have to do by myself." He leaned forward and licked Samuel's face, partly out of affection and partly to get the young man to lift his head away and let go of him.

Samuel backed up a little, and wiped his face with his arm. It was obvious he'd been crying.

"Please... Just come back..." Samuel said, watching as Ace nodded weakly and then turned to look up into the sky. Ace curled his hindquarters under himself and sprang upwards, quickly flying into the heart of the storm. Samuel watched for as long as he dared, then he ran across the plateau, leaving behind the rocky, battle-scarred alter and the floating crystal distortions of time and space that loomed over it, frozen and lifeless.

He ran down the side of the mountain, slipping a few times, stumbling a few more, but he had to get back to Hoshiko. And he couldn't let himself look back.

* * *

Hoshiko practically held her breath the entire time she waited for news from Samuel. After Palkia had disappeared and any remaining noise from above had stopped, the woman assumed that the fight was over, but she didn't want to jump to any conclusions and wind up in trouble. Now she could hardly think straight. Anything could have happened up there. What, in essence were they awaiting? Samuel to come down and tell them that it was over and that they'd won? Or maybe that Ace had died? Or maybe Samuel was injured, or dead...or worse. Maybe he wouldn't be coming back. The thought made Hoshiko's flesh crawl.

Glancing at Vince, the girl tried to hide her nervousness. That was until she heard the sound of footsteps kicking up stones and coming down the mountain. Coming close to the child, Hoshiko looked at him a little sterner than she would have liked.

"Shhhhh, something's coming." She warned and then silenced herself, listening in wait.

To her relief, moments later, she saw the familiar frame of Samuel descending towards them. He appeared unharmed, at first glance judging from the steadiness with which he walked. As he got closer, however, Hoshiko's heart skipped a beat. The entire from of his shirt was covered in blood. Standing up as quickly as her worn body would let her, the young woman took Vince's hand and cradled her child in the sling with her other arm.

"Samuel!" She called out to her friend. "W-What's happened?" She noticed, then, that Ace wasn't with him, which made Hoshiko almost rue asking the question.

Samuel stumbled into the thick cover of grass and rocks that shielded Hoshiko from passersby, and he dropped to his knees beside her, weary and upset, but glad that Hoshiko was safe. He glanced up at the young mother and at Vince with red, swollen eyes and forced the words out that he didn't like to even utter.

"Ace has been seriously wounded..." Samuel revealed, "He was stabbed...and if he only would have had his armor it would have been prevented but...there's nothing we can do to change it now. I know Ace won't go back in time to try and fix it because all of his energy needs to go towards sealing the gate. He defeated Dialga and Palkia. He sealed them away inside of some strange...wormhole that I've never seen before. I don't think they can get out...at least not easily.

Ace was still alive when I saw him last, but he said he had to go and close the gate, even if it took all he had left... And Arceus is waiting up there for him..."

Speechless, Hoshiko had no idea what to do, and the crippling reality was that there was in fact nothing she could contribute to the cause now. Everything she could do had been exhausted. Even if that had been a five month effort and presenting Arceus with a fake stone, somehow right now it didn't feel like enough. Not with Ace wounded, not with Samuel crying, not with her child still not in a situation that was promised to be safe. Everything, even with all the work that had gone into it, was still in shambles, and Hoshiko couldn't help but cry at Samuel's sorry state.

"I...I don't know what to do..." Hoshiko bit her lip. Taking her hand off of Vince's shoulder, she knelt and wrapped that arm around Samuel's shoulders. "Samuel...I-I'm sorry...b-but...we have to trust Ace." The girl's eyes looked up to the skies where still the darkness that Arceus had awakened loomed. "...I wish...there was something more I could do...I feel useless..."

Hoshiko's words struck Samuel's heart, even as he leaned into the young mother's embrace. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel that way. And even though he himself felt much the same and lost in a frantic sea of worry, he turned his head and tried to speak clearly enough into Hoshiko's ear that he could provide some semblance of comfort. Even if he himself didn't feel like there was a lot of hope.

"You're not useless... You've done a lot more than I have..." He admitted slowly. "If it wasn't for you... Who knows what could have happened to us..."

The girl sniffled as she heard her friend's words. They were certainly comforting, but not enough to make Hoshiko's sadness vanish.

"I...tried so hard...to make everything alright..." Hoshiko's voice was one part sadness and another frustration. It was clear that she had wanted to do everything this time, so that no one else would have a burden. "I wanted to make it easy...but...but I couldn't." Placing her face, wet tears at all in her friend's neck, Hoshiko sobbed.

"I can't ever make everything alright. I wanted to so badly, and I tried so hard...I offered Ace my life, I went with Arceus, I did it all but it didn't make difference! Now Ace could die and we'd all be in danger...I wasn't able to do anything, Samuel...I failed..." Hoshiko muttered sadly. "I couldn't stop Osamu, I couldn't stop my mother...what made me think I could stop Arceus? All I did was prolong this disaster!...That's all I did..." Hoshiko's hand clutched onto Samuel's shoulder sadly, her body trembling.

The sick feeling in Samuel's stomach grew even more difficult to bear as he pondered whether or not there was any truth to his friend's words. It horrified him to think that there could be. After all, if Ace died, what else could they do to help anyone? Even if for only a moment, Samuel managed to put aside his personal emotional investment in his monster and see Ace for what he really was. The reality that Ace was the only one really able to have an impact against Arceus' reign was a big deal, and if Ace died...there would be nothing left in Arceus' path to prevent this world from being consumed.

It was a harsh reality, and one that Samuel couldn't think about for long. Tightly, he clung to Hoshiko, and carefully he kept the little baby of hers sheltered between them. He looked down at her innocent little face and felt another tear run down his cheek. Even though the girl wasn't his child, he still loved her. She already felt like family to him, and to even imagine that she might have to face an endless nightmare was the most horrible thing Samuel could have ever imagined. She deserved so much better than this...

"You did the best you could...and it made a difference." Samuel encouraged, and fighting his own fears he added hesitantly, "Ace will be alright... He has to be..."

Samuel knew he was lying to himself if he thought that Ace couldn't die. Even if it was hard to kill the monster, it wasn't impossible, or else Ace would not _be_ the Incarnus in the first place. But that thought led him to wonder...

"How do you think Ace died...way back when? Before he was...well... Ace as we know him now? I'm sure he didn't die easily..."

Feeling Samuel's own tears, Hoshiko felt moved to cry even more. She felt her heart dropping as the girl saw her friend looking down at her daughter and no doubt thinking the exact same things that she was. Worried for the child which she had just brought into the world, Hoshiko shook her head slowly. And despite the fact that there were so many things that she wanted to say, Hoshiko felt inclined to answer Samuel's question first.

"...I...I don't know. I can't imagine it was anyone but Arceus that killed him..." Eyes narrowed sadly, Hoshiko looked at Samuel's face as if he might have more of an answer then she would. "I can't think of anyone or anything in the world that could defeat him. Ace is so powerful...he couldn't be defeated by just anyone..."

Whimpering at the very thought, Hoshiko shivered. "It's not fair Samuel...she won't even have a chance if Ace dies..." Even if Hoshiko didn't look down at her daughter it was obvious whom she was referring to. "It's already bad enough for her, without a father and just a young mother...but...without him sealing the gate...she won't even have a chance..." Hoshiko sobbed softly.

Heart clenching, Samuel nervously extended a hand and tucked his scarf tighter around the tiny baby's body, as if doing so would shield her from everything that was out to get her. Samuel swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at the stormy sky.

Little flashes of light, too small to be lightning, glistened from deep inside the swirling clouds, lighting up the dark edges like threads of silver and gold. He imagined that they were signs of what little life Ace had left, letting him know the Incarnus was doing his best to complete this job at any cost.

"He'll be okay..." Samuel said, sounding more as if he was trying to convince himself than anything else. "He'll make it out, and everything will be okay..."

* * *

Ace tumbled through the air, lightning flashing around him and the bitter cold of darkness gnawing at his every limb. Arceus floated above him, unleashing a fearsome blast of dark energy down at Ace, but the Incarnus was more prepared each time. After taking a couple of hits, he anticipated the angle of the attacks more effectively, and became more unpredictable in his movements.

The Mark on his forehead began to glow, and with a jerk of his neck and a buck of his head, Ace sent an energy blast back at Arceus. The two energies met in between the monsters, converging into a huge sphere of roiling power, darkness and light attempting to quench one another, but unable to gain an advantage.

The chaos building up inside quickly became too much, and even as the energies sucked in on one another, their power only conflicted more. Like forcing two magnets of a like charge together and causing a massive repulsion, the sphere of power buckled, caved in, and then suddenly blew apart, sending heat and cold, light and dark, and what appeared to be purple and black fire and smoke off in every direction. The lightning flickered and thunder rolled again, as the playing field between the two old foes began to clear.

Ace floated in one place for a moment, staring silently and in deep confusion. Where Arceus had been, the god-monster was no longer there. The massive demon had left the pathway to the dark portal into Alefgard wide open. Ace tensed and felt his heart pound harder, but quickly worked to calm himself and slow it so that he wouldn't kill himself by bleeding to death. Looking around, there was no sign of the creature anywhere.

So Ace made his move towards the gateway, flying straight for it and channeling his energy in preparation to seal it. He put his life force and his ability to manipulate the darkness into the Mark, and fed it, allowing it to then feed his own strength. The heart of darkness yawned wide for him, and he felt close enough that he could have reached out and touched it. The energy inside of him began coursing towards his limbs, his paws and his head glowing as he prepared to unleash it all.

But then, out of nowhere, he felt a terrible impact that completely demolished his natural senses, the whole world spinning around him as he was slammed and sent flying off track and into the hungry storm clouds. Arceus appeared where Ace had been, his cruel laughter echoing.

_Death awaits you yet again, Incarnus. Are you ready to live out every one of your worst nightmares and more?!_

* * *

It was insane, two youths with the weight of the world on their shoulders and the rest of the population completely clueless. All they had to ponder was the fate of humanity with no one to console the two people barely old enough to be responsible for themselves.

But they had been, for much longer than anyone would have expected. And they had seen more than most adults. Samuel, who had taken care of himself since childhood and experienced much more than he ever deserved, and Hoshiko being given a family much sooner than she had wanted or expected, both carried their independence with them and until now had used it well enough. Unfortunately, things were looking grim. Were there only a way to assure them of Ace's safety, it would make such a difference.

"...Samuel...i-if...it doesn't work out..." Hoshiko swallowed hard. "...T-Thank you..." Her eyes were forlorn and she could hardly breathe. "...For everything...y-you've done for me...for...for us..." And taking Samuel's hand and placing it gently on her daughter's head he smiled at her friend. "Remember...when I...put your hand on my stomach...when I was...two months pregnant? Can you believe...she was the one inside of me? I..still can't understand...how I could have something so precious...within me Samuel...someone so beautiful born from such a terrible experience...did my suffering warrant such a gift? I don't...understand...I'm not good enough for her...and now..."

Samuel's next words came as a soft breath against Hoshiko's face. He began to realize that, no matter what happened, they'd be forced to live with the consequences. Life wasn't going to end instantly.

"Listen, Hoshiko... Humans have lived this long, right? We'll find a way to live on... We have to. And she'll grow up, and you'll only have to show her life with love. That's the most important thing right? To be loved?" Samuel hung his head and stared at a bald spot on the ground as Vincent scooted close to the two friends and looked at the little baby between them. "You're not perfect... Neither am I. But a baby doesn't need perfect. A baby just needs love... a little closeness. A place where they can feel safe and cared for. And you can provide that. I know you can."

Breathing out softly, Hoshiko looked at her daughter. "...Samuel...I can...I can give her all that...the love...and being close..." The girl's heart broke for her helpless child. "But...I'm only one person. I can't do it all. I'm scared. I could do the wrong thing, she's so small. What if I forget something she needs?" Leaning against her friend, Hoshiko could feel her heart pounding out of her chest.

"...Samuel...whatever happens. Don't leave us, okay?" Hoshiko looked at him and shook her head. "I know it's a lot to ask...probably too much. But...I think we'll need each other...the darkness...it'll be strong and we need to stick together...and me...well...I need some help." Cradling her daughter as the little girl seemed to be unsettled, Hoshiko bit her lip. "She needs her Uncle Samuel...and I need my best friend..."

Samuel swallowed and nodded, knowing that she was right. He wouldn't last long on his own either if things didn't end so well, and he had to accept that. This journey was far from over.

"I won't leave." Samuel said after a moment. "I'll be here to make sure that she's safe...And that you're not alone."

"Thank you, Samuel..." Hoshiko murmured, leaning into the young man and closing her eyes, too afraid to look up into the swirling black sky. "Thank you…."

* * *

Ace felt the energy he'd focused so hard to build dissipating like fine sand in the wind, slipping away, beyond his grasp.

"No!" He cried out, as he tried to refocus his thoughts, even while free falling. Wind rushed up around him and he watched Arceus growing smaller and smaller as he fell farther and farther away.

He couldn't afford to lose what little precious energy he'd gathered. Desperately he began refortifying what he could, and after a moment, slowed his decent to hover. His eyes turned skyward again, and he felt an icy chill through and through. Arceus was gone again. No longer looming above and watching him.

Instantly, Ace was on guard. He dared not even breathe for a moment as his ears went up and every brush from the wind made the fur on his nape stand on end. Suddenly he felt as if Arceus was everywhere, closing in, ready to kill him. He didn't even know if he could move out of the way in time...all of his senses were so confused by the storm and his pain.

And then his eyes shot open. Almost like a shock had gone through him, Ace felt the barest shift in the air, a distinctive movement so off-kilter from the sway of the winds that he _knew_ it wasn't natural. Snapped to attention, he swept to the side, his long white fur flowing in the wind as Arceus suddenly appeared out of nowhere...right exactly where he had been.

Ace wasted no time, then. Immediately he dove down at Arceus and attacked him from the back. In his haste, he struck one of the elemental plates floating around the creature, and upon doing so the massive pokémon instantly took notice of the assault. Arceus craned his long neck around and fired a blast at Ace, the heat singeing the Incarnus' fur as he lurched back upwards to avoid the hit. Ace knew he couldn't take much more, but his focus on the elemental plates hovering around Arceus suddenly grew. His interest piqued by how protective and alert Arceus was in regards to them, he tried to figure what might be so important about the objects.

He knew that the plates provided a massive amount of elemental energy to Arceus. Ace could literally _feel_ the power exuding from them, and that was why he had used one of the plates for his own transformation. But could it have been that the plates were fueling Arceus' power more than the demon wanted to let on? Were they somehow a physical manifestation of the aer in its most concentrated form?

The thought made Ace's blood run cold. If that was true, the plates were a huge danger in and of themselves, but they could also render Arceus vulnerable if removed or destroyed... But how...

Then it came to him. If he attacked one plate at a time instead of attacking Arceus himself, he might be able to break through the protection and weaken the attacks Arceus himself dealt, which would grant Ace more time. Another thought occurred, however. If Ace knocked the plates away and they went crashing down onto Mt. Coronet, they could create a connection with the dark gate and root it in place.

Ace knew that concentrations of darkness attracted and strengthened each other. If the elemental plates really were pure aer, then that meant that they were the means with which Arceus was manipulating the gate itself. They had to be removed from the picture, or risk disaster.

A huge beam of energy grazed Ace's body and snapped him back to the present. Arceus had recovered more than enough, and had now turned to face Ace and come at him again. The fight would go on forever, or until Ace perished, and the Incarnus had no delusions about that. Arceus could outlast him, there was no denying it. Ace didn't have the means to fight the demon king in the past, and he certainly didn't have the means to do so now. But brute strength wasn't Ace's true strong point. Even though Ace was certainly powerful, his true strength was his strategic sense and his careful knack for planning. He couldn't defeat Arceus. But he knew what to do to help render him incapable of causing problems for a long time to come.

"You win, Arceus." Ace admitted with a slight growl. "I'm outmatched, entirely. Even if I were to keep fighting you... I would not last much longer. I feel death creeping up on me..." He tried to steady his words, trembling from his over exertion. "You're right... I have, once again, met my fate at the hand of my creator."

Arceus stared at Ace with his sunken, glowing eyes unblinking and laden with scrutiny. Ace stared back, unflinching. Finally, Arceus conveyed his thoughts.

_Somehow I doubt you've fully come to accept your role as my servant, or even your death._ He narrowed his eyes fiercely. _But if you truly see now how useless you've been, maybe you can make up for it yet. Come back to me, and help me take this world as my own._

Ace looked down at the surface of the plateau below them, and then up at the gate overhead. It still needed closure, and soon. Ace flew towards Arceus slowly, ducking his head and tucking his tail between his legs submissively.

"I have no choice..." Ace said aloud. "Take me and destroy this body. Give me a new one, that I might serve you."

Arceus just laughed. _You will get a new one, certainly... After this world is my own. I do not trust that you wouldn't try and stop me if I grant you such a thing right now._

"A fair decision, My Lord." Ace agreed, coming right up to Arceus and stopping before him. "I am ready."

_Good._ Arceus sneered. _Hold still. I'll make your death quick and painless for your cooperation._

* * *

"Do you think...she'll hate me for keeping Osamu from her?" Hoshiko said quietly, watching the child in her arms. "For both of us..." The young mother's eyes closed and her head looked up the slope of Mt. Coronet, the familiar pathway that she had trodden so many times before. It was hard to imagine what any world that Arceus would rule could be like. It was an even more frightening prospect than living with Osamu.

Samuel shook his head slowly. He couldn't say, didn't even know if it would matter. But somehow he doubted that Hoshiko's baby would ever hate her.

"What do you think...it'll be like?" Hoshiko asked breathlessly after a long silence, staring up into the sky.

The girl held her child even closer between her and Samuel. She couldn't protect her, not truly, but it made her feel better to keep her loved ones close. Hoshiko could only do her best, and that was all that she could do. That was exactly what she _would_ do. It would be easier than the five months alone. At least with Samuel, it wouldn't be desolate and lonely.

"I...I don't know." Samuel closed his eyes helplessly. "I wish I had answers for you, but all I can say is that we just have to face it as it comes. We'll do our best, and that's the only thing that matters. Hopefully it'll be enough."

He sighed. "And don't worry. Somehow I don't think, no matter what happens, that your daughter will hate you. I'm sure there will be times when she resents you...no parent and child ever get along all the time... But even as tumultuous as my relationship with my father was, I know that I am who I am because of him... And some part of me loves him, even just for that. Your daughter will love you, Hoshik—"

A flash of strange light danced across Hoshiko's features, highlighting her dark, sleek hair and even the smooth and pale lines of her face with a violet glow. That was when Samuel looked up and saw it.

The same sort of light skittered across the bellies of the swollen black clouds, like some sort of freakish lightning raging through the heavens. The aftereffects came shortly after, and Samuel felt the cold rush of wind as a suffocating _whoosh_ of a roar seemed to tear towards the epicenter of the lightning flashes. It was nothing like any explosion Samuel had ever seen. It was purely and for lack of a better description, an implosion.

Samuel watched in shock as a black crystal, hovering like a tiny piece of the night sky in full view, suddenly shattered and caved in on itself, sucking in clouds and rushing torrents of air with it. For a second, Samuel even thought that the entire black gate would be swallowed in an instant. But it remained hanging over them, even as the air finally settled and the rolling thunder faded into oblivion. A cold feeling came over him, and he had to force the next words out of his mouth.

"W-what was that?"

With weary eyes Hoshiko watched the sky. Her heart leapt and skipped beats frantically so that she felt she might pass out. It was hard to imagine what could be taking place. If Ace were to die, how quickly could Arceus achieve his goal? What would happen? Was this the beginning of the end? Hoshiko's mind raced, filled with too many questions to answer. Reaching over and bringing Vince close into her and Samuel's circle, Hoshiko sheltered the little boy carefully. The four in the group nestled carefully together.

"...I...I...don't know Samuel..." Hoshiko's voice sounded dry and hoarse. She wanted to say that it seemed like something assuring to them...but with the dark clouds still hanging ominously, it was hard to even push the words out of her mouth.

"We'll just stay close...it'll be okay..." The young woman hung her head, leaning the side of it against Samuel's chest and bringing Vincent closer against her side, hoping to make him feel more secure. And of course, watching her daughter, wondering sadly what the little baby could make of all this tragedy in her pure innocence.


	36. Don't Say It

**Chapter 36: Don't Say It**

The seconds ticking by bled into long, painful minutes. The dark portal hanging over Mt. Coronet continued casting gloom on the earth below. Silence consumed everything. Even the storm—which had been so severe before—stilled, the winds melting away and leaving behind the type of quite that oppresses all of your senses. Samuel could scarcely breathe. He huddled closer, protectively over the group. He was just a young man, but right now he felt like the only one who might be able to defend his friends.

But what was he defending them from? He didn't know. Was it the gate? Maybe the silence? Perhaps something that would come out of the gate, or even Arceus himself. Samuel didn't know what he would be able to do against any of those things, but he sheltered his little family of sorts and stared with wide eyes into the darkness above.

Nothing was so truly horrifying as not knowing what was going to happen. Samuel could only think of one reason why the gate wouldn't be closed now... And he didn't want to breathe a word of it. But Vince cut through the quite with an innocent but very concerned question, nullifying Samuel's purposeful effort to hold his tongue.

"Did... Did Ace die?"

The words bit deep. Hoshiko could tell when Samuel was tense. She had seen him in situations that were difficult before. But even the instance where Osamu had held her so tightly in front of the Olivine Police Station, with both her and Samuel, forehead to forehead, desperate as humans could be….Even that failed to compare to the heaviness in this moment. Hoshiko was proud that Samuel was trying to stay strong for them, but she could feel his nervous energy pouring off of him despite his efforts to be the one that would keep them all together.

And although she wasn't sure if he had shivered along with her as Vince spoke, Hoshiko knew well that her own spine had shaken violently at the thought. Running her hand gently over Vince's head, Hoshiko spoke so that Samuel wouldn't have to.

"...I...I don't know, Vince..." The young woman said with pure uncertainty. Her eyes trailed up to the sky but quickly turned back to the boy beside her whom she wanted desperately to comfort. "But don't worry..." Hoshiko made her eyes certain and strong, the kind of eyes she wished so many times she could gaze into when Osamu had left her beaten and bruised in a corner. "...Because Samuel and I are here for you...I don't know how we'll find out what happened. But whatever does happen...you have to promise me you're not going to worry and that you'll trust Samuel and I. Alright Vince?" Hoshiko asked.

At the same time, Hoshiko squeezed Samuel's shoulder nervously, to release the emotions that she couldn't share with the child. Samuel closed his eyes as she did, and he felt nauseous. Though putting up a brave front was critical for keeping the others calm, Samuel felt like a wreck inside. He was mortified, and he didn't want to even think of what could have happened. Nonetheless, there was a part of him that just had to know. If he didn't, he'd never be able to move on.

Samuel slowly stood up, resting his hand on Hoshiko's shoulder and looking towards the peak. He debated the safety of taking Hoshiko with him versus leaving her here in an effort to investigate. Before he'd come up with an answer, his mind was made up for him. A puff of dust sprang up from the top of the mountain, swelling like the cap of a mushroom. The sight came to his eyes first, and then a distant crash, like boulders splitting each other, rang across the mountainside.

No longer able to wait, Samuel looked down at Hoshiko. "Stay low! I'll be right back!" And he scrambled off before anyone could stop him.

Vincent watched wide-eyed as Samuel hurried over the rocks, and he looked at Hoshiko in confusion. "What happened? Where is he going?" Vincent tried to stand up and see.

Feeling her body trembling as she watched Samuel run off, Hoshiko called after her friend and her tears were clear through her outcry. "SAMUEL!" Head dropping down in defeat, Hoshiko looked at Vince and shook her head, pushing herself to stand. "Vince, stick beside me..." All the senses within the girl knew that it was the wrong thing to do. But what Samuel needed, Hoshiko needed also...and that closure was too precious to throw away.

And if Ace truly had died, then the outcome would be the same either way. The only difference would be that she would get to say goodbye also. Grasping Vince's hand tightly and keeping her baby's body cradled safely, Hoshiko started up the path that Samuel had ran down. Breathing heavily, Hoshiko pushed her tried and worn body beyond its boundaries in a struggle that she now felt numb to.

"SAMUEL!" Hoshiko called after her friend once more, scaling the mountain much slower than she would have liked, but at least knowing within herself that the effort was there.

The faint voice of his friend echoing over the rocks made Samuel's stomach clench. Startled, he looked over his shoulder mid-reach for another handhold and sure enough he saw her behind him. She was moving slowly, but definitely following his path up the slope. A cold sweat erupted on Samuel's neck and face, and he felt the unshakable urge to run back and tell her to stay put. If Arceus was somehow waiting at the top, then going up there would be a hazard to all of them. Samuel didn't want to risk his friend's life.

He turned back and started running down towards her, but when he finally got to her side, pebbles slipping under his feet as he slid to a stop, the look on Hoshiko's face changed his mind. His eyes locked with hers, and in the stillness and the eerie quiet, he reached his hand down to her and locked fingers.

"Hold on to me." Samuel said, as he turned back around, and started back up the hill, gently pulling Hoshiko along with him. Whatever waited for them, they would face it together.

The firm and familiar grasp of Samuel's fingers between her own gave Hoshiko an incredible sense of security. Even if her palms were still covered in dirt and cuts from all of the work and time she had spent alone in the region, holding tightly onto her friend's hand eased her spirit. She made sure to hold Vince's hand with her other, and frequently looked down at the sling around her shoulders to make sure her baby was still tightly secured in place.

"S-Samuel...t-thank you..." Hoshiko face was weak, and she wanted to smile but certainly couldn't with all of the dire, grim events unfolding around them. "We'll do it...together..." The girl's voice was weak but there was still that confidence and fire that was so much of Hoshiko. "We've faced tragedy so often...but we made it through...because we stuck together Samuel."

But as the girl spoke she could feel her feet slipping underneath the lose pebbles and her footing getting shaky. Gripping onto Samuel for support, Hoshiko struggled to ascend along with him. "...Don't worry...about me..."

The request was impossible for Samuel to meet, but he didn't let that slow him down. With only Hoshiko's physical state to worry about, Samuel led them as quickly as the small group could manage to the top of the trail. Soon enough the slope evened out and the grade fell away to a flat stretch of rock covered in boulders and ancient pillars of stone. Even from where they stood, the altar that Arceus had been preparing was visible. It wasn't the only thing.

There, in between the two hovering masses of constricted time and space that held Dialga and Palkia locked away, there lay a crumpled and broken body, a mass of blood, bones and flesh. Samuel almost choked on the words that came out of his mouth, and he released Hoshiko's hand now that they were close enough.

"Ace!" He broke into a run.

Before Samuel could even let go of her hand, Hoshiko felt her heart snap. And yet all she could bring herself to do once her hand was released was wipe away the tears that were persisting to pour down her cheeks. It was impossible to go over with Samuel, even if she wanted to. What about Vince?

Crouching low and holding onto Vince and carefully holding her child between the two of them. The girl held Vince's face in the crook of her neck so that he wouldn't see the horrible scene that lay so close to them. In Hoshiko's arms, Vince struggled to try and see what was going on, but before he could even break free, a weak voice whispered in the hush of the still air. Hoshiko's mind went back to the scene in the convention center, how many pokémon Ace had laid waste to, the smell of blood and the frightening moments.

Her thoughts drifted to her mother, how horrified she had been and how scarred she'd been left...And Hoshiko even considered her own death and how close it had been by the will of Ace...and her daughter's life too.

But now Ace was the one who was suffering, who had been hurt and damaged. In a word, killed. And it made Hoshiko's stomach sick. Just like it had been at the convention, and just like it had been that night in Ecruteak.

Holding as tightly and securely as she could to Vince, Hoshiko tried to keep the young man from such at terrible view. Wrapping her arms firmly around him and keeping his head in her neck, Hoshiko whispered in the little boy's ear.

"Vince...please, believe me...this isn't something you want to see...please just calm down." She swallowed a huge lump in her throat and tried to keep her body from trembling, but it was impossible. "SAMUEL!" Hoshiko cried out to her friend with sobs. Making sure Vince was still protected. "...SAMUEL, PLEASE BE CAREFUL...TELL ACE...I..." She was all choked up and by her crying it was hard to say anything, but she managed to speak her last sentence out quickly. "TELL ACE THAT I LOVE HIM."

Samuel collapsed onto his knees beside the crumpled body that was, surprisingly human in its catastrophe. The rocks cut his skin through the holes in his jeans, but he didn't even care. All he cared about was Ace...and Hoshiko's desperate pleas. He opened his mouth to speak for Hoshiko as with shaking hands he reached for Ace's head.

He stopped suddenly, then, as soft words rose into the air.

"Heh...heh... I love...you too... Hoshiko..."

The young woman's head raised and she felt strangely warm throughout her entire body. Looking around, her sobs became soft tears. Ace's voice had been so clear in the still and silent air. Even Vince had stopped struggling for a moment, he clearly heard what she had. It wasn't just Hoshiko's imagination. Choking back her emotions, Hoshiko blinked back some tears. It was clear that whoever was in front of Samuel was dead. And Hoshiko was almost certain that the form in front of her friend was Ace. But his voice had been so clear. It wasn't possible.

"...A-Ace?" Desperation coating the young woman's voice, she spoke her friend's name softly. "...T-Thank you...Please come back...don't leave us alone. I'm sorry for all the times I got mad at you..." Hoshiko bit her lip. If she could say it now in Ace's death, why couldn't she have said it in his life? "...I don't care about our differences..."

"Wait... Hoshiko..." Samuel's voice cracked and he gently rolled the limp body of the fallen warrior over onto its back. The broken and bloodied limbs gave no resistance. "I think he's—"

"I... I'm alive..." Ace whispered weakly, barely able to force the words out. Samuel almost jumped on him, dying to embrace the mortally wounded monster, but Ace stopped him with a quiet word. "No... Please... Don't."

Ace didn't have the strength or ability to lift a hand and stop Samuel, but the words were just as effective. Samuel stopped, and looked down with the most pitiful expression of grief and anxiety Ace had ever seen. The Incarnus tried to smile, but in his pain it wasn't much of one.

"But Ace...I... I'm just glad you're alive..."

Ace looked at Samuel quietly and hoarsely answered. "Not...for long...I'm afraid..."

Samuel's eyes went wide at that, and he fumbled with Ace's upper body armor, removing it from the human form so that he could see how bad the wound in Ace's torso had become. Sure enough, the entire front of Ace's tunic was saturated with blood.

"No..." Samuel whimpered, "You'll be alright. Here, let me help you..."

Samuel went to remove his own vest so that he could try and use it to stop the bleeding, but Ace stopped him again.

"No... There isn't...anything you...can do...here... Listen to me, Samuel..." Samuel's focus was instantly on the Incarnus, and Ace murmured quietly in continuation. "No medicine in this world can repair the damage that's been done to me..." He forced the words in one breath, a significant effort, Samuel realized, when Ace began gasping for air to replace what he had lost. It took Ace more than a minute to recover enough to speak again.

"I am dying... But if I leave now, before that happens, and return to the forest of beginnings... I may survive." He puffed and panted, then continued. "Arceus will not bother you... Not for awhile. I sent him to... the past. I was able to fight him in that period of time, and rendered him helpless by parting him from his elemental plates... Unfortunately by now a human has discovered him and helped revive him. History as we know it has been changed... Arceus is said to have saved the world from a meteor. It is untrue. Don't buy into...the belief that he is a hero. The meteor was no meteor... He was fighting me, high above the planet. We both spent ourselves... I came back here...and left him there."

Ace coughed, but it was more of a very exhausted grunt. "I did it...so that he would not interfere with me closing the gate... I will return to Alefgard... and I will seal the gate from that side..."

Samuel looked shocked. "You're going into the dark world? How can you think you would survive there?" Tears trailed down the boy's cheeks, but he didn't bother to wipe them away as he supported Ace's head.

"I do not know that I will... But my chances will be higher... And... It will be easier...to close the gate from that side. I need...as much help...as I can get...now." Another very long pause, lengthier than any before. Ace actually closed his eyes, and Samuel broke into a cold sweat.

"Ace? Ace!"

The Incarnus lifted his eyelids somewhat to look at his master. "My time here is done...I will close the gate... And if I do not return...please tell Hoshiko that I have never seen a woman more suited to greatness or motherhood...and tell her that it has been my pleasure... to watch over her..."

Samuel choked on a sob that rose in his throat, and he nodded, biting his lip and ignoring the saltiness on his lips when he spoke. "You can tell her... She's right here..." Samuel looked back and waved his hand to Hoshiko, inviting her to come over.

The girl could hardly breath as she looked upon the scene of Samuel and Ace. Samuel was right, and even from the distance Hoshiko could tell that Ace was alive. She at first, Hoshiko could hear the words that Ace spoke, they tugged at her heart. The girl didn't want him to go. No, not so fast and not so painfully. She felt as if every time he paused to breath she herself stopped taking in air.

But as hard as Hoshiko was straining it was impossible to hear her friend's decreasing volume. His words fading away into nothing compared to Samuel. She watched the two intently, wishing that she could have the courage to go over and wrap her arms around Ace and sob into his shoulder.

It was Samuel's hand signal that gave the woman that power within her. Slowly letting go of Vince, Hoshiko looked at him for a moment but couldn't find any words to say. Instead the young woman practically ran over to Ace, despite all of her pain and weakness. Face horrified at the sight that was set before her, Hoshiko's tears poured freely. The girl used Samuel to get herself onto her knees, making sure not to bother her daughter and with as much movement as she could with the child in one arm, Hoshiko leaned forward and placed her cheek onto Ace's sobbing into his shoulder.

"Ace! A-Ace don't leave! Not now..." She was sniffling. "I'm sorry Ace...I didn't mean to get mad at you so many times...I know you're only doing the right thing...and you're so noble...thank you, thank you for sparing me...and for taking care of me...and taking care of...my daughter..." Hoshiko's voice was shaking so hard that she could barly stand it. "Ace...Ace I won't forget you...I promise...I'm never going to forget you. I'll remember you...all the time...and..." Simply whispering in Ace's ear, Hoshiko's sadness was overwhelming. "I'll remember you when I dance..."

A soft touch against her cheek, accompanied by a weak sigh was as much of a kiss as Ace could manage. Even that drained him, and it was hard for him to find the strength to answer her. But he did. He knew he had to.

"Please do... Hoshiko..." Ace murmured softly. He had no energy left to address her apology, but he hoped that by his reaction that she could tell: He'd never hold anything against her. She had a place in his heart that very few humans could attain. She was like the living embodiment of why he fought to save them... And that wasn't going to change.

Samuel ran his hands through Ace's wet, dirty hair, remembering with sadness how angelic it was in moonlight. Now it was tangled and messy, but it was still Ace. The young man's fingers swept across Ace's forehead, wiping away a smudge of dirt, and Samuel was stunned at how cold Ace felt to the touch. It made his heart sink.

"Samuel..." Ace's voice addressed him, and over Hoshiko's shoulder Samuel could see those tired ice blue eyes, usually so full of cold fire, now looking up at him dully. "In case... I do not...make it...—"

"Don't talk like that, Ace." Samuel sobbed, hot tears flowing more freely at the very thought of it. "You'll be alright."

"I...may not... Samuel..."

"Ace..."

"Just know that... even if I...don't see you again..."

"Ace, stop that!" Samuel caught himself shouting, his vision almost completely obscured by tears and his breaths shortened by mournful gasps.

"I will...always...love you...Samuel... You have become a guiding light...to me... You have...reminded me...That even a king...cannot fulfill...his destiny...alone..."

"Ace!"

"I...love...both...of...you..." Ace looked weakly at his young friends. "Please...remember...that... But now... I...have to...go... There is...no more time...for me..."

Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, Hoshiko tried to make her tears stop, just for a moment so that she could take in Ace's voice clearly. Resting her head on his shoulder, Hoshiko couldn't help herself and simply continued sobbing. So much she wanted to keep Ace there, freeze the moment and be so selfish as to have her friend live, even if it meant not sealing the gate. Even if it meant doom. She just wanted Ace.

"I'll take care of the family, Ace..." Hoshiko whispered. Knowing that he would understand her responsibility in the Kimono Family and their weight in the world of pokémon. "I'll make sure...we don't fuel Arceus' abilities. I'll make a difference..." Slowly lifting her face away from Ace's shoulder, Hoshiko placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and her trembling hand softly held onto his hand. "I'll do my best to make sure everything you do is not in vain..." Her heart was aching and it was clear. "I don't want to let you go...but..." Hoshiko couldn't bring herself to say the words but instead shook her head. "I'm not saying goodbye." The girl finally said firmly.

The faintest trace of a smile lifted the corner of Ace's mouth, and although he seemed less and less able to focus on Hoshiko, blind as he was he still could understand what she meant.

"Very well... I will...have to try...to come back..." He glanced in Samuel's direction. "But if I don't... goodb—"

Samuel pressed his finger against Ace's lips and silenced him. "Don't say it..." Samuel sniffled. "Just...don't..."

Ace closed his eyes slowly. "Al—right..."

Samuel gently cupped his hand around Ace's cheek, cradling the Incarnus' head. He leaned forward and lightly kissed Ace's other cheek, much as Hoshiko had done. Then, gently, Ace turned his head in Samuel's hand caught his master's kiss with dry lips—a fragile, frail, and broken touch.

But that was all he could do. There was nothing left in him to speak anymore, and as he lay there between his two dearest friends, Ace just contented himself with knowing that even if he didn't make it back to the other side, at least the end of this life would have been spent in the arms of those he loved the most. Samuel lifted his face away from Ace when the Incarnus' head fell back away from him, tiredly. Looking down at his monster, he wanted to say more. Wanted to say that he cared for Ace more than he would ever know.

But even as Samuel opened his mouth to speak, he was silenced. Stunned by an eerie golden glow. It was faint at first, to the point that Samuel wondered if he was imagining things. But as it got brighter it became clear. The bright aura was slowly wrapping itself around Ace, consuming him little by little.

"Ace?" Samuel weakly whispered, receiving no response. "Ace?!"

It didn't matter. No amount of calling could rouse the Incarnus' attention now. Helplessly, Samuel sat there, watching in fear and confusion as soon Ace's pale skin seemed drowned out by the light. Even the trace outlines of Ace's familiar features seemed to have vanished into the blinding blur, and though Samuel could feel Ace's weight in his arms, he could swear it was becoming less and less.

"Please don't go, Ace..." Samuel whispered, mostly to himself.

Only silence answered him. Slowly but surely even the weight of Ace's body vanished, and the light seemed to begin dissipating, like little particles floating up. Glowing dust, like embers, drifted skyward, illuminated like gold against the dark sky. Little by little the light faded that way, until Samuel was left holding nothing but normal, passive, empty air.

He stared quietly at his upturned palms. They seemed almost like they belonged to someone else...limp, lifeless. He swore he couldn't even feel them. A rush of wind drew his eyes from the ground to the sky, and before he knew what was happening, his eyes were blasted with blinding light and a warm, life-giving sensation of heat.

It was in that instant that Samuel realized...

The sun shone down on them in rich shafts of untainted glory. The black hole hanging over them vanished, leaving rays of life spilling down upon Mt. Coronet. Normally just that alone, after all the turmoil and heartache, would have been enough to bring a shout of rejoice from his lungs. But as Samuel looked down at his empty hands again, all he felt was leaden sorrow.


	37. Otherworldly Messenger and the

**Chapter 37: Otherworldly Messenger and the Changing of Fate**

The warm sunlight that washed down onto Ecruteak City was unusually hot, even for the summertime. And yet it was welcome with smiling faces and the laughing and chattering of citizens both young and old. Ecruteak had once been in mourning at the loss of the Kimono Family's most influential member, but it was now flourishing and had grown a strong respect for the young woman who had taken her mother's place. Hoshiko, after leaving Sinnoh with Samuel, Vince, and her newborn daughter, returned to her Father's home in Blackthorn. There with Samuel they brought Vince safely back to his parents, who were overjoyed to get their son back. Koichi, although disappointed that he couldn't be there for his granddaughter's delivery, was pleased beyond words to see a healthy, happy child and that Hoshiko was, although not in the best condition, was in as good condition as someone could expect after all she'd been through.

It was after spending some quality time with her Father that Hoshiko returned to Ecruteak with Samuel close at her side. He kept his promise and wasn't planning on leaving his friend alone. Hoshiko couldn't have been more grateful. Passing through into Ecruteak alone would have been too overwhelming, but with her best friend at her side and her daughter close with her, Hoshiko confidently took her place in the family.

Her sisters, who had been struggling to keep their family together without their matron were surprisingly pleased to see their sister and place the responsibility that had been their Mother's onto her. Hoshiko took what was given to her and despite all of her uncertainties, her new child and emotional scars, started to rebuild the broken Kimono Dynasty, one step at a time.

It became even more lovely and graceful than ever before, and Ecruteak had Hoshiko to thank, while Hoshiko herself had her friend and child to be appreciative to. And secretly, in the quiet, solitary times, she thanked Ace, who her heart still missed all too dearly. His presence, she felt, watched over her constantly.

But right now, Hoshiko wasn't considering any of those things. No, it had been more than a year, and right now all that the young woman was thinking about was the day at hand. She basked in the heat, how nice the sun felt on her skin and of course the warmth of the two most important people in her life.

Emerging from the Kimono Family home—dressed in her yukata, no makeup and her own unique hairstyle—Hoshiko squinted her eyes to filter out the sunlight. In one hand she carried three small boxes, wrapped in paper and tied carefully with a string. In her other hand was the tiny and sweet hand of her daughter, Nozomiko. Spotting Samuel not too far from the house, Hoshiko called out to her friend, approaching him.

"Samuel!" There was a smile in her voice, but before Hoshiko could say any more, her small child now just over a year old, cried out in her innocent voice.

"MOMMY HAS FOOD!" The child yelled out, pleased with herself. She started to try and run yet stumble-walked forward with her mother to help steady her, laughing along as the little girl enthusiastically toddled towards Samuel. "UNCLE SAM-EL!"

Sitting under a tree, his arms behind his head and one leg resting on a bent knee, Samuel appeared to be half asleep at first. Truth was, he was busy thinking, as he often did nowadays. He didn't want anyone to know it, but he was pining away slowly, and even though he told himself he was crazy for it, for not letting go and moving on, he couldn't stop missing Ace.

He feigned an appetite for the sake of spending time with his beloved friends, but when he was alone he rarely ate more than a nibble. He knew it was unhealthy, but his mind was just so occupied with Ace and the grief of losing him that his stomach was too full of the weight of it all to accept anything else. It was true that he loved being with Hoshiko and seeing her daughter grow up. He adored both of them and wanted to make sure that someone was there to see them through the hard times.

But he'd lost sight of a lot of his own dreams in the process of mourning and supporting them. Now he really didn't know who he was or where he was headed. He only knew that he was here, now, and that probably wouldn't be changing any time soon.

Even despite his deeply engrossed mental state, Samuel came to attention when he heard the familiar little voice of the tiny child he'd now come to love. Even if Nozomiko wasn't his daughter, he still treated her like she was. She had him wrapped around her little finger, and Samuel knew that wasn't likely to change anytime soon, either.

"Hey!" He called out, quickly abandoning his brooding for a smile to welcome his friends. He held his arms out to the little child, "My, look at you! Did you grow since last night?!"

"Did I!?" Nozomiko cried excitedly, watching Samuel with wide eyes as she and her mother approached him. Hoshiko smiled, looking between the two and letting her daughter's hand go so that she could approach Samuel. Of course, the little girl toddled forward quickly, stumbling as she did so on her still shaky legs, not quite accustom to walking, let alone running.

"Did I!?" She asked Samuel again, tripping over her own foot and in result falling in her 'Uncle's' arms with a throng of enthusiastic giggles. Looking up at him with her bright amber eyes, Nozomiko was indeed a child aware of her surroundings and one that felt well loved and taken care of. She couldn't be considered happier.

"I think you did. You seem to get bigger every day. And you're so smart too. I don't think I was talking when I was your age." He kissed her forehead and set her down on the soft cushion of thick green grass growing in the shade of the tree. After taking the time to hug the tiny child tightly and smell the scent of cherry blossoms in her hair, Samuel laughed a little bit and eased his hold on her. Samuel looked up at Hoshiko. "This kid is a prodigy, Hoshiko. No kidding at all."

With a tiny smirk of amusement, Hoshiko watched her daughter and best friend. "She's certainly a prodigy when it comes to getting your attention." The girl said a little wryly.

Nozomiko pouted when Samuel sat her down, but as the girl was presented with her food and opened up the box with her tiny hands, she eyed the tofu that her mother had prepared for her and took one of the bite sized cubes into her hand and started to munch on it after dipping it into her own light sauce.

How much Nozomiko loved Samuel made her heart feel warm and contented. And sitting down in a sort of graceful manner, so that she was resting on her knees, Hoshiko watched the scene happily. Setting down the boxes of food in front of her and untying the string, she placed Nozomiko's box down, her own and then Samuel's.

Watching the food box, Hoshiko looked pensive and surprisingly serious. Beyond all of the goodness that had come about the resolution that she had found in her hometown, Hoshiko still felt discontent. Not her own unhappiness, no, but her friend's.

She knew that Samuel was meant for much more then taking care of her and her child. It wasn't for lack of wanting him there; Hoshiko could have been terribly selfish and let Samuel stay with her forever.

But part of Hoshiko knew what it was like to trade in a dream for reality. She had to do exactly that, and while the life she had been given was one that she loved, it wasn't what she had chosen. But then again, Hoshiko hadn't been given a choice. Samuel was still free, he could pick and choose what he wanted to do, and with the potential that Hoshiko saw in her friend, it couldn't be lost.

Pushing the food box towards Samuel with a pair of chopsticks on top of it, Hoshiko smiled.

"You'd better eat before it gets cold, Samuel..." There was a small knowing smile on her face as she watched Nozomiko still clinging to Samuel with her tiny arms around his neck, after all, Hoshiko knew a lot of what Samuel tried to hide, and yet she wouldn't let him know that she understood his plight.

Inside of the box, sitting under the pretty paper it was wrapped in, were the old and worn brochures that Samuel had gotten at the school fair in Pewter City. She could clearly recall the excitement and fire in his eyes when he had been there and how much he had enjoyed the prospect. That was what he needed...Hoshiko may have needed Samuel, but she knew what he needed more and she couldn't hold onto her friend forever...not like this.

Reaching his hand towards the box he popped open the top and looked inside to see what Hoshiko had brought him.

Spring rolls, all wrapped in clear rice paper and stuffed with cabbage, carrots, and herbs waited inside of the little container. The sweet smell of spicy peanut sauce drifted up to his nose and that hint of chili stung his nostrils. Although not hugely hungry, despite not having eaten since yesterday, he pulled out a sample of the carefully prepared food and a little cup of the dipping sauce that went with it. Popping the lid off of the cup's top, he dunked one of the rolls in so that it got a good coating on the end, and he took a bite.

It wasn't bad, and had Samuel been in better mental and emotional condition he would have delighted at the flavor. He chewed slowly until he finished the first roll, and then reached into the box for another. That was when he noticed a little splash of color underneath. Putting the piece of food he'd selected into his mouth to hold it, Samuel used his hands to nudge aside the rest of the food and pull the brochures out of the box. He glanced up at Hoshiko for a moment, knowing she'd purposely put them in there, then his eyes drifted back down to the papers.

He'd seen them many times before, and even thought about them, but as he took them into his hands all he could feel was a strange sense of sadness, realizing that all of his fire to study monsters had been drained when he lost the one that had somehow managed to make himself a part of him.

"Heheh..." Samuel forced a chuckle as he set the papers down and started eating again. "You're pretty sneaky, Hoshiko."

The young woman eyed her friend but didn't say anything until she was finished taking a couple of bites of her own spring rolls. Even so, her eyes were on the brochures.

"...You should at least consider it Samuel..." Hoshiko said softly. She was gentle in most of her ways now, especially in the public eye, it was required of the girl, for she knew just how much of an example she was. She was so much more of an adult than she had ever been or wanted to be, in fact.

"You can't honestly tell me you want to stay here forever..." Hoshiko whispered, glancing up at her friend. It was clear in her eyes that it pained her to suggest him leaving, but Hoshiko only wanted Samuel to be happy.

"YUMMY!" Nozomiko cried out of the gloom, with her mouth full of tofu as she poked at the food with her finger.

Laughing, a bit embarrassed at how her daughter had cut the serious moment, Hoshiko smiled at her and patted the girl's shoulder. "I'm glad you like it."

Samuel smirked slightly, glancing at Nozomiko with a long sigh. Seeing her happy was one of the few things that gave him true joy. Clearing his thoughts on that note, he looked at Hoshiko gently. He could tell she felt for him, and wanted him to go to school, but...

"I don't know, Hoshiko... I just... I just feel like I lost that spark. I don't know if I really want to become a researcher. I don't really know what I want to do with my life. I'm content with you guys. You're the only family I really have, you know?"

"Well...we're even then." Hoshiko smiled, her eyes closed as she sighed slightly. "You think my sisters are my family?" Her eyebrows tilted a bit, not sadly, but more just emotionally. "No. They see me as someone to lean on...I replace for them what was missing. And while they're happy with the order the family is in...I don't think that they're ever going to see me as their equal. I'm just...kind of here to run things." She laughed a little ironically. "And Koichi, although he can come here now, does have a life of his own too..." Opening her eyes, Hoshiko tilted her head, watching Samuel. "That makes you my family too...I don't want you to go...but...there's not a lot of opportunity here Samuel." The young woman shook her head.

"Sure, there's something here for _me_. Duty, I guess you can call it. And that's okay. But what else? I mean...I could be selfish and ask you to stay here till the day we both die...but...I can tell there's something missing." Staring down at her food, Hoshiko bit her lip. "...I don't want you to give up what you had Samuel...you're passion, it was your gift..." Sighing and abandoning her food to go and sit beside Samuel, Hoshiko looked at him up close. "Are you really happy here Samuel?"

Samuel's gaze met Hoshiko's and he felt a sting in his heart and a tightening in his throat. He couldn't lie to her when she looked at him like that. He just couldn't do it. "I'm happy here..." He said. "As happy as I can be. But something _is_ missing... And I don't know if I can just get it back. Even if I were to go study, I don't think I'd have the enthusiasm to follow through with it..."

He hung his head, feeling ashamed of himself. He knew that he really should do something more with his life, but he felt so...empty. His passion for monsters had started because of Ace, and even though he had grieved when Petra died, it was losing Ace that completely crushed him. All of his strength was gone, and it was apparent in the gauntness of his face and the thin boniness of his arms and legs.

Sympathetically, Hoshiko watched Samuel. She knew all to well what the young man's problem was, it had been clear since their last moments atop Mt. Coronet and in a way Hoshiko cursed the fact that she was too much of a coward to really bring the topic to light. Then again, in Samuel's condition she wasn't sure if it was the best thing to do. In an honest way, Hoshiko cared more about the well being of her friend than the family that she was governing.

Staring upwards to the beautiful summer blossoms that hung above them in shades of pink and white, Hoshiko observed how they swung so carelessly in the warm breeze. The flowers cast their pale shadows on her face.

"...Do you think he would want you to live like this?" Hoshiko asked in barely a whisper. "...Samuel...if you're happy I want you to stay here as long as you want. But...look at yourself. You try to hide it but I can tell...something's wrong. Why won't you eat? You're always doing things for me and making such an effort for Nozomiko...she loves you...but...what about you?" The girl looked back down at her friend, her eyes shimmered with held back tears.

"It hurts me to see you like this Samuel...I want you here with me...but...I want you to be happy even more..." Grasping her friend's hand, Hoshiko squeezed Samuel's hand slightly in hers.

The grimace and shame that appeared on Samuel's face quickly told the tale of his emotions. He looked away, focusing on something that lay on the ground, just to hold his attention so that he wouldn't have to look into Hoshiko's tearful eyes. He felt bad. He should know better than to not eat, after all, he had to stay healthy for Hoshiko and Nozomiko. But it was just so hard.

"I guess my appetite for food is about as much as it's been for life." He admitted, feeling horribly guilty. "I'm really sorry. I'll try to do better. You've been so generous bringing me food to eat with you guys. I don't even know what I would have done without you." He swallowed hard. "I don't know what Ace would want me to do... I know he would want me to make my dreams come true but... My old dreams seem to have left me. The most important thing to me now is you and Nozomiko... I want to be here for you. And I like it here in Ecruteak. I really do."

Wiping away the tears in her eyes with the material of her yukata sleeve, Hoshiko smiled at Samuel and rested against his arm with a soft sigh, "I'm glad you're happy then Samuel...but I want you to start eating more, you'll get sick like that. Come live in the family home...I'll feed you. Get you back to where you need to be." His friend replied, eyes closed as she rested. Sometimes life became hectic for Hoshiko, the girl had a lot to consider day to day. Managing the Dance Theater, practices, family affairs, public speaking, and not to mention caring for her own young child consumed all of her time.

"I couldn't have gotten any of this done without you Samuel..." Hoshiko said quietly. "I would have ran away...there's so much here, it's overwhelming, Samuel. If I didn't have you to go to, Samuel...it just wouldn't have worked..."

Before Hoshiko could say anything more, her daughter whose face was now covered with more food then she had eaten, held her box of food and shook it. "GONE!" The girl said with disappointment.

Shaking her head, Hoshiko kept her eyes closed for a moment. She was worn and tired, although it was hard to admit it. Pushing herself up, Hoshiko looked at her daughter. "Come here." She smiled at her child and the girl came over and dropped herself in her mother's lap. Taking the napkin from Samuel's meal the young woman started to clean her daughter's face. "I'm so tired Samuel..." Hoshiko laughed a bit, to lift the weight of what she had said.

Samuel smiled weakly and watched as mother and daughter shared a quiet moment together. When Nozomiko was cleaned up, he held out his hands to the little girl and invited her into his lap.

"Tell you what? Why don't you go and take a short nap. I'll play with Nozomiko for a little while." He poked the tiny girl's nose gently and smiled at her big beautiful eyes. "How about that?"

Samuel was glad to relieve Hoshiko of her motherly duties sometimes, and he liked spending time with the little girl. She helped him relax and see the sweeter side of life that so often escaped him anymore. Nozomiko didn't know how much she helped Samuel, but the boy did, and he wanted to repay her by being the best 'uncle' she could ever hope for.

* * *

Over the next few days, the little trio went about their regular business. Hoshiko tending family affairs, Samuel spending lots of time with the two girls and enjoying living inside the family home. He'd not really been staying anywhere, aside from the pokémon center. But now having a quiet room to live in, warm and cozy at night and bathed in golden sunlight during the day, made things a little more tolerable for him.

During that time, Hoshiko knew what it meant to the citizens of Ecruteak and her own creditability. Along with her sisters, the town didn't exactly appreciate Samuel being welcomed into the house of their iconic family. Not only was he outside of their family and race, but he was male, which according to her mother's previous rule was strictly forbidden. It was the making of a scandal.

But Hoshiko hid this from Samuel, keeping the hurtful things that were said about her to herself. He didn't need anymore stress, and Hoshiko wanted her friend to be more comfortable. If this was the way to achieve it, then the girl appreciated the ridicule.

When he wasn't with Hoshiko and Nozomiko, Samuel worked as an associate in the local mart, selling pokéballs and travel goods. Sometimes he made deliveries around town. His salary was meager, but it was enough since Hoshiko put up his room and board.

One evening, after work, Samuel went by the Kimono household. The setting sun cast a reddish glow over the windows and doors of the oriental styled home. The smell of flowers and freshly damp earth filled the air, while buzzing bug pokémon sang from the trees. Samuel laid his hand on the sliding wood door and gently eased it open, listening to the scuffing scratch of wood sliding against wood. He stepped inside, the soles of his shoes tapping softly on the wood floor as he made his way to the back of the house, where his room waited. He went inside, laid his pack down, and looked out the window.

The house was quiet and empty. No doubt Hoshiko was at the theater, performing as she did almost every night. Nozomiko was probably there too, watching her mother dance and nibbling on rice balls and tea. Samuel considered staying in his room and going to sleep until they got back, but after flopping down on the pad that lay out on the floor, he found that his mind was too full of tragedy for him to want to sit in silence for long.

Resolving not to think about it, Samuel quickly made his way back outside, and down the dirt roads lit by beautiful lanterns. He came to the Dance Theater, and even from outside the closed doors he could faintly hear the flute music and the chatter of patrons. Opening the door, the sounds suddenly struck him ten times louder, but the warmth and the smell of the food was more inviting than the silent, lonely night. He slipped in, the milky sent of tea tickling his nose and drawing him to find a table close to the stage, where he could see Hoshiko dancing. He smiled at her after a moment of working to pick her out of the group, and folded his legs, watching her intently.

This night, as routine as it was, Hoshiko stood on the stage of the Dance Theater. From her spot on the stage the young woman could smell incense; the scent was almost intoxicating after awhile, but focusing on her dancing made Hoshiko more focused. After all, that is what she was trained for since childhood. The smiling, proud face of her daughter sitting at one of the front tables, nibbling on her favorite food brought Hoshiko satisfaction.

And of course there was her promise, a promise to her dear dying friend that lived on in her memories and dance. In a way, Hoshiko felt the dance more in her soul with Ace's memory. Her shoes weren't as uncomfortable and the routine and practice wasn't as strenuous.

Now though, as she looked out upon the crowd there was another face that lifted her soul. Samuel was there. He rarely came to the theater and Hoshiko could only assume it was because of the memories that it housed for them, for her and for him and Ace. She wished that she could have smiled or even shown some emotion to him, but Hoshiko would speak to him as soon as she was finished.

However, Nozomiko also eyed Samuel and was more then pleased to lay eyes on her beloved Uncle. Getting up from her seat the little girl maneuvered herself between the people until she reached Samuel and without any announcement plunked herself down into his lap with tea sloshing in her cup as she tipsily tried to sit straight. Nibbling the rice ball in her other hand, Nozomiko stared up at her Uncle with a smile. Behind the two were a few natives to Ecruteak, whispering amongst each other.

_"Who does that girl think she is? Inviting men into her home. First she cuts ties with her husband and now invites an outsider into the family home, no less? No man has set foot in that house for ages out of wedlock."_

The gossiping ridicule and whispers made Samuel cringe. He could hear them well enough to know what they thought of him and Hoshiko, but how could he ever explain to anyone here the situation that they lived in? He pretended, to the best of his ability, not to notice as he busied himself helping Nozomiko hold her teacup straight. Gently he eased it up to her lips and sighed.

_"She's disgraceful to her family. Such promiscuity should not be tolerated."_

Samuel grunted in annoyance. He wanted to shut them up, but he knew that they wouldn't listen to him. After all, he was one of the objects of their ridicule. Gently, he ran his fingers through the silky hair of Hoshiko's daughter and wondered vaguely to himself if he would ever be accepted here. He worked hard during the day, but that didn't mean the townsfolk liked him. They accepted his services grudgingly, but that was about it.

"Your mommy is a good dancer, Nozomiko." He murmured in the child's ear, shutting out the negativity that haunted him. "Someday, you'll be able to do that too. Isn't that wonderful?"

_"And look at how he treats her child."_ The woman who started the conversation continued. _"I bet that girl hasn't even told her daughter who her real father is...she's misleading even her own child for such scandal...That needs to be corrected. Her ways are giving the wrong example to our daughters."_

Of course, Nozomiko was none the wiser to what these deplorable women were speaking against her mother and uncle. She was innocence and purity. Sipping her tea with Samuel's help, Hoshiko's daughter listened intently to what he had so say. The child didn't have a wide vocabulary and spent most of her time mimicking the people around her, and so the one word that she could pluck out of Samuel's statement was what she chose to express herself with.

"Wonderful!" The tiny girl whispered with enthusiasm.

At this, the end of the dance was coming and Hoshiko felt a great relief in her chest to be able to go over to her daughter and friend. But first she was whisked away by her sisters who had questions and lists of requests for her to dance at the tables of high paying patrons. No one saw it, but Samuel would know that Hoshiko would most certainly be sighing to herself, vexed by the constant requests.

As Hoshiko was hurried away, Samuel smirked to himself. "Hey, watch this, okay?"

Samuel pulled out some of the money that he had been given for his work today and he waved down one of the Dance Theater attendants. "I would like to have that one over there." He pointed to Hoshiko, trying to be more like one of the patrons than anything. He knew that Hoshiko would appreciate his efforts to get her away from all the disgusting men drooling obnoxiously over her. "I'll buy you your own private dance lesson." He whispered in Nozomiko's ear. The boy chuckled to himself.

He waited, patiently for Hoshiko to finish her dances for other customers, and when she came over to his table he smiled at her. His table was the last dance of the night, and he'd meant it to be that way. "Watch closely Nozomiko. You can dance someday too."

"And she'll be very good, certainly." A strange voice from just behind Samuel spoke out.

Samuel grunted and looked over his shoulder. The women who had been behind him had left, and in their stead was a man Samuel had never seen before. He was slender and vaguely muscular. His skin was as pale as a white rose, and his hair was no darker. It was long, down the length of his back, and he had a mess of wild, untamed bangs. The long mane trailing past his shoulders was tied back by what appeared to be thin gold chain. His eyes were a deep, dark cobalt blue.

He almost seemed to have a ghostly glow about him, as if he wasn't really there. He was wearing a dark blue yukata that matched his eyes, and a black sash around his waist. When he smiled, his thin lips seemed almost nonexistent, and his pointed teeth gave him a very wolfish quality that Samuel found particularly disturbing. When he spoke, the sound from his mouth seemed as natural as the wind crackling through dry leaves and kicking them along a dusty old road.

"This is to be a private dance." Samuel snorted at him. "Mind your own business."

The man rested his elbow on the table he was sitting at, and looked at Samuel with almost catlike curiosity. He rubbed his chin with long, thin fingers. He didn't say anything, until at last he shoved away from his table and literally plopped down right beside Samuel. "Sorry. I won't draw attention away from your table. Please continue."

When Hoshiko had been informed where she was to dance last of all, inside of herself although unable to show it outwardly, she was delighted. Practically floating over to the table the young woman permitted herself to smile down at Samuel and her daughter pleasantly, but shockingly just before she started her dance there was an extra voice and an extra person at the table.

She hadn't seen this man before. But his clothing indicated that she should know him. Such traditional dress indicated that he was a native to Ecruteak...but she'd never met him, even when she was younger. There was a strange air of mystery that seemed to shroud the man, and so Hoshiko found herself watching him with her emotionless painted face.

Hoshiko started her dance, still with her mind on the enigmatic man, but yet her focus was on Samuel and especially Nozomiko. She knew that this was why Samuel had done it, that and to get her aside from the other patrons of the Dance Theater. With her eyes lovingly on her captivated daughter, Hoshiko danced. Still, as always, recalling her dear friend Ace. Her grace and beauty was unmatched by any of her sisters or dancers that had ever graced the Dance Theater. Leaning forward so far with interest to see her mother, Nozomiko managed to spill the rest of her tea all over the table in front of her and manage to not even notice.

"Mommy!" The girl whispered softly, knowing that she wasn't allowed to make a lot noise in the dance theater. Looking at the strange man and pointing to Hoshiko, the tiny girl spoke. "Mommy! Mommy wonderful!" And tugging on Samuel's shirt, Nozomiko hugged the young man and looked back at her mother. "Mommy dance for Uncle Sam-el!"

Samuel's face wrinkled slightly in wry amusement when the tea started dripping off of the edge of the table, and he reached for a cloth to mop it up, even while watching Hoshiko with one eye. The man beside him remained utterly silent through the dance, but occasionally looked over at Nozomiko when he wasn't watching the little girl's mother.

"Yes, your mother is wonderful." Samuel agreed with a soft laugh, very gently resting his chin on Nozomiko's head when the tea was all cleaned up. Hoshiko's slow and graceful motions flowing like wisps of steam in a still night.

"Stunningly beautiful." The man beside Samuel said, attracting Samuel's irritation. "Though of course it's not my place to say. If I may have my opinion, she reminds me vaguely of my mother in her grace and charm."

The music had been hushed and almost all of the patrons were gone. Her sisters were cleaning up and she could tell that they might be looking at her begrudgingly for keeping her dance so long and they clearly knew why too. Part of Hoshiko liked the idea that she could defy them and that there was nothing they could truly do about it. After all, she was the head of the family. Her say was final rule.

So the dance went on, to delight her daughter and give a present to her friend. After all, it was a rarity that she got to actually dance for her friend. He had often seen her practice but not like this in such a formal setting, all done up with her beauty and make up. Then there was still this strange, strange man. His mother? She couldn't understand any of it.

But after giving herself the extra time that she wanted to do the most lovely dance of the evening, Hoshiko finished with a beautiful sweep and flourish. After that, the girl shuffled her feet so that she was beside Samuel and kneeling down beside her friend, Hoshiko embraced her daughter and glanced at Samuel. Watching him for a moment with her eyes as Nozomiko wrapped her arms around her mother's neck tightly,

"Samuel...thank you..." Her strange porcelain face was filled with emotion for what her friend had done for her. "...Your money...you..." she smiled softly."...Thank you doing that Samuel...it was great solace after all of tonight's work...I can't thank you enough." Letting her own decorated head rest of Samuel's shoulder of a second, Hoshiko took one of the blossoms from her hair and gave it to her friend. It was an immense relief to have the moment of reprieve after all of the words spoken harshly against her and all of the different patrons and their eyes watching her.

That was when Hoshiko caught a closer glance of the strange man, she watched him with careful scrutiny, but said nothing at all.

The soft petals of Hoshiko's flower felt like velvet in Samuel's hands, and he actually paused to lift the flower to his face and breathe in its scent. Satisfied, he leaned his head against Hoshiko's for only a moment before noticing that the stranger was looking at the three of them.

"That was a magnificent performance." He said, assuredly. "And I hate to break up this touching moment, so I'll be outside."

The man rose to his feet and went to the door, Samuel watching as he exited. Grievously, Samuel glared at the man's back and then looked at Hoshiko in confusion.

"Who is that?" He asked, expecting her to know.

_If he hadn't wanted to break up the moment, he would have stayed silent. _Hoshikio thought to herself dryly, watching as the man left and shaking her head at how he had intruded. Hoshiko had never seen the likes of anyone who had been so bold at the Dance Theater. It was disgraceful. Although part of her was indignant towards the stranger, she was also intrigued by how he spoke so highly of her. She turned to look at Samuel with just as much confusion as he did her.

"I don't know." The girl replied softly, leaning back into a sitting position with Nozomiko in her lap, although still clinging onto her mother. "From the way he was dressed...he should be a native to Ecruteak...but...I've never seen the likes of him here before. Not even when I was young." Genuinely perplexed, Hoshiko gently pried her daughter's hands from around her neck and kissed the girl on the top of her head.

"You wait here with Uncle Samuel. Mommy has to go talk to someone and then she'll be back, and I promise to play with you." She smiled down at her child, who wasn't entirely pleased with the resolution and looked up at Hoshiko with a bit of a pout. Passing the girl to Samuel, Hoshiko stood. "I'm going to find out who that man was. Or at least give him a list of proper conduct in the Dance Theater, if he decides to come back."

It was her job to do so after all, curious or not. And part of Hoshiko was even a little bit nervous by the strange man's appearance. Sheepishly she smiled at Samuel and Nozomiko before turning towards the door and maintaining her neutral expression. When the girl left the theater, she was greeted by the fresh, warm and humid summer air. Stars lit the dark sky with twinkling beauty. Looking around, Hoshiko spied the man in his blue yukata and approached him.

"Sir." Her voice was quite different than that she used around Samuel or her daughter. It was stern and strong yet soft and infinitely gentle. Hoshiko played her part very well. "May I be permitted to know more of you?" She didn't want to sound curious but still needed some sort of information. "Someone dressed such as yourself, I feel I should know. It is a rare chance that a guest of the Theater should be in such formal attire. And it is unheard of to be quite so bold as to approach a paying patron in the midst of a private dance…."

The man was standing and—apparently—leaning with his back against a tree and his hung in quiet thought. His arms were folded in front of him, and as Hoshiko approached it was easy to notice something neither she nor Samuel had seen before. At his waist was a sheathed katana, or at least it looked like a katana. As Hoshiko got closer, saw that the hilt was adorned with what appeared to be a pattern of vines and an embossed image of a shining bird.

The bird's outline looked almost like Ho-oh, but there was something about it that suggested it was not. The hilt itself, upon closer inspection, was not just a handle. It was actually carved in the shape of a dragon with massive folded wings and its long tail snaking into the pattern of vines and disappearing.

The man turned his deep, cobalt eyes on Hoshiko and they flashed in the light of the lanterns and stars. The fierceness in them struck her instantly, as if he was a man of great power. His long white ponytail cascaded over one shoulder and his wild bangs danced softly in the warm night breeze. He looked, for lack of a better term, like a knight. A very powerful knight or a samurai in an emperor's personal guard.

"Ah, I'm sorry if I've offended anyone." He said in strong, dry voice. "I hoped that my sending away those women would earn me a place at your table." He laughed. His laughter reminded Hoshiko of a distant thunderstorm and the patter of fat raindrops against a window. "I'm not from around here." He clarified. "And I don't really have a name. At least, not one I am proud to share. But I know you. You are Hoshiko, the Matriarch of the Kimono clan, and you live up to everything I've heard of you, which is—safe to say—a great deal." He cracked a smile that was distinctly feral.

The hot summer air that surrounded Hoshiko and the surreptitious man was thick with the scent of the blossoms that were hanging off of the tree above them, and the fragrance of incense that clung to Hoshiko's kimono made a strange sort of perfume with the flowers that adorned both her and the surrounding foliage. The scene was like something ancient. A warrior and a maiden, face to face in a moment of great tension.

Hoshiko looked down at the way her hands were hidden within the folds of her sleeves when the man spoke of the two women whose table he had occupied. Visions of not so long ago that day when she went into the theater to prepare and the women were harassing her flashed in Hoshiko's mind along with images of how she had seen them leaning closely to each other and exchanging whispers at the table behind Samuel's.

"You sent the women away?" She tried to maintain her air of grace even though Hoshiko was surprised that this man knew of her plight with the women of Ecruteak. "May I ask how you were aware of their..." She cleared her throat gently. "Their...comments?"

"Well," He decided to start answering Hoshiko's questions, "I overheard the women speaking ill of you when I walked into the dance hall. Such biting words directed at so marvelous and hard-working a woman are entirely unacceptable. So, I sent them on their way." His bright blue eyes sparkled, and he was clearly pleased with himself.

Hoshiko was surprised and a bit flustered, but she didn't let it show. The man had said more, and it wasn't to go without note. It didn't come as a shock to the girl that he knew her name and that she was the matriarch of her family. What was surprising was that out of all of her and her sisters who dressed and wore the same make up he could pick out who she was. Samuel hadn't said her name and Nozomiko always referred to her as "mommy". And even more surprising was that he knew much about her. There were very few people that knew a lot about her or what to expect from her and her duties. If that was what he was referring to.

"...I thank you." The girl's head bowed in thanks. "I have noticed: you are surprisingly knowledgeable for me not being aware of you. Please, tell me where you received these expectations of me?"

The man laughed again, and he shifted his weight to both feet, his hands falling down harmlessly at his sides. His ears flicked slightly as if listening to something in the direction of the Theater.

Wait.

_His ears flicked?_

Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that one distinctive feature overlooked by everyone until that moment was this man's strange, fuzzy ears. They were startlingly inhuman, and were covered in soft white and black fur. They were shaped somewhat like a large feline's ears. Perhaps a tiger or even a lion. Yes, Hoshiko could be sure that she certainly didn't know this man.

The man noticed he was being studied and smiled widely. "As for how I know you, my mother told me everything about you. But my past...or...future I suppose...is far too complicated to explain in the very short time I am allowed to be in this world. I actually came here to speak with Samuel Oak, although..." He took Hoshiko's hand and kissed it in a most chivalrous manner. "It has been a remarkable pleasure meeting you."

If Hoshiko hadn't felt the need to be quite so reserved around the man, she would have stared at him with such an odd look on her face that it might even bring someone to laughter. But of course, in grand tradition, the girl remained completely composed. Even at the strange and slightly disturbing sight of the being's ears.

But of course, not all time or focus could be spent solely on his appearance. He seemed to know much more about her then she could have expected and Hoshiko could barely fathom when she could have possibly met his mother or even who or what his mother was.

"I see..." Was her first form of acknowledgement to what the man had to say, but before she could go any further, Hoshiko was surprised at how he had in such a gentlemanly manner, kissed her hand and maybe, just maybe if there wasn't so much makeup on Hoshiko's face, the girl could have possibly blushed at such an action.

"Thank you very much..." Hoshiko hesitated, wishing she had a name to refer to him by, but not given that luxury, she would have to survive. "...It has been my pleasure also and my most sincere gratitude for the chivalrous act of ridding the Theater of those women. There are many like them in their convictions against me...but I am certain in my will and refuse to adhere to their ridicule." And bowing once more, Hoshiko reached for the man's hand. "The Theater will be emptied of my family. Surely only Samuel and my daughter remain. I will bring you back to him...so you may speak in privacy." Hoshiko said as she gracefully lead the man back into the theater. Her words were true and only two people remained there still at the table with Nozomiko climbing all over Samuel and yanking his hair in an attempt to pull herself onto his shoulder.

Samuel sat surprisingly still through all of the torment that a little one-year-old could cause a young man like him, although he did make an effort to gently pull her hands away from his hair. Only the sound of footsteps drew his attention from the little girl in his lap, and he glanced over his shoulder with a slight grimace of pain on his face, but still wearing a smile.

"Hi Hoshik—" He noticed the strange man walking back in with her, and he stiffened, "—Oh..." He frowned slightly, but nodded and slowly turned to face the two as they approached.

"So?" He asked, looking at Hoshiko expectantly. "What's up?"

To his surprise, the stranger answered him by letting go of Hoshiko's hand and kneeling on one knee, head bowed, in front of Samuel. The young man shifted uneasily at the attention. He wasn't quite sure why anyone would approach him that way.

"Forgive me for interrupting Hoshiko's dance earlier. I know you paid for it, and I did not mean to be rude."

"That's... fine... I guess." Samuel said, staring blankly at the stranger.

"Hoshiko has been such a gracious hostess. I must say it has been an honor. But I really must talk to you, Dear Sir."

Samuel made a face, "Okay..." He glanced at Hoshiko questioningly, wondering if she'd learned anything interesting about this guy while she was outside. "Shoot."

"I was sent here from the future, by my king."

Standing behind the man, Hoshiko looked at Samuel and shrugged, he hadn't given her very much information aside from the fact that his mother seemed to know a lot about her and that he needed to speak to Samuel.

However, there was one thing that Samuel hadn't noticed yet that Hoshiko felt the obligation to point out. And so directing her finger to point at the ears on the man's head, Hoshiko held a finger at her lip to indicate Samuel not to say anything. But it was worth bringing to Samuel's attention.

The girl herself, after the little moment of charades came near Samuel, almost beside him and sat down. Looking from the man to her friend and then her daughter, Hoshiko seemed perplexed. And yet there was a poignancy in the man's cryptic last sentence. His king had sent him? As perplexing as it was, it was impossible, at hearing the word king not to feel some sort of sorrow. And along with it was his mention of the future. A sick feeling arose in the pit of Hoshiko's stomach and she glanced at Samuel.

That was when the moment was broken for Hoshiko as her daughter climbed from Samuel's lap and into that of her Mother. Looking curiously at her mother's painted face, Nozomiko reached up and started to wipe her hands against the thick white make up. Hoshiko's eyes were wide in protest, but she couldn't be frustrated with her tiny daughter. Simply laughing softly, the young woman reached to take her daughter's now white covered hands off of her face.

"No, Nozomiko...it's not time for that yet." She said softly.

"Dance over!" The tot protested.

"But mommy is with someone very important..." Hoshiko explained, glancing up at the man with Samuel. She had to keep up appearances and with splotches of her make up missing, she certainly didn't meet the standard for an appearance with the messenger of a king.

Looking back at the man, Nozomiko's eyes went wide as she noticed his strange ears, pointing the child laughed. "Ears!" She cried out but Hoshiko's shushed the girl gently.

"...M-My apologies..." Hoshiko said stiffly. "Her manners are...something to be desired..."

A perplexed look overcame the strange messenger, and he tilted his head curiously until at last recognition replaced confusion. All at once, he laughed, and he reached up and touched his own ear with his hand.

"Oh, yes. You like my ears?" He laughed again, and came forward, close enough that Nozomiko could actually reach out and touch them with just her fingertips. "I suppose they are a little unusual, aren't they?" His eyes wandered to Hoshiko. "It's alright. Children always make astute and innocent observations. We could all learn something from them."

Reaching out her fingertips, Nozomiko brushed the man's curious ears and giggled at the idea of such a phenomenon. Hoshiko smiled gratefully at him and brought Nozomiko back away from him as he sat back straight once more. Looking down at her child, Hoshiko stroked her head softly. "What do you say Nozomiko?" She asked.

"-HANK 'OO!" The one year old said with enthusiasm

"So you're a..." Samuel bit his tongue, not sure if he should ask, but he had to know, "You're a monster?"

The messenger laughed again. "Ah. Not quite. Metavasi." He unconsciously reached a hand up and gently fondled a thin chain that was hanging around his neck. The action fished out a small charm of some sort, which he pinched between his fingers before lazily tucking it away again. "Which is why I can't stay for long."

Hoshiko opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced by the infinitely disturbing revelation. He was a metavasi. _Metavasi...a Metivasi?!_

All at once, Hoshiko's cheeks flushed a hot red and her breathing felt constricted, there was a surprising tightness in her chest that the girl hadn't felt for just over a year and instinctively the young woman wrapped her arms around her child protectively. Not because she was scared of this man, no, it was simply the memories that the term brought back to her.

After a moment of trying to clear her mind, straighten out her nerves and find once more her voice, Hoshiko went to speak...but not until after removing Nozomiko's hands from her face again.

"If you don't mind me asking..." The girl's voice wasn't nearly as confident or regal as it had been before. If the man hadn't, Samuel would recognize that there was something different about her demeanor, it was much more of the girl that Samuel knew who was inside of the matriarch that the public saw. "Who _is_ your king?"

Detecting Hoshiko's sudden change, Samuel glanced over at her and he could see a distinct trace of something—was it...fear?—in her face. Immediately, he felt uncomfortable.

The man in front of them remained on one knee before Samuel, his head low but his eyes locked on Hoshiko. He seemed to sense her discomfort, but whether he saw it on her face or not was a mystery. He didn't answer the question at first. Samuel noticed his hesitation and grunted at him.

"Why don't you stand up?" He asked. "Or sit down? Something other than...whatever you're doing." He felt uncomfortable with the odd creature kneeling before him. It was as strange as everything else about him.

"As you wish, Milord." Abruptly the messenger fell into a sitting position, legs crossed before himself. He rested his hands on his knees. "Anything for my king's Master." He grinned mischievously, as if he knew what sort of result the comment would stir.

Samuel's face drained of color, but his eyes went wide and he leaned forward. "...Ace..." He whispered. "Your king is...Ace?"

The stranger smirked. "Well, you know him by that name. I know him by other names as well, but yes, that is he." He bowed his head. "And I am but your servant too, Samuel Oak. For anyone my king answers to is a man of great power and noble heart indeed."

There was a sparkle in the man's eye when he looked up, and Samuel watched his face for a moment. The messenger's expression had changed a little, from smugness at having finally revealed what he seemed to think a marvelous secret to a sort of admiration...even adoration and wonder. Samuel shrank back a little bit, confused and a bit intimidated by the stare. "I've always wanted to meet you..." The messenger said. "And if this be the only time I am able, I will never forget it."

If Hoshiko had thought that she regained her composure, it was a short-lived luxury. This man's disturbing words refused to cease and by the end of everything he said, Hoshiko's whole body was stiff as a board, her throat dry and her hands appeared to be shaking, even if it was just a little bit.

To know that sometime in the future that Ace was alive would have felt good, if not for the presence of a race that he had worked to prevent. In an instant, the moments when she had heard of the Metavasi and how Hart had been planned to be the first, to take Ace's place and even how Arceus had planned to change her own daughter's race flooded Hoshiko's mind.

Cringing visibly, the young woman looked at the man and then to Samuel, her throat still to tight and dry to say anything. First the only thing she could do was shift closer to her friend. Close enough that at least their arms could touch for comfort's sake.

"...Ace..." Hoshiko made the word produce from her mouth. "King...of Metavasi...?" Biting her tongue hard, Hoshiko felt wrong for even saying it. Her voice was shaking and she kept working to try and stop the volume of her words from increasing. "How far from the future are you?" She questioned and Samuel would feel Hoshiko shiver. "This isn't right...this isn't what Ace wanted..." Eyes looking down at her daughter Hoshiko tightly hugged the confused child. "This is Arceus' doing." Eyes narrowed sadly, something dawned on Hoshiko and it might as well have been the most disturbing of all things...if it turned out to be a true revelation. "Who is your mother?"

The man tilted his head innocently, but then shook it, closing his eyes. "My but you ask a lot of questions. I'm afraid I can't tell you who my mother is. I would, but it could disrupt the necessary flow of events. Which is what I've come here to prevent in the first place." Then, as if to try and ease Hoshiko's conscience, he added soothingly. "Ace is not the King of Metavasi, Milady. Ace is the King of Monsters in the Human Realm. I am the king of Metavasi. Or, I suppose it would be more accurate to state that I am their high commander. Most of them do not know I answer to the Incarnus, and for good reason. A number of them would turn against me if they knew. It's a delicate balancing act."

Samuel's unease didn't ebb. He was thrilled to know that Ace was alive...somehow. But he needed to know more. So much more. He waited, as the messenger went on to answer another question posed by Hoshiko.

"I'm from the not-so-distant future. Or...one of the possible ones. Perhaps the best possible one, which I truly hope unfolds. I am to be born but a few years from now, in Alefgard, where my body will stay until called upon by my sealed spirit. My age at our present meeting is approximately forty years. Don't be fooled by my youthful appearance. I age a mite slower than a full-blooded human, when and if I ever return to my body in the first place.

At any rate, in a way, you're right about Arceus. The demon king desired my birth in order to enslave this realm. But you see..." He grinned hugely, "He should have anticipated that my king would not allow me to come here except under very strict limitations. Time constraints and restrictions to my power allow me to enter this world for very brief stretches of time, and the fact that the Incarnus himself will readily kill me if I dare disregard his instructions is incentive enough not to disobey." He idly reached up and fiddled with the small chain around his neck again, turning his attention to Hoshiko primarily. "Does that answer your questions, Milady?"

"I..." Hoshiko hesitated, not sure what to say. "Suppose it answers my questions..." Indeed in some way it had, but yet not in a satisfactory manner, which Hoshiko had anticipated it likely wouldn't. It would have been cruel to tell this man, this creature...this Metavasi that he shouldn't exist, and yet it was on Hoshiko's heart so heavily that she felt an overwhelming guilt for even the thought. Holding her daughter closely, as the child looked up at her Mother's disturbed eyes, Nozomiko couldn't understand her Mother's sadness.

Samuel had heard of the Metavasi from Hoshiko in the time that he'd stayed with her. The prospect of these creatures existing concerned him. At least, if this man was sent by Ace, though, it was enough to hear what he had come to say. Considering that he had come to speak with Samuel, and Hoshiko was the one asking all the questions, instead of pushing the topic farther, she finally let all the thoughts stew in her mind.

Hoshiko watched the man carefully, trying to pick up on anything that could have been familiar about him. She was curious of the chain that he kept toying with. Sighing out a heavy breath, the young woman was silent, sticking as close beside Samuel as she could.

In the dim light and dancing shadows of the now completely quiet Dance Theater, the messenger's face looked surprisingly gentle, although it still had that wild and untamed quality to it. His bright blue eyes twinkled slightly in satisfaction when Hoshiko told him she'd heard enough.

"Very well." He sighed contently, and glanced back towards Samuel. "Now, there are some things I must address, and quickly. My time here is short, and I must make sure that you understand the necessity of this before I leave." He looked Samuel in the eye very seriously, "Forgive me for addressing you in this manner, but you _must_ pursue the dreams you set forth in your youth. Abandoning the vision of studying to become a pokémon researcher will deprive this world of a great and wise gentleman, who has the heart, the courage, and the commitment to dedicate to generations of young humans down the line. If you do not go to school...if you choose to remain here and live out your life doing menial tasks, you will stunt the study of monsters and the education of young trainers."

He reached out and put his hands on Samuel's shoulders, giving him a firm shake. "You are to become the foremost authority on pokémon. Children and even other scientists will seek you out from the world over. The ideas and efforts that you begin will inspire millions of people...and someday they will inspire the one person who might be able to save this world. If you do not become a pokémon researcher, you will not be able to lend a hand to the Chosen who yet waits for the chance to serve. You may not understand now, but you will meet the Chosen and you will become their mentor, leading and guiding them in the tasks they must undergo before they can become a part of the Incarnus' greater plan. If you abandon your hopes of education now, not only will the world lose the voice of advancement and understanding in regards to pokémon research, but the Chosen will have no voice to inspire them to become what they are meant to become."

The messenger took a deep breath, but before Samuel could interrupt, spoke again. "And, in a final plea for your cooperation, I must point out that there are generations that will die out if you do not pursue your dreams. I cannot tell you too much, because I don't want to affect your decision making in interpersonal affairs in any way... But your children, or one of them at the very least, may not be born if you do not attend school. The parent of your future grandchildren and subsequently the parents of your great grandchildren will simply not exist. I know this is vague, but you must understand that detailed information about future relationships must be kept to a minimum to avoid altering potential fate. Just... Trust me."

Samuel swallowed hard at that. His future child? Children? Would he really have them? He had always hoped so, and if he would meet someone in school that would become the mother of his future descendants, then that was one good reason to go. He wanted to know more, but he knew already that the messenger had told him all that he could.

"So...Ace sent you here... to tell me not to give up?"

"Indeed. The Incarnus has seen a potential alteration in the future that is most unfavorable, and he wants to prevent it. He would have come to tell you himself, but in the time he sent me from he is preoccupied with some very important tasks. And, in the time period you are currently in, he is finishing his recovery and dealing with some rather destructive uprisings in Alefgard. You should know, however..." And at this the messenger's eyes narrowed to delighted slits, and his teeth shown in a bright white grin, "That come the next Scout Challenge... someone will be waiting to take the pledge with you. As always."

Suddenly, Samuel's eyes lit up. "He...he's coming back?!"

"Mm, did I say that out loud?" The messenger winked playfully.

Although the presence of a Metavasi was one of the most disturbing things that Hoshiko could imagine, along with the fact that their presence would exist in the future, the young woman could not help but hang on every word this man spoke. His existence was one of the things that Ace fought against, one of the reasons Arceus wanted to kill him and part of why Ace had almost killed _her_. The idea was disturbing and ultimately made Hoshiko wonder how Ace would ever coexist with a Metavasi to the point that he would send one as a messenger to them. It baffled her beyond words.

Yet the words that he spoke said something else to the bothered girl's nerves. In fact, they surprisingly mirrored a lot of the things that Hoshiko hoped Samuel would do, and part of what she knew he would miss out on if he were to stay in Ecruteak. After all, opportunity was lacking and the citizens were less than kind to well...almost everyone, including Hoshiko. This was no place for a free spirit. Hoshiko would be the first to say it, and had duty not called her it would be all too easy to leave with her daughter and find somewhere that would truly embrace who Hoshiko was. Whether that was Blackthorn or even somewhere she had yet to discover.

Samuel deserved to escape, even if parting would be bittersweet. Knowing that her words couldn't move him to pursue his dreams, that once again the friendship that Ace had with Samuel prevailed, she was still a little envious of the two, even just a small amount. But it was worth more to see Samuel finally understand where he belonged and what he stood to lose.

Leaning over to her friend with a bit of a smirk, Hoshiko said something in his ear that she wasn't entirely sure the messenger could hear.

"Told you so." She laughed gently and nudged his arm. Looking back to the Metivasi, Hoshiko nodded.

The bright tint of blush that emerged on Samuel's cheeks as Hoshiko nudged him gave away his embarrassment. He glanced at Hoshiko with a slightly sheepish smile. "Yeah, you did tell me so... I guess I should have listened..."

"Sounds like Ace knows what he's talking about." The girl started. "Then again, it wasn't all that often that he was too wrong." She smiled and tilted her head, noticing the relief on Nozomiko's face as her Mother smiled once more. "And he had a lot to tell Samuel too...good thing." Hoshiko was a little surprised that Ace hadn't sent a message for her also. In these times it was nice to hear the encouragement of others, because aside from Samuel, it was a rare treat. There was a knowing smile on the young woman's face. "I knew if we didn't say goodbye it would work."

The Metavasi chuckled softly. "Of course. And, naturally, Ace would not leave the two of you without saying his farewell. He adores you." He turned to Hoshiko. "You're a very wise, very bright woman. And I think you would be pleased to know... Ace specifically requested that you attend the Scout Challenge, should you have time to get away from your duties."

Looking at the messenger with mild shock on her face, Hoshiko tilted her head and couldn't help but smile a little bit at the idea of Ace asking for her specifically. He must have been proud of her after all, because after all of the things that happened between the two, even when he said that he was proud, it was hard for Hoshiko to feel as though he wasn't just trying to be nice. Sometimes, the girl's efforts felt to be a little bit in vain. But this was a wonderful confirmation.

Nodding confidently, Hoshiko replied. "I'll make time." But laughing nervously, Hoshiko glanced at Samuel. "But Samuel will have to explain some of it to me, I've never been to a Scout Challenge before." Now it was Hoshiko's turn to blush. "But it'll be a great break, and I wouldn't ever refuse an invitation from Ace." Hoshiko looked down at Nozomiko and smiled. "Would you like to go on a trip?"

"TRIP! TRIP!" Nozomiko shouted, now disregarding her Dance Theater manners. "TRIP, MOMMY!"

Looking at Samuel, Hoshiko smirked. "Looks like it's not over yet."

Samuel couldn't fight his happiness, and it was clear by the look on his face. "Of course not."

"No, indeed." The Metavasi agreed. "But my time here nearly is, and I have one more favor to ask of you..." He looked at Samuel with deep, hopeful eyes, and it was almost as if he'd dropped the messenger guise and changed from a warrior into a lost child. "Given I have just enough time left, there is one thing I wanted to ask of you before I return to Alefgard."

Confused, Samuel raised an eyebrow. "...What?" He asked, skeptically.

"I have been waiting, and it is my deepest hope and the wish of my king that you will bestow a name upon me..."

Samuel's mouth dropped open, and he looked over at Hoshiko, not sure what to make of the request. When he looked back, the Metavasi was still staring at him with those pitiful eyes.

"Please..."

"You…want ME to give you a name? But why?"

"Does it matter why?" The messenger asked, looking a little hurt.

"It just seems... Weird...to ask someone you just met to _name_ you..."

The Metavasi shook his head. "You don't understand. I would have nobody else but you name me. The Incarnus agrees. It is the way it should be. You gave him a name, after all. I am as much if not more your servant...In so many ways I owe you more than you could ever know. My only means of showing my appreciation is to honorably wear the name you give me with pride and the utmost respect."

Looking over at Samuel with a bit of a smirk, Hoshiko punched him in the arm playfully. "Come on Samuel!" Surprisingly the girl used her more regal tone of voice for such playful actions. Nudging Samuel, Hoshiko nodded. "Haven't you learned how to act around people being around me this past while, Samuel?" His friend liked to bother Samuel and now that it was truly clear that this Metavasi knew Ace, he would certainly know of her more uninhibited side...wouldn't he? Looking at the Metavasi and then back to her friend, Hoshiko smirked. "Come on Samuel, can't you see he really wants a name?" Hoshiko asked.

"FLUFFY!" Nozomiko cried, trying to wriggle her way out of her Mother's arms to reach out for the Metivasi's ears. "FLUFFY! FLUFFY!"

Smirking once more, Hoshiko glanced from her daughter to Samuel. "I'm sure you can come up with something better then that." And finishing, Hoshiko raised an eyebrow ironically.

A hint of color appeared on the messenger's face, and his eyes fell to the ground somewhat shyly when Nozomiko started announcing her opinions. When he glanced up at Samuel the young man could almost _feel_ the pleading gaze as it spoke to him. Not Fluffy. Anything but Fluffy.

The words that came from his mouth were gentle though, and accepting. "Whatever you decide to call me, it shall be..." The Metavasi bowed humbly.

Samuel smirked a little bit. _Anything but "Fluffy" of course._ He wouldn't be that cruel. Now, studying the stranger for a moment, Samuel conceded to give in. He also realized that picking a name for someone he'd never met and knew nothing about was more difficult than he'd ever imagined. He knew nothing about this man's personality or his past.

Then it hit him, without warning or reason.

"Lumen." Samuel spouted before he even knew why. The messenger lifted his head, and a paper thin smile tightened his lips. "You'll be called... Lumen..." Samuel's words were decisive, and he felt, for some reason, as if he'd known the man by that name all along. Of course, that was impossible, but Samuel had no other explanation.

A smile spread across Hoshiko's face. As he spoke with confidence, she knew that she could trust him more than even Samuel understood. If anyone thought that Hoshiko was destined for greatness, the girl knew better. Samuel was headed for amazing things, and Hoshiko was well aware of that in her mind.

"It's a handsome name." Hoshiko said softly. "And may I add, very fitting too. Doesn't it have a root meaning in light?"

"I…I think so…" Samuel said after a moment. "And he has definitely brought light to me now, even with just his messages. Thank you…Lumen."

"FLUFFY!" Nozomiko protested, but her mother simply laughed and patted the girl on the head.

"No, not Fluffy." Hoshiko said. "Lumen."

Wrinkling her nose, Nozomiko tried to pronounce the Metavasi's name. "'OOMEN!"

"Close enough." Hoshiko smiled. Looking to the man, she was now able to feel more comfortable around him. "I want to thank you for your visit, Lumen...and for delivering such important news. I only wish I could have hosted you more fittingly. I would have at least prepared ceremonial teas and some food. You must be exhausted from your travels back so far in time..." Bowing her head, Hoshiko spoke. "It has been an honor."

Lumen stood up slowly and laid his hand across his midsection, tucking in his torso for a low sweeping bow. His long, silken bangs fell across his face and hid his eyes. Wild as they were, they had a certain softness to them. He lifted his chin and smiled.

"The pleasure has been mine." His eyes drifted to Hoshiko, down to little Nozomiko, and finally rested on Samuel. "Truly. I thank you." He stood up straight, his yukata rustling slightly with his movement. "You couldn't have hosted me better, Milady. But if you'll excuse me... My time is up. I must return before the Incarnus comes to get me. I'd be in significant trouble then, wouldn't I?" He laughed and then slowly turned, started towards the door. "Good luck! I know only the best shall come to you, as long as you pursue your heart of hearts."

Lumen kept walking, and before he even reached his hand out to open the door, he was already gone, as if he'd never been there at all.


	38. Finding Diamonds

**Chapter 38: Finding Diamonds**

The idea of a vacation had been something to look forward to for Hoshiko. It was a chance to get away from Ecruteak, her sisters' requests, the dancing, and most of all the villagers. Their apparent opinion of Hoshiko certainly hadn't changed. It was more than clear to her. But now, she wouldn't have to worry about that, at least for a little while. Samuel was keeping his promise to her, taking her with him to Green Bays for the Scout Challenge. She felt excited and enthralled at the idea of touring his homeland for the first time.

The moment grew increasingly closer as Hoshiko knelt beside her bag, checking for the things that she would need. She hadn't traveled for quite some time now, and she was filled with nervous energy and anticipation. Biting her lip, Hoshiko struggled with the concept of what to bring and what to leave behind. All of her old items were still in her bag, her shorts, top, bikini all of her clothes that she hadn't used since before formally taking her place in the family.

She longed to wear the items of her youth again, to be free and feel alive once more outside of the boundaries that had been set around her. Just like she had the first time she had left Ecruteak to find adventure. But this time there was something different. She couldn't hide. Everyone knew who she was, and it would be impossible to keep away from her title. With Nozomiko asleep, Hoshiko felt free to at least express a bit of her emotions, and wiping a few tears away from her eyes, the young woman scooped up her old clothes and stared at them long and hard. Frustration built up within her.

Keeping silent so as not to wake her child, Hoshiko sniffed and held back a frustrated sob. Taking the clothes in her hand, the girl released her anger towards bondage by throwing the items straight out of the door and into the hall. Her sisters weren't home either...so it was alright. Burying her face into her hands, Hoshiko muffled her gentle crying. It was a difficult and restrained life for one who felt the desire to be free and unrestricted. A gentle rapping on the doorframe echoed softly through the room, followed by a soft voice.

"Hey, I think your clothes are trying to make a break for it." A kindly figure appeared in the entryway to Hoshiko's room. Samuel held the pile of clothes in his arms and wore a gentle smirk on his face. However, his expression fell when he noticed that Hoshiko was crying. "Are you alright?..." He asked, slowly making his way in and settling down in front of her. He laid her clothes out and put a hand on her shoulder.

Hoshiko glanced up at Samuel for a moment as he stood in her doorway with the clothes she had just thrown in his hand. Her yukata sleeves were by now soaked with tears and the girl's eyes were quite red with emotion. Quickly she hid her face in her sleeve once more until Samuel was in front of her, now on eye level.

Even though Samuel had seen her cry before many times, it felt embarrassing this time. To be crying over the responsibility that she had been given. Maybe someone else would like the opportunity or even appreciate it...but Hoshiko felt too much pressure to be someone that she wasn't. Samuel's friend was silent, leaning her head on his chest and soaking his vest with salty tears. Shaking her head no, Hoshiko looked up at Samuel and then to her clothes that he had brought back to her.

"N-No." She finally said, picking up her old pink shirt and rubbing the material between her fingers. "I...I can't wear these anymore..." She whispered guiltily. Sniffling, she clenched her hand into a fist around the shirt. "This was part of my freedom, Samuel! I-I was comfortable in my own skin!...Even after what happened with Osamu...I wasn't afraid of being me and being comfortable with wearing what I want..." Crying into Samuel's chest once more, the girl dropped the article of clothing out of her hand.

"...Now I can't...because I have to take my mother's place...I have to be proper...I have to be an example...but...but I just want to be _me_, Samuel...I just want to be me...I...I just want to be free...but now I can't, not ever again..." Looking down at the bikini she had first tricked Samuel with at the convention, Hoshiko laughed bitterly. "I loved wearing that bikini...I felt so pretty..."

"You were pretty..." Samuel's voice hushed in her ear softly. His rough fingers ran through her messy but silken black hair, and when Hoshiko looked up at him again she saw a flood of color in his cheeks but quiet pensiveness in his stormy blue eyes. "You _are_ pretty." He said, letting his eyes drift away from Hoshiko and off towards the wall.

"You mean it?" Hoshiko asked shakily, looking up at her friend. "...B-Because sometimes...all covered up like this...I don't feel very pretty..." The girl sighed heavily wiping her eyes of Samuel's vest and watching her friend's face for a moment. She felt bad in a way that Samuel seemed to feel a bit...embarrassed? But what he had said meant a lot to Hoshiko; it wasn't very often that people told her she was pretty.

He studied the ornate oriental paintings on the wall, dark silhouettes of cherry branches dotted with white and red blossoms. Samuel sighed softly and mumbled. "You're pretty no matter how you dress... And you'll always be yourself. And maybe you have to put on a show in public, but there's no rules that say you can't dress down and enjoy yourself while on your own, right?" Samuel laughed slightly. "Besides... where we're going it's not likely they'll ever have heard of you. Or if they did they won't care. They're so wrapped up in their own little world that they wouldn't know a king if he was wearing his crown. Life is different in Green Bays."

"I guess I just feel like...I'm an adult. And a mother...to Nozomiko and to my family. This is the kind of stuff that choked my spirit before, Samuel...all of these restrictions...I felt so...tied down by rules." Chewing her lip, Hoshiko stared guiltily down at her old clothes.

"Even if I were to bring it to Green Bays with me, there's a chance that people from Johto or Kanto might be there...and...I don't want to risk it. I just...I want to honor what I can of my mother and my family. When my Grandmother first told me about my responsibility after my mom had died...I was mad. To put it lightly. But...she reminded me of juvenile kings and queens. They didn't abandon their responsibility...and neither should I...I guess if I felt pretty like that, I'll just have to try and feel the same this way too...although…it's pretty hard to feel pretty when no one can see your body..." Hoshiko said a little bitterly.

Looking back at her bag, Hoshiko glanced at Samuel and pulled it over to him. "...This might sound weird...but would you mind packing the rest for me? I...I have all of Nozomiko's stuff in there...but...it'd just make it easier. A few Yukatas and my Kimono...and I guess I should be fine..."

So that's what it was all about. Growing up...taking on more responsibility...leaving behind the carefree days of childhood. Samuel couldn't help but laugh again, and he pulled the bag close to himself, beginning to sift through the mounds of clothes and pick the ones that he thought might be nice to see Hoshiko in.

"You _are_ an adult. And a mother." Samuel pointed out. "But that doesn't change who you are. You're still Hoshiko. And even though you have to look out for more people than just yourself now, think about how many people Ace looks out for."

Samuel's face turned surprisingly serious, but there was still a hint of miraculous joy highlighting the lines of his face. "And somehow... He still finds it in himself to laugh...to dance...to play. He's still himself, through and through. But just because he finds pride and joy in life despite everything, and even though he acts like a punk sometimes... Somehow he still has that regal bearing. That very royal, very majestic air. Am I wrong?" Maybe Samuel was just overly excited at the prospect of possibly seeing Ace again, but he had to make the comparison.

"I guess..." Hoshiko agreed. "I just never expected to face all this at eighteen I guess..." The girl released a soft sigh.

"You're right..." She said slowly and although Hoshiko agreed with Samuel, it seemed as if part of her didn't know how to fully understand. Ace was a monster; didn't that mean he could naturally be more uninhibited? "But...I mean look at what they say about me..." Hoshiko seemed a bit injured at how the women of Ecruteak referred to her, after all they were much less then kind with their words and scrutiny. But quite suddenly as Hoshiko seemed to be pensive, the young woman reached forward and grabbed her friend into a tight hug.

"Samuel...thank you..." She didn't have to say for what, there was a lot to thank her friend for. "I'm sorry I have to dump all this emotional stuff on you..." Her eyes were truly full of regret at having to make Samuel share her sadness and pain.

Samuel smiled and used his thumb to brush a tear from Hoshiko's cheek. "Hey, it's no problem." Samuel beamed. "And hey. What if they do say stuff about you, huh? They've been talking about you for years. Chances are they're just bored being cooped up here, and they're stupid and unsatisfied with their own lives, so they try to occupy their time by making other people look bad. Just because they say something doesn't make it true. You know in your heart who you are, and if you hold onto that and keep on living up to your standards for yourself, eventually they'll see what anyone who's known you long enough can."

He winked at her. "You're a hard working, brave woman with a heart of gold and nothing but the best to give to her friends and family. Keep being that and that's the talk that will fill the Dance Theater one day."

Resting her chin on Samuel's shoulder, Hoshiko sat in deep meaningful silence. In a way, Hoshiko was speechless; it truly was something that she had hoped for, to at last be finally accepted by the people who she had always worked so hard to please. She wasn't her mother, and that was clear, but Hoshiko didn't want to be her Mother. She wanted to be herself.

"Samuel, thank you..." Being so close to her friend's ear, Hoshiko didn't have to speak very loudly, no, just in barely a whisper. "That's what I want...I just want people to be alright with me...I try to please everybody, but I end up cutting myself short...and if it wasn't for you to keep me here, I would simply be a shadow of who my mother had been...and then there'd be nothing left."

Laughing gently, Hoshiko shook her head. "This is all so crazy...I can't believe I cried over packing...I guess...I'm just such a girl, huh?" Hoshiko reached into her yukata and pulled out the scarf that Samuel had given her so long ago. "I know one thing I won't forget to bring..." She smirked. "You still have my necklace?" Hoshiko laughed a little bit.

Calloused fingers reached under the collar of Samuel's vest and dragged out the little necklace adorned with the bullet and the little charm that meant so much to Hoshiko. Samuel slipped the necklace off of himself and gently held it out to her.

Looking at the necklace in Samuel's hand, Hoshiko didn't reach for it. Instead, she looked at the item with careful attention. Part of her wanted to reclaim it, because after all, this necklace had been a present from her father. And yet it meant so much more than that now with all the connections that she and Samuel had tied to it.

"Of course I do." Samuel smirked. "And don't worry about being a girl. Just because you whine a lot doesn't mean it's not offset by your charms and the sway in your hips."

Just as the girl was about to reach her hand out to Samuel's, her eyes widened and her mouth gaped.

"The sway in my hips!?" She choked the words. Since Samuel was her friend, she'd never considered that he might even notice something like that. "W-What's that supposed to mean!?" And instead of reaching for Samuel's hand, Hoshiko punched Samuel in the arm, practically tackling him for the comment.

Bursting out laughing despite the slight twinge of pain in his arm and the fact that he couldn't stop himself from falling backwards in the process, Samuel looked up at Hoshiko with amusement.

"Hey! Hey! Mercy!" He laughed again. "I'm just saying! What, you expect me _not_ to notice?! Sheesh!"

He didn't fight her; after all it would have been ungentlemanly of him. And he'd actually gained _some_ fine qualities over time, if only a few. Instead of struggling against her, he lifted his hand, and while lying on his back, he dangled Hoshiko's necklace over his own face where she could see it easily.

With a bit of a smirk on her face Hoshiko punched Samuel in the arm once more, this time a lot more gently then before. She laughed a little bit, but it was clear that her cheeks were flushed bright red from embarrassment.

"I guess I just never knew how much you could notice it..." The girl's eyes shifted away nervously. "I sway my hips, _that_ much?" Chewing on her lip Hoshiko's self-consciousness showed on her face.

At least until the girl noticed that Samuel was holding her necklace out. Considering it for only a second, the girl took it gently from Samuel's hand. Holding the bullet and frog up to her eyes to take a good look, the girl kissed the items and then reached forward, undoing the necklace and putting it back around Samuel's neck.

"I'm glad you still have the necklace Samuel." Hoshiko said softly. "But I don't want it back yet..." She laid the charms down gently on the outside of Samuel's shirt, against his chest. "That frog that Koichi gave me is supposed to bring good luck and bring you safely home." Hoshiko looked at her friend's eyes with consideration. "I want you to give me back the necklace once you find home. Not...a literal home...because here...you always have a home here in Ecruteak with me." And reaching out her hand Hoshiko placed a finger on his chest over where Samuel's heart would be. "...I want you to give it to me when you heart finds its home, Samuel."

"Haha." The light chuckle was at first all Samuel could manage. But after a moment, he thoughtfully fingered the charms and smiled at Hoshiko. "Thanks... I'll probably need it."

"Knowing you, you're going to need it." Hoshiko laughed, smirking at Samuel. "You need all the luck you can get."

Samuel grinned mischievously, and then reached a hand up, pressing his finger lightly to Hoshiko's nose. "And, by the way, your hips don't sway _that_ much. Just enough to notice."

Hoshiko shook her head while she watched him and placed one hand on her hip as she sat, although it was hard to tell that she had hips with her yukata on. There was a skeptical look on Hoshiko's face but she shrugged, cheeks reddening even further.

"Look, I dunno. I don't think about my hips. I mean...when I walk I just kind of...walk." Looking down uncomfortably, Hoshiko started playing with her fingers. "I guess when I dance..."

Samuel cracked up, and forced himself into a sitting position, returning to his efforts of choosing clothes for Hoshiko's bag. "You always forget I'm a guy, don't you?" He laughed. "I don't know whether to be pleased or offended."

He gently started securing items in Hoshiko's bag, carefully tucking her normal clothes and her bikini in the center of her dancing Kimono, well hidden from view.

Looking at Samuel and wrinkling her nose, Hoshiko huffed playfully. "I do so think of you as a guy!" Hoshiko shoved Samuel a little bit. "I just don't think of you as a..._guy_, guy. That's all. And yes, that _is_ a compliment."

And instead of resuming assisting Samuel in packing away her clothes, Hoshiko leaned over and pulled out her makeup case from her storage box. Dragging it over, Hoshiko handed it to Samuel, the makeup case was made of beautiful bamboo but in weight it was surprisingly very heavy.

"Don't forget my makeup."

Samuel gasped as the case dropped onto him, and he caught it with an over dramatic wheeze. Of course, immediately after, he tucked the makeup case carefully into the bag and mopped his brow. Glancing up with as charming a smile as he could muster, he spoke.

"Well _thank_ you then." He smirked, making one last check to see that everything Hoshiko needed was in the bag before he moved to lock it up. "I'll carry your bag. Hanu is waiting outside to fly us to Olivine. Go ahead and grab Nozomiko and sway your little hips right out that door." Samuel laughed aloud and ducked out the door quickly, to avoid another assault.

Shaking her first at Samuel as he walked out the door, Hoshiko was laughing despite her actions. It was amazing to see that Hoshiko was able to go from a sobbing, pitiful girl into a laughing woman with Samuel's help. She sighed happily and went to pick up her daughter, who was slept on her own little pillow bed in the room, Hoshiko gently lifted up her child from the cozy little spot.

The little girl groggily started to wake up, looking around to get her bearings. Hoshiko looked at her daughter with a gentle smile.

"It's time to go." Hoshiko said gently. But the little girl seemed distracted, looking down at the pillow she had been sleeping on and reaching for it.

Hoshiko looked curiously at the pillow and then laughed. "I see." And reaching down to pick up the Pokémon doll that Nozomiko had been sleeping with. Hoshiko gave the doll to her daughter and Nozomiko leaned over placing a kiss on her mother's cheek. Smiling broadly, Hoshiko started out of the house. "Trip time, Nozomiko!"

"TRIP! TRIP!" The child chirped gleefully as the two slipped out of the room and made their way to the front of the home, emerging moments later.

"Looks like we're all ready to go Samuel!" Hoshiko smiled at her friend who stood along with her prized pokémon.

She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, gazing at the stoic family home. She seemed worried about whether they would be alright without her, but instead of focusing on it for too long, Hoshiko ran over to Samuel.

"TRIP!" Nozomiko cried out with incredible excitement.

Samuel laughed, and helped his two ladies onto the great serpent that would carry them through the sky to the shores of Olivine. There the boats waited in the gleaming harbor, their hulls shining in the brilliant sun.

* * *

The warm, salty sea breeze whipped through Samuel's hair as his eyes wandered over the foamy churning waves. His hands on the rails, he felt nothing but anticipation. His palms were sweating and his heart racing. He'd gotten up this morning with the knowledge that they would arrive in Domus Isle before sundown.

Since then he hadn't been able to tear himself away from the deck, listening to the roar of the sea, the rush of the spray, and the voices of dozens of passengers basking in the glow of a bright, pounding sun.

A voice behind Samuel, much closer than expected, woke the young man from his daydreaming. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't the voice of Hoshiko, no, and it was accompanied by a tiny tug on the back of Samuel's hair.

"Uncle Sam-el!" Nozomiko tried her best to get her Uncle's attention as he seemed so interested in staring out over the side of the boat. The little girl couldn't understand how he would be so interested in that when there were so many other enthralling things to take in. All the people, the new smells and new everything! It was quite an experience for a one year old who knew nothing more about the world than Ecruteak. And of course, her mother was holding onto her, smirking as she watched her daughter tug on the back of Samuel's hair.

"Yes, come on, Uncle Samuel." She said playfully. The surprising thing was that when she had woken up in the morning and discovered that aside from her dancing kimono she had nothing more than her everyday clothes to put on...Hoshiko, was for the first time that her daughter could realize, in regular street clothes.

"Uncle Sam-el!" The tot persisted, watching the back of his head with her big, sweet, amber eyes.

Samuel looked over his shoulder, and as soon as his eyes met Nozomiko's he couldn't help but smile. Turning to face the two girls, he held his arms out to take Nozomiko from her mother. The little girl's warm and cheerful smile instantly rubbed off on him, and he hugged her tightly, able to, at least for a moment, ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

"Do you like boats, Nozomiko?" He asked, starting to follow after Hoshiko, away from the railing and more towards the center of the deck.

"Boat!" Nozomiko mimicked Samuel, which didn't give much of an answer to his question. But from the huge smile on her face, it was clear that the child was enjoying her first experience on a boat, just as she had adored flying high above the clouds on the trip from Ecruteak to Ovline. The child wrapped her arms around Samuel's neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"She's been keeping busy all day." Hoshiko said laughing softly. "There's a lot to do for kids on the boat, I'm kind of grateful for it too...because I hadn't really planned on how to entertain a one year old for the whole trip." Hoshiko looked back at her friend. Running a hand through her hair, Hoshiko's cheeks were red though, walking around on the deck with so many people and her in normal clothes felt like quite an adjustment. Instead of putting on her usual shorts and pink halter though, Hoshiko choose to wear a dress which although might have seemed more modest, from its short length was anything but. As the girl walked ahead of Samuel, Hoshiko made a point of overdramatically swinging her hips.

"Well, what do you think, Samuel? You're pretty sneaky...not bringing any of my Yukatas." Hoshiko looked over her shoulder at him holding her daughter and winked. Part of her was self-conscious but another part was grateful that he hadn't given her a choice. It was a brilliant excuse to wear her everyday clothes.

"...So, what do you want to do, Samuel? You can't just stare out at the water the rest of the trip."

Samuel blushed and quickly looked away when he realized that Hoshiko was teasing him. Still, a smirk found a way to nudge the corner of his mouth up. As casually as he could manage, he lifted Nozomiko up onto his shoulders and held onto her little feet so that she wouldn't fall down.

"I...uh..." He cleared his throat and tried again. "Well I could stay here, but I guess I'd be standing around a little huh?" He laughed. "I'm sorry. I just can't wait to get to shore. You'll love Domus Isle, and I'll be able to finally say I kept my promise to take you there, huh?" He started across the wooden deck, weaving his way through the other passengers and towards the door leading inside. "We could always sit and have something to eat, I guess."

Hoshiko laughed as she saw Samuel look away. There were plenty of things the girl thought to say to get back at her friend for how he had tricked her. But there would be plenty of time for that, and Hoshiko didn't want to chance ruining his good mood or excitement.

Nozomiko wrapped her arms around the top of Samuel's head and started to giggle gleefully at being so high up and seeing things in a whole new light. The ocean breeze felt refreshing, not like the sticky summer days in Ecruteak. It was a fun and new experience for the child.

"I can't wait to see Domus Isle. I've thought about it a lot ever since you mentioned it to me." She finally said, coming beside Samuel. "The way you described it, I know I'm going to love it...personally I'm pretty excited myself." She said with a contented smile.

Without another word, the three went down into the galley where they could pick and choose what food they wanted to eat. But before Hoshiko approached the area to choose food, Hoshiko let out a happy sigh.

"The first time we saw each other was on a boat..." Hoshiko considered the thought. "And even then you noticed my hips!" She punched Samuel in the arm. "I should have known! You were the last one to leave when I was dancing that day!"

A loud yelp told just how surprised Samuel was at the sudden assault, but other than that he didn't react much, if only to keep from accidentally dropping little Nozomiko. Once he recovered from the shock, he quirked his brow and half-tilted his head. A rather cunning and smug grin twisted his expression slyly, and he shrugged his shoulders, bumping Hoshiko's daughter up and then down.

"What can I say?" He sneered. "You caught me. I'm a sucker for a cute body and a good dancer." He burst out laughing. "It gets me in trouble, more than you know." He took a step backwards to avoid a second potential smack, but his mischief didn't abate.

As she was bumped up and down by Samuel's laughter, Nozomiko started to laugh cheerily. "AGAIN! AGAIN!" The little girl cried out happily, trying to bounce up and down herself. Samuel chuckled and obliged to bounce Nozomiko a few more times.

Raising an eyebrow at Samuel, Hoshiko gave him a skeptical look. "Do you?" She asked giving her friend a bit of a shove, although gentler then her last punch. "Is there something you're not telling me, Samuel Oak?" Placing a hand on her hip, Hoshiko made a bit of a humorous and dramatic huff.

Samuel blushed, and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. He had his share of secrets, and for now he'd have to keep them. They started to file into the line that was preparing to get their food. Hoshiko shook her head and clicked her tongue slightly.

"Don't worry, I know you much better than that, Samuel. After all I don't go around trusting just any guy." Clearly Hoshiko hadn't said that quite loud enough as she happened to bump into young man who was in front of her in the line.

"Oops...I'm sorry..." Hoshiko said, taking a step back her cheeks going red.

After taking a good look at the girl who had bumped into her, the young man who must have been around her age smirked.

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind it when a cute girl bumps into me." He reached a hand out and took Hoshiko's hand. He might not have been rude or suggestive; it could have been that he simply did like Hoshiko. But the girl automatically tensed, unease and anxiety creeping over her.

For a moment, Samuel froze, instinctively feeling protective of Hoshiko, and noticing her discomfort. He wasn't used to strangers coming around and doing that to her, and he knew she certainly wasn't used to it.

"Eheh..." Samuel laughed somewhat dryly, nodding towards the stranger. "There. You see? I'm not the only one who thinks you're cute." He remained holding Nozomiko on his shoulder before grabbing a tray and collecting some of the food he thought would be good to try. "Fortunately for you, I'm more subtle and less romantic than Romeo over there."

He laughed and took a bite out of a roll. "I totally plan ahead. For example. I ask myself 'do I want to be punched for the rest of my life?' The answer being no, then I advance to the next part of my mental flow chart: 'do not fall in love with Hoshiko.'" He snickered and started carrying his tray away from the line with his free hand. "Cute hips or not, you're too scary for me, lady."

"Um..." Hoshiko watched as Samuel started to head down the line, apparently too wrapped up with what he was saying to actually notice that she wasn't following along with him and Nozomiko. "Samuel?" She wriggled her hand awkwardly in the stranger's grip and looked at him, trying not to seem intimidated, but failing.

Smiling down at her, the young man pulled Hoshiko closer to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. Hoshiko then knew that this was too close for comfort. Especially when it came to a strange person who was wasting no time in letting Hoshiko know that he was interested in her. "Don't worry about him." He said smoothly. "Look, he didn't even notice that you didn't go with him."

"He's just preoccupied." Hoshiko said irritably, struggling away, to which the young man tightened his arm around her waist. "H-Hey!" The girl protested but he didn't seemed bothered by it.

Meanwhile, as Samuel approached a table, Nozomiko sat perched on his shoulders able to see everyone in the crowd. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" The girl kept repeating, she clearly couldn't understand why her mother was over there and not with her and Uncle Samuel.

"You're pretty..." The stranger said to Hoshiko, as if he was considering the concept. "But...man, why don't you just stay still for a sec." Shaking his head, a smirk spread across his face and he tapped Hoshiko's nose softly. "C'mon, trust me, why don't you? I'm a nice guy, you're a pretty girl. We could have some fun together."

Hoshiko was speechless, her throat was dry and it was hard to focus. Eyes distant, it was clear that she was dizzy. But no words would escape her lips, even those of protest and so the young man ran his hand through her hair.

Samuel stopped at an empty table and gently slid Nozomiko off of his shoulders upon setting the tray down. He set her gently in the seat and started setting out some of the food he'd collected, but Nozomiko's constant calling out was starting to get to him, and as she got fussier, Samuel became all too aware that Hoshiko hadn't followed him.

Immediately, he stood up and looked back towards the buffet line. Scowling irritably when he caught a glimpse of the stranger. Furious, he grabbed a bowl of fruit and whipped cream, handing it to Nozomiko to keep her busy. "Here. Be good. I'm gonna go get your mommy."

Watching curiously as Samuel left the table, Nozomiko started to wave 'bye bye' to her Uncle before turning to the bowl of fruit with it's creamy topping. It looked yummy with all of the bright colors, but even more then that, it looked fun to play with! And reaching into the bowl Nozomiko started to squish her fingers between the pieces of fruit and cream.  
It certainly wouldn't be long before the child was wearing the dessert.

Samuel didn't like the idea of leaving Nozomiko alone, but Hoshiko wasn't that far away from the table, and he could grab her and be back in less than a minute. Hurriedly, he made his way over to where the stranger was getting a little too friendly, and he managed to come and wedge himself in between them, pushing them apart slowly with a slight glare at the man.

"Now listen here." Samuel warned. "The lady doesn't want your affections. Can't you see you're bothering her? Now be a gentleman and back off."

Hoshiko couldn't have been more grateful for her friend. The anxiety in her face was more the apparent and her cheeks were brighter red then even when Samuel would tease her.

"Who asked you?" The young man said, watching Samuel smugly and shoving a hand into his chest. "You didn't even see her stay with me when you left." He retorted. "Why don't you go off any play with whoever's kid that happens to be? You're not wanted here, buddy."

Hoshiko bit her lip hard and grabbed onto Samuel's arm quickly out of impulse. First for feeling protected and second because she didn't want Samuel to start a fight. The girl was breathless.

"Look, dude. It's _obvious_ you're freaking her out." Samuel snapped. "Any guy with any respect for women would notice that immediately and let her be. I left her here because I thought you'd be enough of a gentleman to leave her alone, but seeing as you aren't I'll just have to send you on your way now, won't I?"

Samuel frowned and kept himself between the man and Hoshiko, muttering to her gently to get her attention away from the stranger. "Go sit down with Nozomiko. Have yourself something to eat. I'll be right there."

Squeezing Samuel's arm tightly, Hoshiko looked up at him wearily for a moment. She didn't want to leave him alone and yet out of the two people who could take care of themselves better solo, it would have to be Samuel. Leaving her one year old child without supervision seemed too irresponsible. Even if she wanted to make sure that Samuel didn't get into a fight.

"Just...don't start anything, Samuel...it's alright now..." Hoshiko tried to assure him, even if she was trembling as she let go of her friend. And just as she did, taking one last glance at the stranger Hoshiko ran off to the table where the daughter was seated. Her mouth fell open, then as she saw the scene awaiting her. Nozomiko, who had quite a fun time with her dish of fruit was now wearing the bowl like a hat and had fruit dripping down her face and whipped cream all through her hair. "...Nozomiko..." Hoshiko said the child's name shocked.

"PRETTY! PRETTY!" Was the only response she got from her daughter.

At the same time, the young man watched Samuel with irritation. "Look, you have no business butting in on what I'm doing. That girl just didn't know how to react. She was overwhelmed with my good looks, I'm sure. And with a little bit of time I'm sure she'd warm up to how I do things." He smirked. "After all, she seems pretty naive."

"'That girl' just happens to be my best friend, so I'd say it's very _much_ my business to make sure creeps like you don't put their hands all over her when she doesn't want them to." Samuel jammed his finger into the man's chest. "She's not open to 'the way you do things' and frankly that way is disgusting. I mean really. Not everyone is as in love with yourself as you are."

Samuel rolled his eyes. "Go find some other chick to hit on. One that's got a big hairy face and lolling tongue that drags on the floor. That way you'll be a perfect match."

Absolutely appalled, the stranger quickly removed Samuel's finger from his chest and huffed out in anger. "Well!" He said, clearly flustered. "She probably wasn't going to be all that fun anyways!" He narrowed his eyes at Samuel and practically spat out his words. "She wouldn't have been experienced, and she isn't all that pretty either!" And before Samuel could say another word, he stomped off in an angry fuss.

Hoshiko glanced over her shoulder just in time to see the guy who had been bothering her leave, and she let out a sigh of relief that Samuel hadn't gotten into a fist fight. Even if he wasn't Osamu, a person never knew just how powerful an opponent could be in a fight. Closing her eyes and taking a moment to be grateful for her friend, Hoshiko slowly turned back to Nozomiko whose face was she was cleaning off with a napkin. And the little girl was trying to do her part too...but only by licking her hands clean and dripping her mess all over her mother's arm.

Distractedly, Hoshiko couldn't help but shiver at the thought of what had just happened. Certainly it all ended well, but what if Samuel hadn't been there? Hoshiko didn't want to think about it too hard...her eyes were distant in thought, and there was a look of old wounds re-opened within them.

Before Hoshiko had a chance to come out of her thoughts, Samuel pulled her out suddenly by sliding into the seat across from her and speaking up.

"Well, that creep is gone." He laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm not _that_ bad. Then again sometimes it's hard for me to believe that there are people out there with so little respect." He smiled and started eating, not even noticing that Nozomiko was an absolute mess.

"But don't worry about guys like him. I'll chase 'em all off for ya. And maybe one day that one diamond in all the slag will come along and steal your heart away. Then he'll protect you and I can sit back and eat nachos." At that moment he took a big bite.

Practically jumping out of her skin when Samuel sat down at the table, Hoshiko looked at him for a second. She still seemed bothered by what had happened, not that it overshadowed her gratitude for what her friend had done. It was just a disturbing moment that had brought back some horrific memories. Swallowing her emotions, Hoshiko continued to clean off her daughter, Now deciding to make sure her hands were cleaned before finishing with the child's face.

"I don't think I'll ever meet anyone like that, Samuel..." Hoshiko said bleakly. Maybe it was a sad prospect, but for the girl, in a way, it wasn't sad. She would prefer not to have a man in her life, at least not in a romantic way. Samuel was her friend and someone that she could trust, that was all Hoshiko needed. "Guys scare me...I'm afraid of how they'll look at me, how they'll treat me, what they think of me...I'm even more nervous of them being close to me. I don't like being alone with them either...I know I can trust you, but everyone else...well...I'm just frightened that history could repeat itself very easily...I mean, look at that guy back there. He wasn't up to any good...that was obvious..." Hoshiko said sadly, but looked back at Samuel and managed a smile.

"Thank you Samuel..." She finally said, going back to cleaning her daughter's face. "...I must just still be really...hurt but what happened...You're the only guy I trust, really."

"You've been hurt pretty bad." Samuel agreed through a mouthful of food. He chewed it and swallowed quickly, so he could finish talking. "But there's bound to be someone out there. I'm mean I'm not the only nice guy in the world. Take Ace for example." Samuel hesitated, and then laughed at himself. "Well...okay so maybe Ace doesn't count. But there's bound to be other guys out there."

He went on eating for a moment for Hoshiko to ponder that, and then took a nice big drink of iced tea. Feeling refreshed, before he grabbed a little more food from the tray in front of them, he tilted his head and watched Nozomiko for a moment.

"I'm sure there are other good guys out there." Hoshiko agreed, sighing. Reaching over to the tray, she grabbed a piece of steamed broccoli and held it up for Nozomiko to try. "But...there's so many complications. Getting married again...I'd just end up hurting whoever it was that was with me. I couldn't show affection towards him like a proper wife could...I wouldn't even want to be to close to him. And on top of that..." Hoshiko's eyes shifted to Nozomiko for a moment and back to Samuel. "Whoever I would marry...we couldn't have children together...no man wants that..."

"Do you know how people find diamonds?" Samuel asked abruptly.

Hoshiko shook her head, finally finished cleaning up her daughter the best that she could for the moment. She'd have to give Nozomiko a bath before they got off the boat. Right now though, Nozomiko was pleased with herself and how much she smelt like the pretty-colored fruit. It was a happy moment for the giggling child. Hoshiko always wanted to see Nozomiko that happy, even if it meant cleaning her up more often than she would have liked.

Looking at Samuel, Hoshiko tried her best not to appear discouraged. But it was hard not to after all of the thoughts that had went through her head. Biting at her lip, Hoshiko looked at Samuel curiously when he asked he what seemed like a strange question.

"Um, I think I know..." She replied. "You mine for diamonds, don't you? Like...how I was looking for those stones buried in the underground tunnels in Sinnoh...right?"

Samuel gave a gentle nod of his head and took one more bite of his food before moving his plate aside. He dug into his bag at his side and pulled something out. With the object hidden in his hand, he set his palm flat on the table and held it there for a moment. Looking at Hoshiko, he began explaining before he even showed her what he was holding.

"Diamonds are precious, extremely rare, and each one is one of a kind. They are crafted and formed deep in the crust of the earth, where the pressure and heat is most intense. If you go looking for them on the surface, chances are you won't ever find one." He smiled slyly. "Like diamonds, other treasures, like dear friends and even a good guy, are really hard to find. They're shaped by their own experiences to become what they are, and most of the time, you have to dig really, really deep to find them. To dig that deep, you need the right tools."

Hoshiko listened intently to what her friend had to say, but it was clear that part of her was distracted by the idea of what was hidden in his palm. Even so, she understood what he was saying, both the physical explanation and the metaphorical meaning that Hoshiko had assumed he intended towards her. She smiled softly opened her mouth to speak, but in that moment, Samuel lifted up his hand at last, and revealed a pair of playing cards. The one on top covered most of the bottom one.

It was the Ace of Spades. Samuel smirked slightly.

Hoshiko looked at the top card curiously. It wasn't exactly what Hoshiko had expected to find, but it seemed quite like something Samuel would choose.

"A spade?" Hoshiko asked, not skeptically, but genuinely trying to understand why a playing card would help a person find diamonds. But after a moment of focusing on the card and thinking hard about its suit, Hoshiko nodding as if something had dawned on her. "...A spade. Spades are used for digging, right? So...in a way, it's like digging to find a diamond?" She asked, reaching to pick up the card with a sort of 'May I' look on her face.

The grin that started small stretched wide across Samuel's face, and he nodded slowly, pushing the Ace of Spades towards Hoshiko but tucking the other card under his hand so that she could examine the other card by itself for a moment.

"That's right." His voice was soft and encouraging. "In a physical sense, you can't dig without a spade. You can use the tool to your advantage, chipping away at the crust of the earth and scooping it out, even lifting rocks to toss them aside until you get deeper. A spade has a sharp, pointed tip for splitting stone and breaking ground, but it also has a wide, gentle scoop to help lift the soil and rock." He sighed with surprising contentment and went on.

"The spade as a symbol represents toil, sacrifice, and suffering. Everyone faces hardship and trial in their lives, but what you do with it afterward is entirely up to you. Difficulty molds us and shapes us, and if we allow it, it can make us into better people and prepare us for our greater purpose: finding our diamonds, no matter what they may be. You can choose to stay at the point of the spade, letting the painful sharpness dig in and hold itself there, making you fearful and leaving you to suffer. Or you can brace yourself, allow the pain to go its course, and welcome the blessings beyond it...the true potential of what the spade can do." Samuel's deep ocean eyes lifted from the card in Hoshiko's hand to the girl's smooth, lovely face and met her gaze. "You know what else the spade represents?"

There was a deep silence from Hoshiko as Samuel posed the question to her. Part of Hoshiko wanted to say more to Samuel instead of a straight reply, and yet there was a large part of the girl that was pondering what her friend said so carefully that she didn't even know what to say.

Eyeing the card in her hand, Hoshiko stared at the spade. She could so easily see herself in Samuel's words. How he described the suit and its meaning, purpose...how it reflected Hoshiko's life until now. That spade was a symbol of Hoshiko's sufferings, work and perseverance. How could one small image be so incredibly significant? Running a finger along the large spade in the center of the card, Hoshiko's eyes traced up to Samuel's. Her eyes were glassy with water, but they weren't tears of sadness. Instead her eyes sparkled with tears of understanding. Hoshiko saw in her friend's words that there was something more. That the sharp painful tool that seemed to be lodged in her heart could be used for so much potential.

"I...I don't know..." Hoshiko answered breathlessly. "W-What else does it...represent?" Hoshiko's amber eyes watched Samuel's intently. So many times had she seen her friend's eyes but never had they seemed so blue or their intent so focused of meaningful...and the contentment was strangely calm for such a determined young man. "...I want to know, Samuel...please tell me..."

"Power." He grinned gently. "The spade empowers anyone who has it. People who don't have the spade...they can't get very far. They can't dig for diamonds. They're stuck sitting on top of the mediocre dirt. If everything was perfect, serene, and beautiful all of our lives—if we were born to live in a world where no challenges ever tested our strength—would we ever go beyond what we were from the day we were born? We'd be complacent, naive, faint-hearted, and weak-minded."

His eyes fell back down to the card and he stared at it for a moment, pondering the image that was hidden from him yet that he knew so well. "It's the age-old adage: 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.'"

Nodding silently in agreement, Hoshiko smiled at that, not what a person would describe as overly happy, but more simply just at peace. She didn't look back down at the card until Samuel had stopped talking for a moment and she focused on the symbol with intensity. Hoshiko looked up, her lips pursed as she considered what he said. It was true. Slowly her eyes were no longer widened and a knowing smile graced her face.

"You're right Samuel..." Hoshiko said, not wiping away the tiny drips of water that felt like they were trickling down her cheeks. "I guess...I must be lucky then, right? Because...I've been given a lot of tools to work with." Tilting her head slightly, Hoshiko rubbed the card between her fingers. "...And if I wasn't given anything to dig with...then I couldn't find a diamond..." Her words were soft and considerate, as if by speaking she was making relation and sense of what Samuel had said. "...I just need to use the tools instead of staring at them...or letting them use me..." Holding the card out for Samuel, so that she could return it to him, Hoshiko laughed gently. "How come I'm so lucky?"

Samuel laughed and took the card back with the hand that rested on the table, exposing a glimpse of the second playing card he'd been hiding. Now revealed, Samuel nudged it towards Hoshiko once the Ace of Spades was secure in his hand.

"It's because you have me." He laughed and pointed at the card in front of her with his pinky.

It was the Joker.

Although Hoshiko was steeped in thought as Samuel took the card back, the girl looked at her friend with a smirk as he spoke again. Laughing at his joke and looking down at the card he had placed on the table Hoshiko shook her head.

Of course, it wasn't long before the young woman reached forward and punched Samuel playfully in the arm, there were still a few tears spilling down onto her cheeks but from the girl's laughing it was clear that those tears only proved that she was happy.

"You've got it the wrong way around!" She teased. "You're lucky because you have me!" And reaching for the card on the table Hoshiko held it out for both of them. "I've got a Joker to take care of; you'd be lost without me!" Wagging the card at Samuel, Hoshiko had a bit of a smug look on her face. "Hahahahaha!"

Mischief danced in Samuel's eyes and he couldn't help but join in the laughter. "No, seriously! The joker is lucky himself, but he also _brings_ good luck! He's the wildcard that throws everyone for a loop, changes it up, and make the people who have him very happy and the people who oppose him very _unhappy_." He snickered. "That's what Ace always told me. These two cards, the Joker and the Ace of Spades, have always held so much meaning for us. But now... They hold all the more." He grinned broadly at Hoshiko. "Thanks to you."

Although Hoshiko was laughing at the humor of the moment, at the same time she was listening carefully to what Samuel said. His words right now were deep and meaningful, even if they had managed to turn it into a bit of a joke. They tended to do that with almost everything. Then again, with the hardships that both youths had to face, it would be impossible to imagine life without laughter.

Getting a hold on her giggling, Hoshiko looked at the card that she had been teasing Samuel with and held it up so that she could observe both Samuel and the card beside each other.

"I see the resemblance." She teased and then put the card back down on the table. "...Seriously though..." Hoshiko said, watching the card as she spoke. "Everything you've said...it makes a lot of sense..." A gentle smile graced Hoshiko's features. "And I couldn't be more honored to be part of something that's special to you and Ace..." Closing her eyes though, Hoshiko placed her palm on top of the Joker card. "But gee, if you and Ace get cards to represent yourselves..." She smirked. "What about me?"

Samuel chuckled at that, and leaned his elbows on the table, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He studied Hoshiko's face for a moment, and considered the possibilities. There were plenty that he could think would relate to Hoshiko, but only one really made him smile at the thought.

"You're the Queen of Diamonds." He smirked. "The Queen of Diamonds often represents creativity and independence. There have also been findings that occasionally the Queen of Diamonds is related to a woman of infertility and miracle births." He smiled slightly and nodded towards Nozomiko. "Believe it or not."

He took a long drink of tea before continuing his explanation. "Diamonds outside of the game of cards have long represented priceless treasure, love, and eternity. Because diamonds are so precious, it's only reasonable that the queen of all diamonds is the most highly prized and sought after." He winked. "But only the finest of fine will get her."

Hoshiko's mouth was open slightly in surprise at how well Samuel's choice suited her. Covering her mouth with her hand, there was a clear gasp that escaped the girl's lips and she blinked a few times.

"Wow..." At first it was the only thing that Hoshiko could even think to say. Glancing at Nozomiko and taking a moment to think about herself and the awareness that she had of her internal issues. Lowering her hand it was revealed that Hoshiko had a smile on her face. But before she could say anything, Hoshiko reached forward and grabbed her friend into a hug. She smelt like fruit from cleaning up Nozomiko and nearly knocked Samuel's tea straight out of his hands.

Samuel almost fell face first onto the table when Hoshiko reached across the slippery surface and grabbed him. He laughed, and although he had to avoid being awkwardly strangled, he managed to push himself up and forward on his toes until he could return the hug. The table shoved irritatingly into his stomach, but that small discomfort was easily overlooked just knowing that Hoshiko was happy.

"Does it say anything about the Joker and the Queen of Diamonds being best friends?" She asked, a sort of confident happiness in her voice. "Because if it doesn't...I think it's time we started a new tradition." The girl said, looking at her friend's face and nodding in silent approval of her own idea. "After all, every Queen needs someone to make her smile. And I couldn't think of anyone better."

Falling back into his seat when the dancing girl finally released him, Samuel ran his hand through his disheveled hair and beamed.

"I think that's an excellent tradition to start." And he believed it.

* * *

The conversation over lunch changed now and then, but the discussion of suits and symbolism remained burning in Samuel's mind for the rest of the day. His face shone with a pleasant glow that only peace and a true sense of belonging could describe. The depression that had consumed Samuel for so many months had fallen away, leaving nothing but the true young man underneath it all to shine through. His playful and roguish spirit back in full swing, he spent the better part of the afternoon teasing Hoshiko and tickling Nozomiko into a fit of giggles.

When the captain's voice blared over the loudspeaker, Samuel's eyes lit up even more, and he hoisted Nozomiko onto his shoulders and immediately started towards the deck. He already had all of his belongings, and he promised to babysit Nozomiko while Hoshiko went back to her room to get her stuff.

The moments over lunch felt long and beautiful, and deep inside Hoshiko almost felt bad when the Captain made his announcement. She was excited to explore Green Bays with Samuel, but the sense of sitting at the lunch table with him was too nostalgic to want to leave. Seeing Samuel once again the happy, vibrant and humorous young man that she knew him as, filled Hoshiko with happiness.

But alas, as the announcement met Hoshiko's ears she rose from the table after giving her daughter a kiss and thanking Samuel for taking care of her. The young woman rushed off to get her and Nozomiko's things ready. Samuel took the little girl to the rail and let her face into the breeze.

"We're almost there!" Samuel announced in words that Nozomiko could understand better than those uttered by the captain. "Look out there."

He pointed across the blue expanse of water, and in the distance, growing ever larger, waited a gray shoreline dotted with sparkling ships and the colored clothing of hundreds of people. Against the gentle sky, the rectangular forms of tall buildings reached from the ground, while seabirds circled them—downy specks under the bellies of white clouds.

Nozomiko was having the time of her life with her tiny arms wrapped around Samuel's head. She giggled and squealed in delight at the refreshing salty air and her eyes grew wide as she looked out upon the shoreline that they were approaching.

"BAYS! BAYS!" She child cried out, obviously Hoshiko had told her of Green Bays and their destination, even if all she could remember was the last part of the name. Bouncing up and down excitedly on Samuel's shoulders, it was no secret that the child was as please as could be.

And it wasn't long before Hoshiko joined the two on the deck, Silently she came up beside Samuel and held onto the railing, Putting her feet on the first bar it and holding on to the top bar. Smiling broadly and breathing in the fresh air, Hoshiko looked out at Green Bays with a certain light of excitement in her eyes.

"I can't wait!" She shouted on impulse, catching the glances of a few ship passengers, not that Hoshiko minded that. "Samuel, you have to show me everything! It looks incredible. I want to see all of the best places; I don't want to miss even a little bit." Hoshiko looked at her friend with a laugh and started to tip back and forth on her feet still resting on the bar of the railing.

"There'll be lots of time for exploring. It's a few days before the Scout Challenge officially begins, and even though we can start getting registered now, the action won't catch up for awhile. I'll get us all settled, and then we can do anything we want." Samuel paused and watched the tops of the waves foam as they hit the side of the boat.

"Before we get into the glamor of island life though, there's something really important we have to do..." He glanced over his shoulder at Hoshiko and offered a half-smile.

Looking back at Samuel as he spoke, Hoshiko nodded in agreement at discovering all of the different things that Green Bays had to offer. She was pleased as could be at the concept and adored the idea of discovering somewhere new, especially since that place happened to be Samuel's home region. But her pleasure turned to curiosity as Samuel vaguely mentioned something important that needed to be done. Tilting her head, Hoshiko responded.

"O...kay..." Stepping off of the railing Hoshiko leaned her elbows on it and looked out at the water wistfully. "But what's so important, Samuel? I'm curious..." She looked back up at her friend and tried to coax an answer out of him with her eyebrows raised in interest.

Samuel didn't look at Hoshiko but watched the approaching harbor with a far-off gaze. "It's a tradition to take the Scout's Pledge before taking part in the challenge. I'd be honored if you and Nozomiko would join me, even if you don't plan on participating."

He looked up at the clouds. "The Scout's Pledge is actually just homage paid in respect to the heroes and guardians who've come before us, and a blessing for those who may come in the future. It's taken in a shrine at the peak of Infant Isle. There a stone was erected some centuries ago in honor of some hero. The writing is almost entirely worn away, but people still go there to pay tribute."

Hoshiko looked very touched by the sentiment of the tradition and thought about it for a moment before saying anything. Honor, tradition and respect were technically what her life had been founded on, aside from all of her personal family experiences. And so the meaning behind the pledge naturally touched Hoshiko's heart.

"Well I don't know about Nozomiko saying the pledge." Hoshiko laughed and reached up to play with her daughter's hair a bit. But then focusing on Samuel's face, his friend's eyes narrowed happily. "But I'd be honored to take the Pledge and participate in the Challenge. If this is something important to you, Samuel, I want to experience all of it." She looked out at the skyline of Green Bays and how it became increasingly closer. "You've spent a year learning more about me and the traditions of my family. It's the least I can do and besides...I really want to." Glancing at Samuel, Hoshiko recalled the words he had whispered in her ear at the convention when she'd fought the doctor there so hard when he went to give her a needle. The scar from Ace's attack was still on her arm and now the pain had vanished and only memories were left behind. Hoshiko could still feel Samuel comforting her as she sobbed over the event.

And leaning her elbows on the bar Hoshiko put in chin in her hands and sighed contentedly. "And even if Nozomiko doesn't say the Pledge now, I'm sure one day she'll want to..."

Samuel nodded and his peaceful demeanor seemed softened even more by the gentle sea breezes. "Then you can come with me." He smiled. "Both of you."

* * *

And that was that. Together, the three of them watched the port draw ever near and the docks grow large and larger, welcoming them in as they pulled up close and the huge ropes were tied and the anchor thrown. As they leaned over the edge of the boat, they could see the crowds below on the freshly rebuilt wooden docks, gathering with anticipation to meet family members coming back home.

So many of the people jumped up and waved their arms, or a handkerchief, anything to get attention. Samuel scanned the bustling hoard and remembered when he'd run from this place, trying to protect the secrets of the lab. Now it seemed so long ago.

Disembarking into the chaos was difficult, but Samuel kept Hoshiko and Nozomiko close to him, helping them weave their way through the masses of flailing arms and shifting bodies until they finally pushed out of the lines on the docks and onto the rock solid ground of Domus Isle's port. Close up now, Samuel could see how much of it had been recovered. After Dialga and Palkia had come with Hart and left this place in ruin, Samuel wasn't so sure that it would ever recover.

Even now it wasn't to its former glory, but it was definitely restored. The fish markets and tavern were busier than ever, and the smell of seafood and fresh baked bread wafted through the air and tickled Samuel's nose, making his mouth water. He would have suggested they stay and grab a bite to eat, but going through the crowds with Hoshiko's baggage was too much of a trial. He decided they could come back when their hands were less full. So, leading them from the port and towards the great set of white stone steps leading up into the city, Samuel took his two girls under the colorful archways to the grand square at the top of the city, resting in the shadow of the glassy and fully restored spire of the Scout Headquarters.

The bustle and excitement felt comforting to Hoshiko. She missed the days when her and Samuel would walk the streets of busy towns and cities. Seeing the sights and taking in all of the unique people around. The plethora of different ages, styles and races of people was thrilling, and Hoshiko felt a warm joy rise in her stomach. Laughing happily over the chatter, Hoshiko carried Nozomiko and she felt a bit guilty for Samuel taking her bags.

The child in her arms giggled and flailed her arms, copying the humans around. She even tried to reach out and grab at strange material that made up their clothes. Never had she seen so many people in one spot. Home wasn't like this at all. This was fun and lively. Nozomiko liked it, not surprisingly either, considering she was the offspring of the excitement-seeking Hoshiko.

"Samuel!" His friend cried over the crowds a bright smile gracing her face. "This is incredible!" Looking around as they emerged from the crowd, Hoshiko stuck close to Samuel and let her eyes wander down the street. Everything was so different and alive compared to the sleepy little Ecruteak.

Mouth gaped as they climbed the steps, Hoshiko was incomplete awe and Nozomiko was so distracted by the grandeur of the tower that she had stopped flailing and accidentally grasped onto a lock of her mother's messy hair. Hoshiko didn't even notice though, too captivated.

"Samuel...this place is like nothing I've ever seen before..."

Laughing and moving past Hoshiko, Samuel led his friend past a great fountain. The centerpiece—a giant planet-like orb—sparkled with a thin sheen of water constantly flowing over its surface. Samuel was pleased to see the fountain back and in full repair. He'd been sad to see it crushed underneath the feet of Dialga and Palkia.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. This is one of my favorite places to visit and hang out. It's always so lively and filled with tourists. We'll have to meet with the Commissioner when we register for the tournament, and if we're lucky she'll tell us _all _about this place and how she's made so many _wonderful_ improvements and named them all after herself in the process."

He snickered. "In the meantime, we have to get a room at the inn." He pointed down another set of grand stone stairs that led through the down. A descending foot road through the heart of Domus. Signs in bright colors hung over every door, welcoming scouts arriving for the Challenge.

Samuel brought Hoshiko and Nozomiko to a door with a plaque on it that read "matchmaker, second floor." Samuel shoved through the entryway and into the large stone building, following a plush red carpet and ignoring the cries of merchants who were selling their wares.

It wasn't long before they reached a staircase and Samuel got the three of them past the matchmaker—who was busily making recommendations for breeding monsters— and they wound up walking across a small skybridge between two buildings to get to the neighboring one. Only minutes later, they had a room, overlooking the streets. From the window they could peer out and see streamers being hung and balloons being tied to every door post.

Samuel dropped Hoshiko's bag on the floor next to one of the beds. "Well, here we are." Samuel announced with a lopsided grin. "Don't get too comfy, cuz we still have some business to take care of."

By then, Hoshiko was speechless. Images of the fountains and shops swam vividly in her mind and she was certain that they would be there forever. Even traveling through all of Kanto and Johto the young woman had never seen anything that compared to this place. Everything was so exotic. The sights, sounds and even smells were all special and tempting. Hoshiko couldn't wait to experience it all.

Looking around the room at the Inn, Hoshiko couldn't help but stare out of the window at the ever moving scenes of Domus Isle.

"This place is amazing." She said breathlessly, turning back to set Nozomiko down on the bed for a moment, straightening out her dress which was wrinkled from the playful and squirming child. "Thanks for taking my bags Samuel..." Hoshiko sounded apologetic for her heavy luggage.

Reaching across the bed to grab something out of one of her bag, Hoshiko snatched up a little dress that her father had gotten for Nozomiko and a little hair decoration from Ecruteak. "You like this dress, Nozomiko?" Hoshiko asked, showing her daughter the regular everyday dress. The child "Ooooooooo"ed in delight and tried to grab at the material.

Laughing, Hoshiko shook her head and changed her daughter from the yukata she had left in to the dress that Koichi had given to his granddaughter. Nozomiko squealed happily and patted at the pretty clothing. Clipping up the girl's hair, Hoshiko lifted her child into her arms and held her out for Samuel to see.

"Show Uncle Samuel." Hoshiko said smiling.

"PRETTY!" Nozomiko cried, wanting to get her Uncle's attention.

Reaching out his hands to the little girl, Samuel took her into his arms with a hug and a laugh.

"You are _very_ pretty." He agreed. He touched her nose with his and then looked over at Hoshiko while switching Nozomiko's weight to one arm.

"You don't have to worry. Your bags weren't that heavy. Besides, Nozomiko was glad to be carried by her mommy." Samuel walked over to the window and looked out at the street, watching little caravans of families and friends heading in different directions. He fought hard to suppress his growing anticipation and excitement, but his stomach was in knots and his hands tingled electrically.

"We'll need to stop at the scout post on Infant Isle to get something to eat." He said. "But don't worry, we'll be back here by sunset. It doesn't take too long to get to the top of Infant Isle. You need to stick close to me, though."

Hoshiko laughed as she watched Nozomiko waving her arms around as Samuel held her, the child gleefully giggling, pleased at how her uncle constantly doted over her.

"I'm not worried." Hoshiko said, taking things out of her luggage and shoving them into her bag.

Bottles and food for Nozomiko, the child's blanket and light jacket. Some of her toys and different things that Nozomiko would need on their little trip. Finally taking out her daughter's favorite Pokédoll and her own jacket, Hoshiko put the jacket in her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Approaching Samuel and Nozomiko, Hoshiko handed her daughter the doll she had retrieved for her as she child anxiously grabbed for it.

Smiling at how her daughter looked in her 'normal' attire, Hoshiko felt a bit of pride rise in her stomach. Nozomiko was very much her daughter and all the fears that the child might dislike her fled for that moment. Reaching out to take the girl from Samuel, Hoshiko smiled and looked out the window again.

"I can't wait to see the peak of Infant Isle. This'll be the best adventure."

Samuel laughed and reached out with his free hand, sweeping Hoshiko and Nozomiko away and out the door.

* * *

The trip went so much faster than Samuel thought it would. The city of Domus swirled past them all in a haze as his eyes fixated in front of him and his mind locked on their destination. He was gentle but firm in his guidance of Hoshiko, and his hurried step showed his growing excitement and impatience. He simply couldn't contain it anymore.

He brought the girls to the opposite side of the island, to a place with piers hanging out over the water much like in the port, but instead of ships, small watercraft were moored there. They bobbed rockily on the waves that sloshed against the docks. Some people were hanging out down on this side of the city, but it wasn't nearly as busy as the ship port was. Samuel paid no attention to the lack of people. He just ushered his friends to one of the watercraft and gently helped Hoshiko keep her balance while she got on.

Once he was sure she was safe, he hopped on in front of her and grabbed the handlebars. His feet planted firmly in position and his backside against the seat, Samuel leaned forward and grinned as he stared across the sparkling water at a small green dot in the hazy distance.

"Hang on!"

The little watercraft lurched forward in a spray of mist, motor whirring and wind slamming the faces of the three passengers as Samuel kicked it straight into high speed from a standstill. He took a deep breath and shouted out over the wind in sheer delight.

While Hoshiko loved the thrill and speed of the water craft and soaked up every moment of the exciting pilgrimage, Nozomiko wasn't quite as enthusiastic. The little girl clung to her mother, frightened by the loud noises the motor made and the intimidating rush of wind.

Reaching into her bag and retrieving the little girl's blanket, Hoshiko wrapped Nozomiko in it and lifted the blanket over the back of her head like a hood, holding the girl close to her chest. That way she was protected from the wind and the sounds were a little more muffled. And even though her daughter was still whimpering into her mother's chest a bit, Hoshiko could tell by how the child's grip had loosened from her that she wasn't as scared as before. Smiling down at the girl, Hoshiko kissed the top of her head and then looked up to see the back of Samuel's head.

"This is fun!" She shouted over the roaring motor and threw her head back letting the wind do what it would with her hair. The sun felt warm and the sea breeze was fresh and the lush green island to which they were headed look so inviting that it was hard to wait.

"It's been so long since I've done this!" Samuel shouted above the wind. "But I used to do this all the time. It's the best way to go island-hopping around the Bays!"

He laughed as the memories came to mind, and he went on to tell Hoshiko about all of the islands.

The dry, dusty sands of Xeroph Isle swirled in cyclones over rocky cliffs when the sea winds grew fierce. Palm trees sprouted up sparsely, but most plants couldn't survive in the rocks and sand. The sun blazed hot and the only water was salty, washing from the sea into channels carved out by years and years of erosion. The deep basin at the center of the island yawned wide and Samuel could remember how cold it got at night, and how amazing it was to sit on the edge of the basin by a warm fire, staring down into the deep, ominous pit and watching the faint glow of mysterious energy drifting up like fireflies.

The dust wastelands of Infern Isle were mostly rocks and remnants of uninhabitable town. A dark volcano sat in the center of the island, looming over everyone and everything in its wake. Storm clouds eternally swirled over them in dark sorrel masses, and Samuel recounted tales of venturing deep into the bowels of evil in the darkest part of the island. He avoided any really scary details, not wanting to scare Nozomiko.

Then it was on to the more pleasant islands. He explained how a great castle rose up into the clouds on Palaish Isle. How the beachy white sands gave way to stone walls to wide stretches of winding garden labyrinths. Flowers, vines, and bushes cultivated and manicured, attracted scouts and monsters from near and far just to see the gardens. The sweet smell of the petals always wafted on the air, and there was nothing quite like being at the highest point of the garden where you could see over the outer walls of the castle and out across the sea.

Samuel talked about Celeste Isle, rolling with green hills and dotted with ancient ruins. The trek up a steep mountainside following old stone paths used by who knows what kind of people or creatures an unknown number of years ago. How strange and mysterious it had been to sneak into the strange dungeon inside of the mountain—a slowly crumbling ode to ancients buried away where nobody could see it. He recalled crumbling staircases and red and blue carpets. Day changing to night and old mirrors that transported you in time and space. How rewarding it had been to finally reach the ancient shrine, bathed in shafts of moonlight, where Ace became, for the first time, Wulfspade. Samuel had never seen so majestic or beautiful a creature, and now he and Hoshiko often took Ace's wolf form for granted, but the effort it had taken to get him to that place where he could evolve had been tremendous.

The talk about Fert Isle was a bit less emotional, but still fond. Thick jungles and verdant waterfall oases crawled with life from the creeping vines spotted with bright pink flowers to the vicious monsters lying in wait in the shadows. The air was always damp, but it always smelled fresh, especially at night when the sun went down and the heat cooled. Towering spires of stone and suspended rope bridges hung over the dark green canopies, fading into the mists. Thick thorny vines hid secret watercraft away, protecting hidden waterways to his father's prison-like headquarters. The best part was the little inn above the scout post. Built into the rocks, its huge windows opened up to the ocean view, but even if you let down the bug nets and closed the heavy bamboo shades you could still hear wolven monsters howling, the song of windchimes, and bug pokémon chirping out their tunes. A chill went down his spine as he remembered sleeping in low lantern light and awakening to a deep, mighty howl that carried on over the sounds of all the others. He'd never known Ace could sing like that, until then.

When he finally tried to explain Infant Isle, they were already close enough to it to see the shore. A long stretch of beach slowly faded into hills and high cliffs. Sandy brown melted into the gentle green of beach reeds and soon the rich carpet of moss and grass took over. Dirt trails wound through the hills around the island, leading steadily up towards the peak of the waiting mountain. People were gathered on the beach near a small building cut into one of the hillsides, and Samuel explained that was the scout post.

"Infant Isle welcomes scouts from all around the Bays. Aside from Domus, it's the busiest of the islands. Especially before a challenge. Everyone wants to climb the mountain and go through the caves to get to the shrine on top of it all." He pointed to the mountain peak, which was still just a little too far away to see clearly. From down here, they could even see tents dotting the roadsides leading up the hills.

The trip to Infant Isle had been nothing but pleasure to Hoshiko, she loved listening to Samuel explaining Green Bays and although he was so descriptive and vivid in his words it left the girl thirsting to see everything for herself. Seeing the scenes with her own eyes, hearing the sounds with her own ears, smelling the flowers with her own nose. It sounded like some sort of strange paradise that was almost impossible to imagine.

But among all of the beauty that Samuel had described, there was one place that interested her more then any of the most exquisite places that the Bays had to offer. Once the two had stopped and the engine came to a hush Hoshiko spoke softly.

"Samuel..." She reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I would like to go to Fert Isle...before we leave Green Bays." Hoshiko knew it was a big request from her friend, but to see the place where he had grown up from childhood was too tempting not to ask. After all he had seen where she'd grown and although it was laced with painful memories there was still come beauty for the two to share. Like the jade Phanpy.

Nozomiko meanwhile poked out of her blanket and stared up in awe with bright wide eyes as how big and tall Infant Isle was. Little did she know that her own birth had taken place on a much larger and overbearing mount. "BIIIIIIIIIIIG!" The child exclaimed enthusiastically.

Samuel looked over his shoulder at Hoshiko and Nozomiko and nodded slightly. "We'll go to Fert Isle. You'll probably like it, but if we go on to the compound I grew up in from there it'll be a little less... Well... Nice." He warned gently. "But you won't need to worry about it. Cell HQ was abandoned when my father died. We shouldn't run into any trouble. It's just an empty fort now."

Turning his eyes up to the deep blue sky, he could now clearly see Infant Isle's famed mountain. It was a giant face of rich brown rock and earth, rising up over the peaceful landscape. Little trails wound around it, in and out of the interior caves. Now that they were closer, they could see the scouts following the footpaths in small groups, their bright shirts colorful dots against the stony backdrop.

High on the top of the mount there was a beautiful monument large enough to see from the ground. It shone like ivory in the light of the sun. Its wide pillars held up a grandiose and ornately carved gable decorated with a giant white bird not unlike the carving on Lumen's sword. The beautiful artistry hung over the mountaintop like a guardian symbol, welcoming the hikers to shelter under its wings. As Samuel stared up at it, his heart began to race and his palms dampened. He pushed the hair out of his eyes and squinted to see through the overbearing rays of sunlight.

Hopping off of the watercraft, his feet crushed wet sand noisily under his shoes. His stomach twisted and his mouth went numb so that he thought he might never be able to talk again. The anxiety culminated into a rush of adrenaline and excitement that washed away any doubts he may have had about what Lumen had told him about the Scout Challenge. Relief roared over him in a wave that drowned out all sense of the world around him and narrowed his vision. His eyes fixated on the top of the peak. Somehow, he found his voice through it all, and he managed to spit out a completely coherent sentence.

"We'll go to every place in all of Green Bays if you want, Hoshiko. And after that, if you've time, the world." He slowly raised a lightly trembling hand to point up to the shrine.

There, perched on the rooftop and almost entirely washed out by the glare of the sun, a silent, lupine figure lorded like one of the carved statues over the small island. White fur billowed like wisps of cloud in the wind, tapering off into a soft, streaming tail that literally glowed like sun-kissed mist in the yellow afternoon light. Illuminated by the gentle golden halo, he stood with eternal patience, just watching and waiting.

"And he'll lead the way."


End file.
